New Contest--Win a Copy of Vegas Showdown, baby!

Nerdbloggers is giving away a new-in-shrinkwrap copy of Vegas Showdown for this month's contest. The contest will run through the end of the month with the winner being chosen at-random from a list of all entries. To enter, do the following:

1. Follow us on twitter ( http://twitter.com/nerdbloggers) to get one entry in the contest.
2. Get one additional entry every time you retweet one of our tweets.
3. Get one additional entry every time you tweet about on of our stories (board game related or otherwise)

That's all it takes. Enter now and tweet often. 

Goodluck from the Nerdbloggers crew!

Netflix comes to Wii: For Parents, it is a mixed blessing...

We've finally got some time with the Wii version of Netflix streaming. Despite the fact that I have four devices in my home that can stream Netflix content, the Wii release is exciting for a few reasons.  First, like many families, our Wii is not hooked up to our main television.  The Wii doesn't support HD and doesn't benefit from being on our main setup, so it is in the little home theater area we set up in the children's playroom.  This meant that if Netflix worked smoothly, my daughter could take in an episode of iCarly or whatever while we watched other things on the big screen.  We don't have a sattelite receiver on that set because we strictly monitor what our children are allowed to watch.  This brings me to my second reason for anticipating the Wii release.  Since the Wii is a family-friendly console, I had hoped that the parental controls for the Netflix software would be more flexible and utilitarian than they are on the competing consoles.  Unfortunately, though the interface, controls, and streaming work really well in the Wii version, Netflix Wii features no additional parental controls beyond those built into the console.  Overall, this is a successful release, but there are some improvements I'd like to see in later releases.

If you have used Netflix streaming on the Xbox and PS3, you will notice that the Wii versiion more closely resembles the PS3 software.  The most obvious similarity is the need to load the software off disc each time you use it.  This is clunky and means the kids (or adults) have to keep up with a disc and keep it scratch free.  Speculation (though nothing official has been released) is that the disc is a way around an exclusivity agreement signed with Microsoft when Netflix first appeared on the Xbox 360.  Whatever the reason, the disc-based method is clumsy and I'd like to see a workaround as soon as possible.

Once the software is installed, there is little difference in the service.  The interface resembles that of the PS3.  The Wii-mote is fine for selecting the drop-down category menu and for scrolling through the available films and televison shows.  Once a program has been selected, it loads a bit quicker than the other versions, perhaps because it doesn't require a test for connection quality that the others use to scale the quality of the picture.  The max quality here is roughly the equivalent of the mid-range quality on the PS3, PC, and Xbox streams.  I watched a variety of programs and the only noticeably bad quality was on the Starz branded films.  Otherwise, the picture quality looked pretty much like standard definition cable television.  I really can't say I miss the HD since the television we have the Wii on is an old, standard definition CRT.  I can't imagine too many people own HD sets yet only have the Wii as an option for streaming Netflix.  Obviously, if you have HD and an Xbox, PS3, or supported Blu-ray player, those are a better option.  Otherwise, the Wii does a solid job delivering the content.

(If you don't have kids, or don't care what they watch, you can skip the next section) 

Before I watched a single program, I played around with the parental controls.  I had hoped to have flexible parental controls built in to the Netflix program itself.  Unfortunately, there are none.  Instead, parents only have the option to turn on the network parental controls on the Wii.  Anyone who has used that to block network access will know that it is an all or nothing feature.  If it is on, a password must be entered before the Netflix program will launch.  Once that password is entered, parents can't set a rating level for the films that can be watched.  This seems like a huge oversight.  I would have liked to have seen it on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, but I actually expected it for the Wii--a system that sees lots of its base installed in children's bedrooms and playrooms.  So be warned, if you leave your kid watching Angelina the Ballerina, you can return to them watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand, assuming your kid has no taste in television shows whatsoever.

Overall, Netflix streaming for the Wii is a welcome product.  I have a one-year old passed out on the couch at the moment and my daughter is watching Angelina Ballerina in the toy room, far enough away to not wake the little one.  The fact that so many Wiis see installation away from the main entertainment center means this release give families more flexibility in their entertainment options.  The fact that it works well and is easy to navigate makes the release even better.  Only the lack of parental controls keeps me from being completely satisfied with the release.  So, Netflix and Nintendo, if you could get on with that, I'm sure lots of parents would appreciate it.

I'll leave it at that and wait for the snarky comments about how it is not Nintendo or Netflix's job to monitor my kids.  As always, I'll assume those comments are coming from 15 year-old Nintendo fanboys with no children of their own.

Review of Masters Gallery from Gryphon Games

The Story:  The players play art critics who influence the price or different artists masterpieces through out the game.  The player who best anticipates the changing taste of the critics gets to make off with the most valued collection.

Play:  In Masters Gallery, each player will start out with 13 cards drawn from the masterpiece deck.  In this deck, their are 95 works by different artist, represented by 5 different colors.  There are 5 artist cards laying in play representing, Vermeer, Degas, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.  Each player will go in order laying down 1 card out of there hand, influencing the value of of the artist that they play.  Some cards have symbols in the corner allowing you to do a little more than the average turn, for example lay a second cards face down, or maybe draw a card.  Play continues around the table till there are 6 of 1 color in play among all critics.  The round ends and value tokens are laid on the Artist Cards.  The artist with the most represented masterpieces gets a 3 token, 2nd most gets a two, and 3rd most gets a one.  Everyone adds up the scores of their gallery and discard their played cards, four more cards are dealt out to each player and play continues, doing the same thing as round 1 leaving the tokens on the Artist Cards.  This leads to higher scores toward the end of the game, weighing the importance of the latter rounds.  You play four rounds top score wins.

My Take:  When deciding what "Bookshelf Game" I wanted to review next, Masters Gallery was high on my list.  I'm a fan of Knizia, and his game Modern Art, which is loved by many, never really set well with me when I played it years ago.  Masters Gallery is the card game based on Modern Art.   Really the only difference is that there is no bidding in this game, where as Modern Art had a variety of bidding.  Some would argue that this takes away a layer of complexity from the game, however I don't see why this is a bad thing.   The different types of bidding is what had always threw me off on Modern Art and losing it is an addition by subtraction situation my my opinion.  After a few plays of this I can really see that it is going to be a great filler game for my group of friends.  Ive already worked it in with a couple that are not gamers at all and they seemed to not only enjoy the game, but also understood the little things needed to get themselves the win.  Modern Art was on one of my last big orders from Funagain, but with the arrival of this game, I don't think I am going to be in any rush to get it to the table.  Masters Gallery certainly fills a niche that would normally be covered by it's more complex older brother.

The Components:  100 cards and 17 tokens and a well written rulebook.  The card stock is fantastic, I could see these things lasting forever.  One thing that I have noticed while rummaging through my 4 different "Bookshelf Games" is that the components for these games leave nothing to be desired.    With the relatively small price tag, Gryphon makes sure that you get more than your moneys worth out of each game.  I am looking forward to trying out more stuff from them.

8/10

The Original

What Makes a True Science Fiction Fan?

I sponsor a science fiction and fantasy club at the local high school, but to be quite honest, I’ve done a pretty poor job the past few years.  About ten years ago, the club was one of the most active at school.  We held meetings twice a month, hosted movies after school, held contests so students could win signed books and memorabilia.  Last year, I think I called meetings maybe four or five times and probably the same for the year. 

I always have a big turn out for the initial meeting and sign up, but after that attendance drops off drastically.  I think I had thirty people sign up; five came to the last meeting.  I really believe it’s the survey I have them fill out during the first gathering that scares them off.  I mostly use the survey to get a feel for what the members like and want to do with the club.  I ask them to list their 5 favorite books, movies, and games.  Truth be told, it’s the survey that keeps me from committing to the club the way I used to.

The game column fills up first anymore.  Of course, the names of games changes every year as members want to list the newest games as their favorites.  This column generates the most fervor and excitement.  I created the games list thinking they might put down Dungeons and Dragons or some other paper and pencil rpg.  Nope, not in the last ten years or so anyway.  The only rpgs my members no are computer or console games.  Collectible card games haven’t even made the list in five years. I’ve been playing for over twenty years now so it’s always exciting to discuss things with the next generation.  Even when the 3^rd and 4^th editions came out, I expected to see a lot of interest generated, but what was there didn’t last very long.  When members started listing nothing but video games, I realized that paper and pencil games were becoming a thing, maybe not of the past, but of a very select audience. 

The new gaming trend saddened me.  Oh, they saw it as great advancement in technology and entertainment, which I do not deny.  What they don’t see is what the new games are doing to them, or rather to their imaginations.  With D&D, we had to immerse ourselves in the game, visualize it, invent it with our thoughts and words.  Video games will not allow that.  Games have taken all the imagination out of play.  You just react to it, not create.

But I let that go.

Movies.  Well, again most members typically put what’s current.  It’s like they have no conception of “past” or “classic.”  I suppose classic is a relative term.  To me the classics mean The Forbidden Planet, The Thing from Another World, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and even Star Wars and Blade Runner.   Star Wars episodes I-III they’ve seen and enjoyed.  They don’t like the original trilogy because the special effects look fake, or even worse, they’ve not even bothered to watch it because it’s “old.”  How do you convince someone that a movie is good because of its story or characters when all she cares about is how the movie looks?  Again, today’s audience seem to focus on the look over substance.  There is no willing suspension of disbelief, only the will to be dazzled. 

Very frustrating, but I let it go.

The book column, however, was the straw that broke this fan’s back.  They don’t read!  Most of them haven’t read a book in their life.  And their proud of it!  The ones that do read, read mostly media tie-ins.  According to the recent crop, the first Halo book is the best book ever written.  What?  Now, I don’t have anything against media tie-ins.  I’ve read my fair share, but how do you even begin to justify that a Halo book is better than Foundation or Ringworld (both of which my current members have never heard of).  If I’m lucky, I have a few, and not just the girls, that think Twilight, or any of its recent trendy rip offs, is the best book ever.  (Probably the only time I’ve ever missed Anne Rice – but they don’t have a clue who she is either, so what difference does it make?)   When I do manage to convince one of them to check out a book, they don’t read it because it’s boring or it’s confusing or it’s not as good as the movie.  (I, Robot and Starship Troopers are the usual victims of the latter excuse.) 

Am I old fashioned in thinking that, to be a science fiction fan, one must be a fan of its literature?  Seems to me that the whole basis of being a fan began with the stories,   The Lensmen or Fahfrd and the Mouser – there’s too many to think of.  Sadly, all of them are fading from memory.  Of course, publishers aren’t helping.  Where is the Mouser on bookstore shelves?  Where is Doc Smith?  Where’s Burroughs?  We do have great talent putting out great stuff today, so no one can argue that there’s nothing worth reading.  You got McDevitt and Gaiman and Gibson and Card and Martin and Scalzi and on and on.  There’s a lot to love about genre fiction today. 

Am I too demanding?  I personally do not think so.  I refuse to give in on this point.  Fandom began with literature, and to me, to be a true fan you have to read, not necessarily older stuff but read quality to work, the successors to the greats, the ones who followed in the footsteps of the giants and the ones who have made their own. 

So, there’s the root of my club problem.  It’s not that I cannot connect with the new generation, it’s that I don’t consider them true fans.  Science fiction and fantasy literature is a celebration of the imagination.  True fans know that.