I have simply read too much Guy Gavriel Kay so I didn't finishe the Mosaic trilogy. I get a lot of good novel recommendations from my friend Tray. This is one of them.
These are some of the best all-around shows on right now. Acting, writing, directing, art, film,... You name it. With every one, I can't wait for the next episode.
We chat with Chris and Kelly Brown, hosts of The Married Gamers podcast. Topics range from gamers and gamification, relationships, good communication skills, and free beer. If you don't already subscribe to their show, you really should. On the eve of their 300th episode we can assure you they are a fun and engaging couple and this is a fantastic show.
Chris and Kelly were recently featured in an Xbox Live story. Check out the video on YouTube. It's pretty adorable (and I'm bummed we didn't hear Kel's war-cry on the show... that just means we need to have them back on!)
As always, we'd love your feedback. Leave a comment here or "Like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or join our G+ Community.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 7:01PM | Toria Spencer
This entry is more for movie buffs than gamers, but bear with me — it's relevant!
La vita è bella (“Life is Beautiful”), written, directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, can really trick you if you don’t already know what you’re in for when you sit down to watch it. In my mind, it is one of the most beautiful examples of gamification in the media to date.
* Spoilers after this point. *
It begins as a comedy, following a man named Guido Orefice as he moves to Venice to open a bookshop. When he is turned down, he gets a job working for his uncle, meets and woos the woman of his dreams (depending on how you look at it, it can look cute or a tidge creepy, maybe both) and settles down to raise a family. He gets through tricky situations by using his child-like sense of humour, sharp wit and remarkable timing, and is a wonderfully entertaining protagonist throughout the entire film.
Before long, however, a dark chapter begins in Guido’s life. I neglected to mention earlier that the movie is set during the second World War, and that Guido and his family are Jewish. (Sorry, I was holding out on you. Dramatic effect and all such, you know.)
Guido, his wife Dora, his four-year-old son Giosué and his uncle Eliseo are taken to a concentration camp. Upon arrival, only Guido and Giosué are permitted to stay together, but only a short time passes before even the children are separated from their parents. In order to protect Giosué, as well as his innocence, Guido pretends the trip is a gift for his birthday and turns the camp into a game: hide from the guards, keep quiet, and you earn points; cry, want to see your mother, ask for extra food or get caught by the guards, and you will lose points; the first team to earn 1,000 will be able to go home and will win a new tank.
As time wears on, it becomes more and more difficult to keep Giosué convinced that it is all just a game — really, who could keep a four-year-old convinced that sleeping in barracks and only having two small meals a day is a fun game that's worth a tank? When the camp explodes into chaos, Guido must become even more inventive to keep him safe and assure him that they will be the team to win.
While still following Guido and Giosué, we are given brief glimpses of Dora and Eliseo's days in the camp as well for the realism that every movie about the Holocaust ought to have. As neither Dora nor Eliseo are in on the game, all they can do is listen to the horror stories of the veteran prisoners, think of their family, and wonder if they'll ever make it out alive.
One of the most heart-wrenching examples of gamification, Life is Beautiful has won 55 awards internationally, three of which are Academy Awards (Best Actor, Best Foreign Film and Best Original Score), is in the list of IMDb.com’s Top 250 Movies, and it’s one of my all-time favourite films. If you can find it somewhere, it is more than worth the watch. (It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some Kleenex on hand if you are at all prone to crying during sad parts in movies.)
This week we return to one of our favorite themes: gamification.
We talk to Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech, Chris Ritter. He shares his approach to teaching technical communications using a service learning project geared toward his local community. Listen for some great insights on how gaming and learning interact, along with details of another game studies dissertation.
We also share some feedback on our gaming family episode from listener, Jayme, and talk about some of our favorite games growing up, including board and card games.
Make sure to comment here or follow us on Twitter. You can even like our page on Facebook.
Game on Girl is on Stitcher so you can stream our show to your mobile device or subscribe via iTunes or the RSS Feed.
In episode 11, Rhonda and I talk to writer, mother, gamer, and Ph.D. candidate Sandi Glahn. We discuss the evolution and origins of gender stereotypes and gender roles.
Sandi Down UnderWe talk in depth in this episode about the cultural differences of gender stereotypes, how they've changed and not changed over many years, and about our own experiences (all three of us) bucking against gendered expectations. We also touch some more on the use of female images in the marketing of E3 and some of the topics we will cover in upcoming episodes, including casual vs hardcore definitions and gamer girl on gamer girl hate.
We also share listener feedback from our cyber-mailbag about avatar names and website feedback on Episode 8 - Endorphin Dude.
Many thanks to Sandi for sharing her time with us for this episode. Follow her on Twitter and check out her website for more information on her research and writing.
As always, we'd love to hear your feedback on the episode. Leave a comment here or Drop us a Tweet @game_on_girl.
Game on Girl is on Stitcher so you can stream our show to your mobile device or subscribe via iTunes or the RSS Feed.
In the eighth episode of Game on Girl, we take on a broader topic in game culture: Gamification. Hear Endorphin Dude, Tony Nguyen, talk about reaching Titanium Marathon status and how gaming helped him get there.
Endorphin Dude!
Here are the links we reference throughout the show:
PopCap / Twitter - Makers of Bejewled Blitz, Plants vs Zombies, and awesome playing cards
If you are using Gamification in a new and interesting way and would like to talk to us about it, send me an email at regina@gameongirl.com or leave a comment here.
Game on Girl is now on Stitcher so you can now stream our show to your mobile device.
Monday, May 27, 2013 at 2:41PM | 
