04 . 28 . 10

Rusch Visits from MIT

Dr. Doris Rusch visited Dartmouth today, and offered a compelling discussion of the purposeful use of games. She looked at the ways in which the human condition is expressed through other media such as language, literature, and film, and went on to argue for the value of thinking about games in their use of metaphor. Discussion several important recent design trend, Rusch skillfully moved between the theoretical and the practical, making lofty goals ideas concrete in designed form. This was followed by a game night at Tiltfactor, hosted with the help of the Jewel of India.

in the Tiltfactor laboratory

in the Tiltfactor laboratory

Rusch’s  game, Akrasia, was featured, as was a performative achievement in DDR by our own E. McNeill. Finally, a seemingly neverending Settlers of Catan rounded out the evening, with an unsettling trend of rolling 9s and an overpopulation of sheep and monumental robot-building among teams.

Posted by tiltfactor in Games for Social Change/Activism, News, Uncategorized, What We're Playing, critical play, variable_d | No Comments »

09 . 15 . 08

Tilt Launches Soba at Conflux

I love Massively Multiplayer Soba because it is simple and it works. In an academic paper, I might say the game explores tolerance and diversity by facilitating inter-cultural exchanges around regional cuisine. But really, Soba just gets strangers talking about food. We live in a country flayed by partisan divides, with too much time spent thinking about trivial differences. Even in New York where people from all over live side by side, it’s rare for us to take the time to interact with each other. But games give people excuses to be extroverts. And food is a universal passion. With Soba, we give strangers an excuse to discuss commonalities, and the results are just good.
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Posted by tiltfactor in Community Projects, Events, What We're Playing | No Comments »

02 . 25 . 08

2008 Grassroots Media Conference

gmc.jpg

via: Grassroots Media Coalition

The Mainstream Media is a propaganda mind control operation owned by an elite cartel for the benefit of the global oligarchy. I wish that were hyperbole, but it isn’t. Luckily, alternative media, independent media, is going strong and growing every year. The annual Grassroots Media Conference is a chance for media activists to come together, compare notes, and stratagize. It’s always worth attending. This year, Tiltfactor Lab will be facilitating a game design workshop to help participants better understand how to analyze existing games and consciously embed values in their own games. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by jayb in Coming Attractions, Community Projects, Education, Events, International Politics, Popular Culture, What We're Playing | No Comments »