I linked this on FB but thought I'd toss it up here.

I heard Jane McGonigal on the radio the other day. She's a game designer that applies game design to real life. When she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury she was depressed and unmotivated and having a hard time moving forward. So she decided to create a social game with her sister called, "Jane the Concussion Slayer." (She's a Buffy fan.)

It was a combination of social media, social support group and game design to create Quests, identify Obstacles/Bad Guys and assign points and leveling up to achieve goals.

There are several interesting aspects to the game design, including the necessity of depending on other people to assign you quests (which take you out of own ruts), and hold you accountable and measure your progress.

A guy who was recovering from an accident where he was run over while riding his bicycle, talks about how he used the program (now called SuperBetter) to achieve his Epic Win.

In her discussion on the radio, she also talked about creating a game for the New York Public Library to draw more kids to the library. It was pretty fascinating to hear how she worked out the game design. Her first thought was of classic children's book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and asked if she could lock people into the library overnight.

Once she got approval for that she designed a game that involved overnight research quests by the game players (I think they took 200 out of 10,000 who applied).

The epic win was that the process of doing the research wound up creating a collaborative book. They had a bookbinder on-site who completed a finished volume that the library put into its Rare Book collection. All the gamers get listed in the Card Catalog as authors and have rights in perpetuity to visit the Rare Book Collection. Pretty cool epic win.

Those pencils look great, Matt. I'll have to check them out.

I can't properly articulate how big a step this class is. It's been, what, 23 years since my last art class? And before that, I was 14 when my art teacher kinda asked me to stop coming to class? I've been partially afraid/disbelieving of learning art since then. I'm the worst kind of self-taught. Not an arrogant sort, but I just don't believe I'm teachable. It's not that you don't have anything to teach me--I just don't think I can learn.

So going out and dropping a wad of cash as an old dog--I don't even know what I'm doing. And this teacher doesn't know what he's gotten into either.

Speaking of game playing, anyone here play Mass Effect? Specifically are you/will you be playing ME3? Is it the sort of thing I would be swallowed up in, never to return? I'm watching IO9 writhe in orgasms over it, and I'm perplexed. They don't want to be spoilt, they're irate they can't import their Shepard's faces from ME1->ME2->ME3, and have to start again from scratch and can't replicate the faces they've spent so many hours with, and and and...and I realise I really have no idea how complex computer games have gotten these days. Last time I was a "person" in a computer game, my name was Larry, and I was wearing a leisure suit.

I am agog.

Overnight in the library!! Awesome. I would've loved that as a kid. (I also loved Mixed Up Files)

oh, everyone going on vacation soon should assume the role of sarameg, if you know what I mean. good times.

I support this, and would like to make it happen for me more often. ...no, wait, that seems to be the ONLY time it happens.

I've heard her interviewed before, and, I gotta say, her games sound fascinating.

asked if she could lock people into the library overnight.

I would kill for that opportunity (as would many a Buffista, I'm aware).

Last time I was a "person" in a computer game, my name was Larry, and I was wearing a leisure suit.

Ha.

Nope, games have gotten really complex and awesome these days. I haven't played ME, but I am intrigued. The franchise I'm salivating over these days is Assassin's Creed, though. ACII is probably one of my favorite games ever, but I haven't played Brotherhood or Revelations yet.

asked if she could lock people into the library overnight.

I would kill for that opportunity (as would many a Buffista, I'm aware).

They've been doing a thing here the past two or three years where they have a contest or drawing from among local teachers and the winner gets to spend a month inside Science and Industry.

Some good news, sign o' the times, etc:

ANTI-GAY GROUP ABANDONS FAILED BOYCOTT OF JCPENNEY AND ELLEN DEGENERES

One Million Moms was outraged that JCPenney would affiliate itself with a “high-profile homosexual entertainer” like Ellen DeGeneres, but its attempt to boycott the store has fizzled. Director Monica Cooley believes “only time will tell,” because the group is now moving on to other issues that require its attention. The group’s boycott of Toys ‘R’ Us has also failed miserably — the Archie Comics issue they objected to because of its same-sex wedding sold out.

Ha-ha! </Nelson>

I'm kind of fascinated with how the left is winning the culture wars but the right is winning the small government ones.

The franchise I'm salivating over these days is Assassin's Creed, though.

You are as one with Emmett in this regard. (I got Emmett hooked because Sean talked about it when he made his trip to Venice and kept saying things like, "You could totally jump from the roof of the Duomo to the next building!")

Though Emmett also really really really loved Arkham City.

Man busted at grocery for "criminal mischief with the cheese"

This gentleman, Blake Oren Robinson, was arrested at a grocery store for "committing criminal mischief with the cheese," according to an Iowa City police criminal complaint. Robinson was apparently caught on video stealing beer, chips, and a jar of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Medium Cheese. He reportedly went into the restroom to enjoy his snack and then smeared the cheese all over the floor and walls. Police say that Robinson was… (drumroll)… intoxicated.

It's that music kids listen to these days. Probably was inspired by the Beck lyric, "Get crazy with the Cheese-Whiz."