Celebrate Your Geekdom
First we brought you the podcast. Then we brought you the photos. Finally, we brought you the transcript. Now, for the first time ever, you can see The Video!
Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh at San Diego Comic-Con 2008
This is a high quality MPG. Please right click and “save target as” to download it to your computer. A low resolution, two-part version will be made available on our YouTube Channel very soon.
Enjoy!
from Jolt Online Gaming:
Jolt Online Gaming today announced that it will be publishing Legends of Zork, which will give players the chance to once again take up the mantle of Zork, this time via an Internet browser.
The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the remnants of the Great Underground Empire. The New Zork Times reports that trolls, kobolds and other dangerous creatures are venturing far from their lairs. Adventurers and monsters are increasingly coming into conflict over areas rich with loot. It’s a dangerous time to be a newly-unemployed traveling salesman, but it’s also a great time to try a bit of adventuring.
LegendsofZork.com will provide online gamers with a persistent online adventure, playable from any Internet browser. Players take up the role of a recently laid-off salesman and part-time loot-gatherer, as he explores the Great Underground Empire. Designed to provide gamers with a casual MMO game they can play on their laptop, desktop or Apple iPhone (in school, work or on the bus), there’s nothing to download, just go to legendsofzork.com.
“As a complete Zork geek, I’m very proud to be releasing this title”, stated Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt Online gaming. “Anyone who plays MMOs will definitely like to spend some time with Legends of Zork while they’re taking a break or browsing around the web. It’s very addictive”.
For more information, beta-registration, and game announcements please go to legendsofzork.com.
Jolt Online Gaming is one of the leading browser games publishers in the world with millions of players across its titles.
The Jolt Online Gaming network was founded in 2008 and is building a global network of passionate online gamers. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with operations in Los Angeles and Germany. Its gaming properties include Trukz.com, NationStates2.com, Jolt.co.uk and Swirve.com. More information can be found at joltonline.com.
Legends of Zork © 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and Legends of Zork is a trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. Published by Jolt Online Gaming.
All other trademarks and trade names are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
from Playful Entertainment:
The internationally renowned, lightning-fast card game from Asmodee Editions, Jungle Speed, is coming to WiiWare on January 12th. It’s fun for the entire family, where quick reflexes and a keen eye will put you on top. Flip your cards, pay attention and grab the totem at the right moment to win the game.
Jungle Speed is a twitchy, fast-paced WiiWare game that’s fun for all ages. It’s also the first Wii game to offer simultaneous play for up to eight players. Each remote and nunchuk pair can support two players at a time, making it a great game for get-togethers. Just watch the elbows!
Available for 1000 Wii points, Jungle Speed is not for the faint hearted. Players must watch carefully and react quickly. With a jungle character seated comfortably at the game table, players are each dealt a pile of cards. Play starts when the first person flips their card. Moving around the table symbols are revealed until two of the exposed cards match. Players with the matching cards must then scramble to grasp the totem in the middle of the table. The faster player then gives their cards to their unfortunate adversary. With paws flying, the first person to get rid of all their cards wins the game.
To add to the difficulty, certain cards are almost identical, which can trick a hapless player into grabbing the Totem by mistake — a grave error. Other cards force all players to make a grab at once, change the method of play, or otherwise add to the difficulty. And just when you think you’ve got it down, a special card can change the rules and keep you on the edge of your stump. Every game is an exciting new experience.
It’s been said that Jungle Speed was invented by the Aboulou Tribe in subtropical Spidopotamia. The Aboulous used eucalyptus leaves as cards for the game, which was played to determine shares in the spoils of a hunt, but the leaves were identical and no one ever won. This simple error almost drove the tribe to extinction. Jungle Speed remained unknown to the outside world until two clever gamethropologists, Tom and Yako, invented the modern day playing cards that spawned the WiiWare version.
Jungle Speed is being published by Playful Entertainment and was produced with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada.
While London’s upper crust is growing bored and falling asleep in its posh salons, a new style of club has seen the light of day. The Draconis Club, very much in style at the moment, offers English aristocrats in need of a good rush the opportunity to face fear in an extraordinary trip to Draco Mundis, the Valley of Dragons. The luckiest among them will be able to come back covered with glory, and able to brag about their feats while proudly displaying a trophy worthy of the British Museum. Dragon season is open!
Draco Mundis, available in both English and French editions, is a strategy game similar to Dungeon Twister in its game mechanics. Its rules are fairly simple, relying on a player’s strategic, tactical, memory, and bluffing skills, with diplomacy and the forging of temporary alliances becoming factors when there are more than two players. There is no luck involved. Each player is able to take Actions such as moving, exploring the jungle, fighting or spying on enemies, using Special Abilities, and, in the case of a Cannibal, capturing prisoners. As the back of the box hints, “Each character has a very specific ability; you’ll have to learn how to use each character at their best to adapt to whatever hot water your opponents put you in.”
Turn-based Draco Mundis plays much like an RPG. The fictionalized Valley of Gangtok is laid out on a gridded game board that resembles an antique, sepia-coloured map — down to the ornately drawn compass rose in the top-right corner — and the game has an alternate reality back-story that reads like the preamble to an old British adventure film:
Tired of the daily mundanities and good manners, the English aristocracy of the early 20th century is trying to while away the time by looking for thrills wherever they can. The latest craze is a chase as madcap as it is illegal. In the heart of the Punjab region of eastern India, their contest is centered around the capture of a sacred, rare and protected monster: Draco Septentrionus Verdatis!
Armed to the teeth with hunting rifles and blades of all sorts, the lordly teams, accompanied by their ladies, themselves followed by Sherpas burdened by piles of pointless luggage, will face the wild animals of a hostile jungle. Their secret goal will be to capture one of these enormous legendary beasts, dragons from northern India, in order to bring it back to England as a hunting trophy.
The aristocratic adventurers will be surrounded by the screams of a myriad of apes, spider monkeys and baboons, masses of poisonous snakes, angry herds of elephants, and especially the infamous Bengali tiger, bristling with ferocity and whose fangs are true saw teeth. The fire-breathers come out of nowhere in the heart of the night, setting ablaze the villages made of hovels or the most highly protected camps, spreading around them more than just fear, but sacred terror.
The best trick in the hunters’ arsenal will be the use of an infallible trap, a female Dragon made of odds and ends and supposed to irresistibly attract the monster by the imitation of its cry.
Intrigued by the hunting arsenal and all the preparations for capture, journalists have decided to discreetly follow the uncaring, happy go lucky expeditions in droves. They’ll be able to turn the details of their adventures into scoops for tabloid papers, before reporting their sacrilegious doings to the local police.
But beyond all the dangers and the pitfalls, the English aristocrat fully knows that success in his enterprise will, surely, grant him the favor of the crown, and perhaps even, with a bit of luck, from the hands of His Majesty himself, the title coveted by any self-respecting Lord, that of honorable member of the “Order of the Garter”.
Box contents:
— 1 game board,
— 80 tokens (11 Characters, 1 Item and 8 Lands for each of the 4 colors),
— 4 game helps/screens,
— 1 rulebook.
Characters:
Explorer (2), Journalist (1), Hunter (1), Sherpas (2) — one of whom may be sacrificed per game to gain an extra Action for the current turn, Dragon (2), Cannibal (1), Biplane (1), SS307 Machinegun (1)
Item:
Dragon Traps (1) — deployed in alternate rules to limit the power of Dragons
Lands:
Campsite (1), Mountain (2), Jungle (2), Swamp (2), Bengali Tiger Territory (1)
The use of a bad, upper-crust British accent is not included in the rules, but should be, as it adds a great deal of fun to gameplay. If your companions are like-minded, then agreeing to award extra points for cheesiest accents and most stereotypical, old-time slang will add a whole new layer to the game. Bonus points for wearing a pith helmet, as well.
The game ends when every token on the game board is revealed, and the winner is the player with the highest total of Victory Points. Points are earned for infiltrating a Campsite with your Journalist, destroying Campsites (not your own, of course), eliminating opposing Characters and Dragons, and controlling Character tokens on a Jungle or Mountain token of any color. Points are lost if you place your Bengali Tiger Territory on a square adjacent to your Campsite at the beginning of the game; setting up camp next to a bunch of tigers merely makes you eligible for a Darwin Award, and a smart player will try to get his opponents taken out by the big cats instead.
“May the best Lord win!”
Draco Mundis supports 2-4 players, ages 12 and up. Game length: about 60 minutes.
If “mechanical dragons” are more your thing, Asmodee Editions also has two new car racing games out, Hurry’cup! and Formula D.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Draco Mundis (not listed yet)
Hurry’cup! (not listed yet)
Formula D
Or order directly through the Asmodee Editions website.
Draco Mundis, Hurry’cup!, and Formula D are distributed by Asmodee Editions (US), a subsidiary of Asmodee Editions (France), in partnership with Hazgaard Éditions for Draco Mundis. For more information on Draco Mundis, visit the official game website at Draco Mundis (in French).
Over the past few weeks, fans of The Guild have been eagerly awaiting the release of new hilarious episodes of our favorite web series and, as expected, Codex and the Knights of Good have not let us down. With three episodes and the Christmas special now out, we thought this would be a great time to catch up with the cast and find out what they’ve been up to. As a Christmas gift from ÜberSciFiGeek to all of you, here is the first of several upcoming interviews.
Amy Okuda plays Tinkerballa, a Ranger in the “Knights of Good” guild. As anyone who’s played World of Warcraft or Everquest with me can attest to, I have a soft spot for the Ranger/Hunter toons (slang for in-game characters), so that automatically makes Tink one of my favorite characters. As busy as she is between school and the holiday season, Amy was kind enough to set aside some time to answer a few questions for ÜberSciFiGeek.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Did you have an active imagination when you were a kid?
Amy Okuda (AO) I think all young kids have very good imaginations. But I was the kid in preschool that escaped from the classroom everyday to talk to flowers… so I guess I could say I had a pretty active imagination… haha.
(ÜSFG) How old were you when you decided you wanted to be an actor?
(AO) I got into acting very recently, probably like junior year of high school. I started dancing in 7th grade, and my dance teacher and friends would tell me to get into acting too since they make more money… so I did, and I ended up really liking it.
(ÜSFG) Lots of artistic people struggle with other things considered normal, like sports, academics, and social interaction, but then thrive when they discover the arts. Did you have a similar experience?
(AO) I think my experience is the furthest from that. Acting and the arts were not a part of my life until about 7th grade. I played basketball for about 9 years, since I was 5 — that was my life. I was basically a tomboy and thought I was going to get into college through basketball, but realized I was Asian and would grow up to be about 5″1 and 95 pounds… haha. But I would say I grew up with a very normal life. I went to school, had a lot of good friends, played sports, you know, the usual. Then I started really getting into dance in high school and started independent studies my junior year, so that’s when my life started getting “not normal” I guess… haha. But my boyfriend was going to school so I still got to go to my senior prom, which was nice. But I was lucky and got to experience a lot of different things in my life — like being a student, an athlete, a dancer, an actor, etc., and I think that’s what makes me different from other actors who have been in the business all their life.
(ÜSFG) You just finished wrapping season 2 of The Guild. What was it like being back together with the cast and crew? How different was it to actually have a budget this time around?
(AO) I absolutely love every single cast member and crew that works on the show. Me and Robin, who plays Clara, especially got close, and I’m so thankful that everyone is so supportive and nice. I couldn’t imagine working on a show with people I hated. Well, now that we are sponsored and have a budget, we got to shoot the whole season in a shorter amount of time, which was nice compared to shooting episodes months apart. But it’s not completely different from shooting season 1; it’s still so much fun and I love it just as much as I did shooting the first season.
(ÜSFG) Other than your Mario Kart addiction, are you anything like Tink?
(AO) Tink is basically me when I was, like, 10-11 years old. That’s when I was really into basketball, and I was such a feisty little kid. I didn’t take crap from anyone; I was so competitive and thought I was the toughest thing. One time, a boy was, like, looking at me and trying to talk to me and I snapped at him and said “What are you looking at?” To me, that’s such a Tink line. When I quit basketball and wasn’t in such a competitive environment all the time, I really mellowed down, and I’m glad I did, because I honestly probably wouldn’t have any friends… haha.
(ÜSFG) I know you did the “LOL” episode of Californication with David Duchovny. How different was that filming experience from The Guild?
(AO) Well, the big difference was that I only had to memorize one sentence. HAHAHA. But it was kind of cool because I only had, like, a tiny part but I had my own little trailer, a wardrobe person, make-up artist, and they even had a stand-in for me, which was kind of weird. But you know, other than that, there’s just a lot more people on set, and I got to see David Duchovny… lol.
(ÜSFG) You’ve been busy at the University of Southern California. Have you had time for anything else, and, if so, what other projects have you been working on?
(AO) My main project for the next 3 years is to graduate! I really wish I could go out and audition and work as an actor more, but right now my main goal is to get a degree, and live life like a normal college girl. My mom always told me college is the best time in your life, and I really want to live it up and treasure my time at USC, especially because there is so much to do there besides go to class, and I don’t want to miss out on anything.
(ÜSFG) Do you get recognized in public now?
(AO) Umm, I got recognized once at El Torito; it was kind of a weird experience, but it doesn’t happen much. I get a lot of friends and family telling me, “Oh, my friend was saying he/she was looking through the Internet and saw you on The Guild!” or random old friends Facebook-messaging me and being like, “WTF, you’re in The Guild?”
(ÜSFG) Are you a Whedonite?
(AO) I’m not exactly sure what being a Whedonite entails, but I definitely enjoyed Dr. Horrible. I think everyone did a great job on that.
(ÜSFG) Is there anything else you can think of that you’d like to share?
(AO) Umm, I don’t think so, just KEEP WATCHING THE GUILD. 🙂 lovelovelove
(ÜSFG) Thank you, Amy!
The Guild is currently airing Season 2, and can be watched on MSN Video, Xbox Live and Zune.
from StarWars.com:
Although the final original episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars have aired for the remainder of 2008, there’s no dearth of Clone Wars fun available at StarWars.com to keep fans busy until Jan. 2, including the first-ever online “marathon,” which begins on Monday.
Starting Dec. 22, all 10 episodes of the hit Cartoon Network series that have aired to date will be available online at the official Star Wars website and at CartoonNetwork.com. What’s more, each episode features a video commentary by supervising director Dave Filoni; a web comic; and a detailed episode guide containing concept art and additional insights into Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The online marathon ends on Monday, Jan. 5.
And on Friday, Jan. 2, the first new Clone Wars episode of 2009, “Dooku Captured,” debuts at 9 p.m. on Cartoon Network.
Just in case that’s not enough for Star Wars fans, StarWars.com offers three exclusive online games that provide unique, challenging experiences. There’s no hardware required beyond a basic home computer, and the games are accessible via the homepage at starwars.com.
In “Sharpshooter,” players can partake in some clone training, as they try to hit targets that range from holograms of battle droids to rolling destroyer droids. As the levels get progressively harder, “Sharpshooter” throws in some tricks, ranging from blast shields that make it difficult to hit your target to decoys that players need to avoid. It’s classic arcade-style action whose increasingly difficult levels will pose a challenge to gamers of any age.
“Live Fire” is a keyboard-based game in which players take on the role of a clone trooper — and can even customize his gear. By finding and collecting datapacks, while avoiding a phalanx of Separatist droids, players can unlock exclusive Clone Wars content, including images, videos and sounds. But beware, because the Separatist droids encountered on these missions to Christophsis and Teth are bent on success.
“Clones vs. Droids” offers the option of playing live against another player — or practicing solo. Squads of droids and clone troopers are pitted against each other, and it’s up to players to strategically prepare for both attack and defense during the game’s 10 rounds.
The Clone Wars experience isn’t just online, of course. In fact, during the holidays Cartoon Network will offer encore showings of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with more opportunities than ever to enjoy the intergalactic adventure.
Here is Cartoon Network’s holiday schedule for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. (Unless noted, all programming is half-hour episodes.)
Monday, Dec. 22 — 10 a.m. (one-hour block), 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 23 — 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. (one-hour block)
Thursday, Dec. 25 — 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 26 — 8 a.m., 6 p.m. (one-hour block), 9 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 27 — 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 28 — 9 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 29 — 10 a.m. (one-hour block), 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 30 — 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. (one-hour block)
Wednesday, Dec. 31 — 9 a.m. (one-hour block), 3 p.m.
All times listed are ET/PT.
Don’t forget — the next original episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Dooku Captured,” airs at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2. Until then… may the Force be with you!
Evil has returned to haunt the keep… The lich has been reincarnated. Hero, the immortal king, defeated the lich years ago, but now the lich has returned, hungry for vengeance, leading his army of undead. But valiant adventurers have invaded his lair and seek to fight their way to his throne, in order to confront him and send him back to his grave. Whether you are the lich or the adventurers, in order to triumph, you will need to prove yourself with the wisdom to choose the right path, the strength to strike down your enemies and the luck to forge your destiny! Whether you prefer the hardness of stone, the finesse of paper or the edge of the blade, your fate is in your hands!
When it comes to role-playing (RPG) card games, there is usually an investment of time and energy to learn to play that can often be intimidating for an inexperienced or first-time player. Like a traditional card game, winning or losing is a mixture of strategy, luck, and the combination of cards in your hand. In RPG/Strategy card games you “build” a deck, customizing your selection of cards before the game begins, to play to your strengths or game strategies. Many card games I’ve picked up require a huge investment in “boosters” to build a useable deck, and then you have to find someone to play with, typically facing your deck against theirs. While luck, strategy, and skill is involved, usually whoever has the best cards wins. Unlike other games I’ve played, Hero: Immortal King (or Hero IK) from Asmodee Editions is ready to play right out of the box. While you can buy additional boxes to build your own deck, it is not necessary in order to play the game. Also, you don’t pit your cards against someone else’s since both players use the same deck.
Hero IK is designed for two players, with one player as Adventurer and the other as the Dungeon Master (DM), but it also includes rules for a Solitaire game so you can play the game as soon as you crack it open. In the role of Adventurer, you have to navigate your way through the passageways (represented by Dungeon Cards) of a dungeon in search of the Final Monster. As the DM, you can use a series of ambushes and traps to foil the Adventurer and keep him from reaching the Final Monster. Instead of scoring, a series of colored chips is used to keep track of how courageous (Courage tokens possessed by Adventurer) or demoralized (Fear tokens possessed by DM) the Adventurer is. If the Adventurer runs out of Courage tokens before beating the Final Boss, the game is over. In addition to the Fear and Courage tokens, the Adventurer has Mana tokens that can be used to access special abilities, and the DM has Tenacity tokens that can be used to boost Dungeon Cards’ attack strength.
In the solitaire game there is no DM, so traps, ambushes, and other special attacks don’t come into play. Instead, the use of Fear tokens is modified. Whenever the Adventurer loses a fight and a Fear token is added to the DM’s pile, the new number of Fear tokens is selected from a list of scenarios to tell you the outcome. For example, in The Lair of the Lich’s easy scenario: If the DM gains a second Fear token, “The Greenskins are mobilized. Greenskins gain a bonus of +1 Strength”. There are three Solitaire scenarios included in the instruction manual: The Dead of Night (Easy), In Search of Abunakkashii (Medium), and Meet the Lich (Difficult). You can create your own additional scenarios or download more from Asmodee Editions.
Presently there are three Hero IK games: The Lair of the Lich, The Infernal Forge, and the Den of Dementia. They all follow the same gameplay rules and can be played individually or combined to build a customized deck. The cards are even numbered in the lower right-hand corner so you can easily separate them if you decide to play the standard game again.
While most of the battles are decided with the role of a die, plus whatever special skills, abilities, or attacks the Adventurer (or DM) adds, the Greenskins (kind of like trolls) have a different way of settling things in a two-player game: Rock, Paper, Scissors. This brought about a few laughs when timing was off, so you might want to play a few rounds of RPS with your partner before the game begins, just to make sure you aren’t showing on the third count when they are going on the fourth. The game is fairly well-balanced, but is geared towards the Adventurer. The DM only has so much they can do, but it is fun to watch the Adventurer squirm as you lay ambushes to thwart their progress. In The Lair of the Lich, there are no trap cards, but they have been added to The Infernal Forge and Den of Dementia, as well as additional heroes, monsters, and Final Monsters to make things a bit more difficult.
The instruction book is actually more detailed than you realize the first time reading it through, and it is a bit difficult to understand until you actually start playing the game. Maybe I’m a slow learner, but I used the book for just about every hand for the first five or six Solitaire games I played. Every time I played, I learned more or understood an aspect of the gameplay I didn’t really get before. The cards have everything on their face that you need to know once you know how to read them, though, and eventually the book won’t be necessary except for the Scenario chart when playing the Solitaire version.
After familiarizing myself with the Solitiare version of the game, I played Hero IK as DM with my 15-year-old son as Adventurer. He used to play Yu-Gi-Oh! and other similar games when he was younger, so learning a new, more mature card game appealed to him. About halfway through our first game, when I asked him what he thought about it, he replied, “Much better than Yu-Gi-Oh!” As we discussed the game, we both agreed that while it is fun the way it is, its real strength will be in the unlimited possibilities opened up once it is customized. We are already making plans for customizing our game rules and decks once we are more confident with the three standard games (with and without constructed decks).
The cards are about the same size as, but more durable than, standard game cards, with rounded edges to cut back on getting dog ears on the corners. The artwork is a Manga or Anime style that at times reminds me of the animated films The Lord of the Rings and The Last Unicorn. In addition to the 60-card deck, there are two die (one standard 6-sided die and one 8,10 or 12-sided die) and 28 tokens. Everything stores away in a sturdy box about the size of a paperback novel. The lid fits snugly so it will be easy to take the game from its place on your bookshelf and toss it in a bag or backpack when you head out to hang with friends. It’s fairly easy to learn how to play and, after many of the possible scenarios have played out, Hero IK has lots of potential for expansion and customization without getting bogged down in some of the more complicated game rules seen in other games. Some hard-core gamers might say this is a watered down or “lite” version of a RPG/Strategy card game, but that would be overlooking the possibilities of this streamlined and enjoyable game. Whether you are a solitary gamer, one who doesn’t have time for long games, or someone who has wanted to try their hand at a card game but has been too intimidated to try it, I recommend picking up Hero: Immortal King.
Contents
• 4 adventurer cards
• 7 equipment cards
• 48 dungeon cards
• 1 final monster card
• 1 6-sided die
• 1 12-sided die* or a 10-sided die** or an 8-sided die***
• 4 Mana tokens
• 4 Tenacity tokens
• 10 Courage tokens
• 10 Fear tokens
Hero IK supports 1-2 players, ages 9 and up. Game length: about 30 minutes.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Hero: Immortal King: The Lair of the Lich
Or order directly through the Asmodee Editions website.
Hero: Immortal King: The Lair of the Lich, Hero: Immortal King: The Infernal Forge, and Hero: Immortal King: Den of Dementia are distributed by Asmodee Editions (US), a subsidiary of Asmodee Editions (France).
Serendipitously coinciding with the release of The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset, Looney Labs has added a Monty Python themed edition to their popular Fluxx card game series.
It’s Monty Python Fluxx — the card game where it’s fun to make your brain hurt.
Get a shrubbery for the knights who say NI! Build a giant wooden rabbit! And since it’s Fluxx, you can expect the rules to constantly change… but don’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!
Monty Python Fluxx is based mainly on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but squeezes in a number of fan-favourite references from Flying Circus and the other movies. There are 100 cards in the set, laden with colourful illustrations of such iconic Monty Python jokes as the Coconut-Laden Swallow, the Finger of God, the Ex-Parrot, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and the Legendary Black Beast of Aaarrghh. (Sadly, Spam and Fish Slapping cards are absent.) Most entertaining of all are the “What is Your Quote?” and “I Want to Sing!” cards, which turn a player’s trivial ability to quote lines and sing songs from Monty Python into a game-winning asset.
“The random and chaotic nature of the Fluxx engine makes it a perfect vehicle for the crazy world of Monty Python!” enthuses Looney Labs. “Fluxx is the perfect medium for the group that brought us Something Completely Different at every turn.” The company further says, “Yes, that crazy card game where the rules keep changing has joined forces with Monty Python to create the Looneyest card game ever! Help King Arthur and his Knights find the Holy Grail. Bring a Shrubbery to the Knights Who Say Ni! Lob the Holy Hand Grenade at the Killer Rabbit with Nasty Big Teeth! Just do it quick, before the Goal changes again!” This is clearly a game that no Monty Python fan should be without.
In addition to the game, Looney Labs offers a poster that’s “an awesome composite of the cover art and other elements from Monty Python Fluxx, including the catapult, the cow, and the Trojan Rabbit.” The 11×17 inch poster was included free with games pre-ordered directly from Looney Labs, but is now available for anyone to purchase through Looney Labs’ Web Store.
Monty Python Fluxx supports 2-6 players, ages 8 and up. Game length: 10–40 minutes.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Monty Python Fluxx
Or order directly through the Looney Labs website.
Monty Python Fluxx is distributed by Looney Labs, published under license with Toy Vault & Monty Python. For more information on Monty Python Fluxx, visit the official product page at Monty Python Fluxx.
from Vancouver2010.com:
Put your party hats on and make room for some cake; today marks the first birthday of Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, the mascots for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. And there’s even more reason to celebrate because the mascots’ cyber-sidekick Mukmuk is now featured in his own line of playful merchandise! In addition, starting today, a new animated video about Mukmuk that allows his fans to get to know him better will be available at vancouver2010.com/mascots, as well as a new interactive game featuring a flying Sumi.
Mukmuk, a small and friendly Vancouver Island marmot, is now a plush toy and featured on pins, T-shirts, playing cards, travel pillows and even a berry orange and blue toque just like the one he sports online at vancouver2010.com. Special edition box sets of Mukmuk with Miga, Quatchi and Sumi are now available. Mascot merchandise, including a variety of new Mukmuk merchandise, is available at HBC stores, including The Bay and Zellers, across Canada, starting today at 9:30 a.m. PST. It’s also for sale at Olympic stores, at vancouver2010.com and YVR, the Vancouver International Airport.
Best known for his loud cheers during games and races, as well as his unwavering support for his mascot buddies, Mukmuk entered the international spotlight one year ago when Miga, Quatchi and Sumi were introduced and he was named the first-ever Olympic and Paralympic sidekick. While the mascots travel across the country greeting people in person, until now Mukmuk existed in the vast world of cyberspace and in print where he interacts with the public through online games for the 2010 Winter Games as the driver of an ice resurfacer, hockey referee and even a curling skip. He has also acted as postmaster for public questions sent in about the Games.
“Since their introduction one year ago Miga, Sumi and Quatchi have been welcomed into the homes of thousands of Olympic fans. With the support of their friend Mukmuk, the mascots have worked tirelessly to spread a message of goodwill on behalf of Vancouver 2010,” said Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandising of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Mukmuk himself has become incredibly popular — in fact he’s developed a great fan base, so in response, we’re pleased to offer this line of Mukmuk products to complement the popular mascot merchandise available.”
Today, Miga, Quatchi and Sumi will be handing out special invitations at HBC’s flagship downtown Vancouver store welcoming families to their birthday party on Saturday, November 29. Parties will be held on Saturday at five HBC stores in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. The mascot trio will be on hand to visit with youngsters, pose for photos and hand out slices of their special birthday cake. The store locations are:
Mukmuk gets his name from the word “muckamuck”, Chinook jargon for food, because he loves to eat. He is enamoured with all the different types of food found in British Columbia, and is particularly fond of berries and mountain flowers. The Vancouver Island marmot is a species unique to the mountains of Vancouver Island.
A year ago more than 800 schoolchildren witnessed the mascot trio emerge from the mists of a magical West Coast setting of gigantic trees, soaring mountains and majestic ocean. Since then, the mascots have travelled across the country making friends and lighting up the faces of tens of thousands of youngsters and grownups alike at almost 300 public appearances in schools, hospitals and community events. They even paid a visit south of the border where they delighted crowds in Los Angeles and took part in an ice show during the opening days of the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. Highlighting their love of winter sports and the great outdoors, they have skated at Vancouver’s GM Place, travelled by dogsled in Calgary and even snow tubed at the Quebec Winter Carnival, and most recently-cross country skied at the opening of Whistler Olympic Park in BC’s Callaghan Valley.
The mascot microsite at vancouver2010.com has been immensely popular in its first 12 months. Its success includes more than 1.8 million page views, over 336,300 views of the animated mascot video page, more than 92,550 plays of the Operation Recycle game, and well over 500,000 page views of the mascots’ profiles.
The mascots, designed for VANOC by Vancouver-based Meomi Design, are a key component of the Games identity and a playful way to engage a young audience, and, at the same time, increase understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit vancouver2010.com for further details on programs and schedules.
VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com
As mentioned in earlier articles, this summer I had a chance to speak with Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh at San Diego Comic-Con. I videotaped the interview but, due to technical difficulties, experienced delays in getting the interview online. While I was able to get the interview audio and photos uploaded, the video tape is still trapped in a dead camera. I’m embarrassed it took so long, but am proud to announce that I finally have a transcript of their hilarious interview. Without further delay, I present Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh from July 27, 2008, at San Diego Comic-Con.
(ÜSFG) We are ÜberSciFiGeek with The Guild at San Diego Comic-Con.
(FD) Hi. I’m Felicia Day. I am the creator of The Guild, the web series, and I was also in Dr. Horrible.
(SP) Are you looking at her or the camera?
(FD) Her.
(SP) You’re looking at… okay. I’m Sandeep Parikh and I play Zaboo on The Guild, and I created my own web series for Comedy Central called The Legend of Neil.
(ÜSFG) How did you come up with the idea for The Guild?
(FD) I was a World of Warcraft addict, so for two years I played World of Warcraft obsessively. But I’ve always been a gamer so when I quit, because I thought it was kind of affecting my life in a bad way, I wanted to write something and use my time more creatively, and I thought it was an appropriate thing to write about, a group of gamers.
(ÜSFG) Can you tell us about how you cast The Guild, the process of deciding who would actually be in it?
(FD) Um.
(SP) My part was written for me.
(FD) Okay. Well, I was going to say that but now that he puts it like that it’s not as funny or —
(SP) Ah… nice.
(FD) — or complimentary.
(SP) Colored man is not funny. That’s nice.
(FD) In fact, Zaboo, it was like a recasting. I was desperate for somebody.
(SP laughing)
(FD) Yeah. I’m kidding. I did write the part for Sandeep and I wrote the part for Jeff, who plays Vork. They’re in my improv group. I’ve done improv with them for years and I always thought they were the funniest people I knew, so why not write parts for them. And the rest of the parts we cast. A friend of my, Helen Geier, who actually is a casting director, she works professionally in Bones —
(At this point, someone drags a metal chair across the concrete patio with such force that everyone cringes painfully)
(FD) That was like the loudest noise ever.
(SP) Ya think?
(FD) That was horrible. That was a horrendous noise.
(SP) Anything can happen at the Comic-Con.
(FD) Wow. Okay, so people need to pick their chairs up and move them. This is my Comic-Con lesson. ‘Cause my Mojito brain is not tolerating this. Anyway, um, you can cut all that out. Let’s see —
(ÜSFG) But that’s the stuff people like.
(SP) What were you saying? You were saying…
(FD) So basically my friend Helen helped me cast the rest of the parts.
(ÜSFG) How long did it take to get it up and running once you had your cast and were ready to go?
(FD) You know, it takes a while to get a show — and it was just me and my two producers getting it, self funding it, getting everybody together, ya know, getting more patience, but once you decide to do something —
(SP) It was pretty quick, I thought.
(FD) Yeah, I —
(SP) It felt like you had the script out and then…
(FD) I had the script done, we did a couple rewrites, but once we decided to do it and I started rewriting it to be a web series, it was only a couple months.
(ÜSFG) Did you ever imagine that it would have as many viewers as it has had?
(FD) No, it’s been crazy. I mean, honestly, I didn’t really think of an end result. I just wanted to make it. The idea of making it, just the fact that I was able to make it was like a privilege. I don’t know, it just seemed like an insurmountable task to try to film something I wrote but, really, when you decide to do something, I don’t know, it just kind of fell in place. And the fact that it’s been so well received by fans is clearly not anticipatable. Is that a word?
(SP and ÜSFG) It is now.
(ÜSFG) We’ll put it in The Guild lexicon.
(FD) Okay, good. Thank you.
(ÜSFG) So, kind of along that same line, this labor of love, are the The Guild cast and crew finally getting paid or is it still just a labor of love?
(FD) Well, for the last two episodes we were able to pay the cast, or some of the cast at least, for their work because of donations.
(SP) Wooooo!
(FD) We got some, yes, and with the DVD sales we’re back paying everybody, so we have a budget, and so as soon as we pay for the expenses for the DVD and we, the cast, is next, and maybe sometime I’ll get something but, you know, for me it’s all about compensating the people who worked really hard for free on my show.
(ÜSFG) Now that the first season has wrapped up and we do have our DVD, what can we expect for Season 2?
(FD) You can expect more of the Codex/Zaboo… well, the Codex/Zaboo Saga really is not complete.
(SP) No, of course not.
(FD) So I think that we —
(SP) I will not quit!
(FD) He will not. I mean, let’s be honest, his character is not a quitter, so — but, you know, we don’t want to rehash the whole same beat. And I think we’re going to learn a little more about the characters we don’t know much about because it’s a large cast and it’s hard in a pilot situation to really establish all the characters and where they’re coming from so, ya know. And I want to keep it funny. That’d be good. Keep a balance between the gaming and the non-gaming, which is a challenge because, you know, especially with Dr. Horrible, we have a huge influx of maybe not-as-gamerish fans, which is cool for me because it means, ya know, I can bounce back and forth between the gaming and the non-gaming storylines, so I’m excited about it.
(SP) Basically, we don’t want to spoil anything —
(ÜSFG) Right.
(SP) — but there will be tons of making out.
(ÜSFG) Oooh…
(FD) No.
(SP) No, that’s not true.
(FD) With you, actually, it’s interesting, because Vork and Zaboo have this sexual tension.
(SP) Oh, you are giving that out. Ah. Yeah.
(FD) Vork and Zaboo have this sexual tension —
(SP) — and they just start making out.
(FD) Nobody wants to see that.
(SP) And then all your views drop. You get negative views.
(FD) They’re like, yeah, give me my view back!
(SP) Yeah, they somehow get an anti-view.
(FD) Not to insult you or Jeff. Well, much.
(ÜSFG) Like in a real guild, will characters quit and new ones join as the series progresses?
(FD) Um, well, like I said, for the sec– I mean, yeah, down the line, but for the second season I think it’s really about re-establishing the characters and really solidifying their personalities and taking them that one more step before we — I mean, because there are already six characters, so before I throw in a bunch of new characters I want to make sure that we know our main cast really, really well.
(SP) There’s so much to explore. Like Blades — I mean, I feel like you haven’t seen the tip of the iceberg with all these guys.
(FD) With everybody, with really even Codex. With everybody. And also, real life is always on the periphery for these people, like Zaboo’s mom kind of represented the real life aspect but, also, every single season is going to have that dynamic to it. There’s always, like, a struggle between the real life and fantasy life that they live and then the relationships that they have. You know, there will obviously be guest cast and who knows who might get killed off if they make me mad.
(SP) She always looks right at me whenever she talks about killing off characters. So weird.
(FD) You’re the only character that’s ever here, so, I mean…
(ÜSFG) With Codex being the priest in game, do you see her filling the same role in real life as healer of the group as they face those real world challenges?
(FD) I like the way you think. Yes, definitely Codex is the healer in game and she is the healer out of the game, and she’s the kind of person who always puts other people’s needs before hers because she maybe too afraid to confront her own problems. So, it’s a great way to avoid — of avoidance. And, yeah, I think she’s a nurturing personality and I think she does that with whatever aspect of her life we’re examining.
(ÜSFG) What other projects do you guys have planned for this year other then Season 2?
(SP) Well, I directed a… I just, ah… you want me to plug it right now?
(ÜSFG) Plug! Plug!
(SP) Is it time? Is it time?
(FD) Plug! Plug! Plug! Plug! Plug!
(SP) Oh, I made a Comedy Central web series called The Legend of Neil. It’s on Atom.com and Felicia… (holds up promo post card) these are her panties.
(FD) It’s true. I’m in episode three, I’m a fairy, and it’s very cool.
(SP) She plays a fairy. It’s about a guy who gets sucked into Zelda and has to fight his way out. Like, a regular Joe Schmo, beer-guzzling dude, and he gets sucked into the game and encounters all the characters and creatures, and they are much realer then you think.
(FD) It’s really funny, and I’m in the third episode, and I’m a fairy, and I’m a — see, it is really cool, because I’m a tiny fairy!
(SP) Yeah, we turned her into a seven inch tall fairy —
(FD) It’s very exciting.
(SP) — which was fun to do.
(FD) It’s a little racy.
(SP) It’s a little racy. It’s a little more South Parky then I would say The Guild is.
(FD) The Guild is layered, has complexer characters, and then is hilariously funny, while yours is, you know… has the shtick.
(SP) Wow.
(FD) I’m just totally kidding here.
(SP) Wow.
(FD) It is really funny.
(ÜSFG) But it will have a built in audience because a lot more people have been exposed to Zelda than have been exposed to The Guild and World of Warcraft.
(FD) That’s true, and a lot of people, like —
(SP) That’s true. I think there will be. We were actually talking about this last night — well, we weren’t, but my friends and I were talking about this last night — and it really actually does touch upon, like, two different markets and I hope that ultimately there will be a lot of crossover.
(FD) But I think it’s the same —
(SP) This is more kind of like, people who love South Park, like the frat boys…
(FD) It’s a little more frat boy, but at the same time it’s, like — I was talking to somebody about it at the Browncoat booth — the Buffy fans aren’t necessarily gamers.
(SP) Right.
(FD) But, it’s like a, ya know, a —
(SP & FD) Venn diagram.
(SP) See, here’s our Venn diagram —
(FD) — and then there is… you know, everybody’s touching —
(SP) — and then —
(FD) — it shows it’s not that far to go from one…
(SP laughs and continues moving his fingers to cover her hands)
(FD) You know, I’ve had enough.
(ÜSFG) All right. Were there any artists, panels, guests here this weekend that you guys were just dying to see, had a chance to see, or…
(FD) There were other things going on besides my signing?
(SP) Right.
(FD) Because I literally didn’t see anything. I mean, all day… I mean, literally.
(SP) I didn’t see anything.
(FD) I have not walked around.
(SP) I didn’t have to do half as much as you did, ’cause I wasn’t in Dr. Horrible —
(FD) That’s true.
(SP) — and I didn’t get to see, like, anything else, so I couldn’t even imagine…
(FD) I didn’t get to do anything, at all. But it was — I mean, you know what, but this afternoon maybe I’ll get, like, two hours of walking around buying stuff but it’s… yeah. I mean, I’m not complaining, because it’s great to have something to show fans and interact with them. But it has been, like, sad that I couldn’t go to some panels, but I did — while I was signing, one of the Browncoat people brought down Jacqueline Carey, the author who writes the Kushiel’s Dart and all those series. I’m a huge fan and I… you know, sometimes fans meet you and they’re really nervous, and I’m like, “Why are you nervous? I’m just a person.” But I got so nervous when I met her, I was a blithering idiot. So, uh, now I understand that.
(SP) It’s so funny.
(FD) It is funny how you geek out over certain people. Like, I can meet somebody hugely famous and I’m like, “Oh, okay.” But when you’re surprised with somebody whom you admire, and you just really…
(SP) Right. Well, it was the same when, the first time I met Joss. Like, I never really met him before and I am a huge Firefly fan, and I was on the set of Dr. Horrible and I just kinda — my girlfriend worked on it, helped out on the set. She helped with props and stuff like that. I walked on the set and everybody was like, “Oh, Zaboo,” because they had heard of the show from you. And I was like “Oh, cool” and they were about to start shooting and then someone was like, “Oh, Zaboo!” And I kinda, like, I couldn’t really see them, and I was like, “Don’t mess up the shoot to say hi to Zaboo.” But then Leah, my girlfriend, leans over and she’s like, “That’s Joss Whedon.” I was like, “Oh, I’m a–”
(FD) And then you get sweaty —
(SP) Yeah, I was like —
(FD) — and you’re like, “Uh… I don’t know what to say to you right now. I’m really nervous.”
(SP) But, no, he was totally cool because… because he liked The Guild and was a fan of what we’ve done, it was really easy to engage him and have, like, a normal conversation with him.
(FD) Really?
(SP) I thought.
(FD) Well, I’m still a geek. I get, like, trembling. I mean, not around Joss… not that he’s not trembling worthy.
(SP) He’s super cool, though.
(FD) Yeah.
(SP) He’s super down-to-earth, which I thought was…
(FD) Well, that’s why his fans are so loyal, I think. ‘Cause he’s just awesome.
(SP) Right.
(FD) And relatable.
(SP) Well, I got to meet Wil Wheaton, which I was very excited about. I know you’re, like, super friends with him, but I love him.
(FD) Yeah. I’m not super friends.
(SP) Well, whatever.
(FD) I mean, I’m not… This is going on the Internet and he’s going to be like, “Hello, Felicia, we’re not super friends.”
(SP) He’d really say that?
(FD laughing)
(SP) He would, like, go out of his way to say that specific…?
(FD) Well, you know, it’s the same thing. I don’t like overstepping myself or being braggy.
(SP) Okay. Well, but you guys are friends.
(FD) We’re acquaintances.
(SP) You’re acquaintances.
(FD) Bordering on friendship.
(SP) Well, you guys were talking to each other, and I hadn’t met him, and I was excited to meet him, so I got to meet him at the con and that was exciting for me.
(FD) Yeah.
(SP) Because I’m a huge Star Trek: Next Generation nerd.
(ÜSFG) Are you guys getting recognized in public now?
(SP) Yeah.
(FD) Yeah, a lot. I mean, especially in this concentrated area. It’s crazy. I mean, I can’t walk a couple feet. It’s cool because it’s the indie side that recognizes us more —
(SP) Totally.
(FD) — and then it’s like when you’re in the corporate side people are like, “Oh, it’s the Aston Martin from James Bond.” But we’re in the comic side and, like, the graphic artist side, and the Browncoats side. It’s like, we get recognized a lot more. Which is cool. I mean, like, I’m an indie girl.
(SP) I think people, like, think they know you more, too —
(FD) Yeah.
(SP) — so they’re like, “Hey, how’s it going?” They, like, come to you like they’re your friends. It’s, like, disarming.
(FD) It’s not… it’s less… it’s almost like, yeah, it’s less fannish. It’s more like, “Hey, how is it? I follow your Twitter.”
(SP) Yeah.
(FD) Or my Facebook.
(SP) Yeah. It’s cool.
(FD) Yeah, I like that.
(ÜSFG) One last question.
(FD) Okay.
(ÜSFG) Worst case scenario, one day the Internet crashes and it never comes back. (both gasp) What would you do?
(FD) I don’t even know why you would do that to me.
(SP) Ooooh! Why? Why… what is this…
(ÜSFG) Well, you know, all of the Terminator hype.
(ÜSFG) Apocalyptic scenario.
(FD) I don’t even want to go there. I mean, it’s so traumatic. I just got my iPhone. I’m connected 24/7. I don’t know why you would even try to rob me of my passions.
(ÜSFG) I’m sorry!
(FD) Um, I would just be reading fantasy novels like I do anyway.
(SP) Yep, pretty much. That’s… yeah, I’d be reading fantasy novels. I’m a dork.
(ÜSFG) Is there anything else that you want to say about The Guild, Legend of Neil, anything that you did this weekend?
(FD) Uh, no… I just want to — I guess I would say “Thank you” to the fans because, I mean, Dr. Horrible doesn’t have PR people. You know, The Guild doesn’t have PR people. This is all grass roots stuff and it’s, like, really revolutionizing the Internet and how people get their entertainment, and I think it’s a turn for the good.
(SP) Right.
(FD) And I love the fact that they made it, all of it, as big as it is. So, thank you! Thank you!
(ÜSFG) Well, I want to thank you for talking to us today.
(FD) No problem.
(ÜSFG) We’re really looking forward to The Guild. We’re looking forward to The Legend of Neil, and we’re really excited at how big Dr. Horrible has been and look forward to hopefully a return of Penny in our own idea of…
(SP) Woo hoo!
(FD) That would be great!
(ÜSFG) …spinning off.
(FD) That would be great!
(ÜSFG) Thank you so much —
(FD) Thank you, Raven.
(ÜSFG) — I hope you guys have a great time at the rest of Comic-Con.
(FD) All right, bye!
(SP) Thanks a lot. Byyyyye!
Sandeep Parikh of The Guild, The Legend of Neil, and Effinfunny.com recently announced that he was seeking Registered Voters from Azeroth, the world in World of Warcraft, in order to conduct a 2008 Presidential Election Poll. After several days of grueling research, the results are in!
Election Duel! Obama Vs. McCain – Who Get’s Pwned?
Comedian Rich Kuras infiltrates the World of Warcraft to poll players on the 2008 Presidential Election. We broke down the results per race and Class. What we found may…and please excuse the pun…WOW you.
from Effinfunny:
Hey all, I’m going to be directing a video for Machinima.com and for it we’re polling the one place with 11 million people that no else is polling, Azeroth, the world within the popular online role playing game The World of Warcraft. So if you play and are old enough to vote, please take two minutes to respond to the following questions (you may just hit reply if you get this through email, otherwise email effinfunny@gmail.com with the subject “Azeroth Poll”)
1) What is your race/class/level/professions in the World of Warcraft (NOT in Real Life!)
2) Who are you planning on voting for in the 2008 presidential elections (Obama, McCain, Undecided)
3) What is the number one most important issue to you when choosing a presidential candidate?
4) Would you be interested in a phone interview with Effinfunny/Machinima.com so you can sound off on your thoughts anonymously about this election? If yes, please leave us your name and number.
That’s it! Thanks! If you’re not a WoWer then go watch episode 5 of Neil (we’re so close to 100K views I can taste it!)
— Sandeep Parikh