tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94759652009-11-09T18:02:10.367-08:00A blog about why games make us happy and how they can change the world.Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-40889933737490766882009-09-25T16:29:00.000-07:002009-10-11T12:27:03.710-07:00

I’m either going to kill myself, or I’m going to turn this into a game. After the four most miserable weeks of my life, those seemed like the only two options left. It was the summer of 2009, I was about halfway through writing my book, and I got a concussion. It was a stupid, fluke accident: I was standing up, and I slammed my head straight into a cabinet door I didn’t realize was still open. I

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com28http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/09/super-better-or-how-to-turn-recovery.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-74845499718991184242009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:002009-07-11T13:52:45.987-07:00

The official CryptoZoo trailer: Find more videos like this on CryptoZooBehind the Scenes... (and how to play guide) Find more videos like this on CryptoZoo

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/07/cryptozoo-game-trailer-and-behind.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-70286326464391768652009-06-10T11:55:00.001-07:002009-06-10T12:04:45.619-07:00

CRYPTOZOO is a fast, strange, heart-pumping adventure. It's literally the most fun game I've ever designed. If you're in New York City this weekend (June 12th and 13th) please come play with me! This is your chance to learn to run with cute and creepy creatures... It's free, it's in and around Times Square, and it will be strange and unforgettable.Reserve your spot in the game now! FRIDAY 11 PM

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/06/new-york-city-cryptozoo-games-this.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-74476519456621451872009-05-09T13:45:00.000-07:002009-05-09T17:25:07.292-07:00

The cryptids are out there. Are you chasing them?NIGHT CHASE - Friday June 5, 2009 downtown San Francisco 8-10 PMDAY CHASE - Sunday June 7, 2008 along the Embarcadero 2 - 4 PMJoin the network and RSVP so we know how many secret runners to expect...What to expect at a chase:First, you'll follow mysterious tracks through the city on 1-mile chase through city streets and gardens. You can chase alone

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/05/come-out-and-play-san-francisco-games.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-28702590991059971762009-04-07T21:34:00.001-07:002009-04-07T22:23:30.598-07:00

Prototyping is fun! Originally uploaded by superkiy. Wanted: 4-6 adventurous players to prototype a new outdoor game with me and Kiyash this Saturday April 11 in downtown San Francisco. Reward: Bragging rights that you helped invent the game.The prototyping session will involve some running, jumping and sweating. Anyone willing to play hard and break a sweat is welcome. You don't need any

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/04/prototype-new-outdoor-game-with-me-this.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61210463134355898402009-04-02T09:00:00.000-07:002009-04-02T10:31:27.792-07:00

I am looking for an intern to help me run Top Secret Dance Off! It's an open-ended internship (starting ASAP, averaging 10-12 hours a week, and ideally continuing for 3-4 months). You can be anywhere in the world, in school or not in school, doing the internship for experience, or for school credit or just for something really interesting to do.TSDO is a personal project and small (but growing)

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/04/intern-with-me-and-top-secret-dance-off.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-37202117365578992042009-03-10T14:23:00.000-07:002009-03-10T14:29:19.030-07:00

If you've had the dream, you will know it.Strings, tubes, wrinkles, branches, or flowing lines..MassiveSmallThe dotYou probably had it multiple times, and it probably started when you were young. It may have been while you were asleep. It may have been while you had a fever. It may have sometimes been a waking dream, like a trance.You've often wondered what the dream was. and if anyone else had

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/03/have-you-had-dream.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-58679077154069706442009-03-09T14:02:00.000-07:002009-03-09T21:02:44.465-07:00

This week from the Institute for the Future and the Signtific Lab: it's the third and final trial in our Free Space trilogy!Free Space: How to invent the future by playing in the Signtific LabView more presentations from avantgame. (tags: 2009 iftf)The experiment (PLAY NOW!)starts at 7 PM Pacific Time Monday March 9, and ends 2 PM Pacific Time Thursday March 11.Join the lab or log in now!The

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/03/take-outlier-challenge.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-87330679895371666702009-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:002009-02-18T13:18:22.345-08:00

Our first massively multiplayer thought experiment is LIVE, and will end in ~ 36 hours!If you have ideas about the future of Free Space or the Interstellar Internet, play with me...

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/02/this-is-my-free-space-future-show-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-34136564330181010182009-02-02T20:28:00.000-08:002009-02-05T21:42:37.890-08:00

I've been working on a new future forecasting platform at IFTF. It's called the Signtific Lab, and it's designed as a kind of crowd-sourcing, micro-content, forecasting MMO.Here's the trailer for the first experiment we're running. It's called Free Space, and it's based on scenario that is both mind-boggling and probable.We've inviting scientists, engineers, researchers, designers, developers,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/02/free-space-is-coming.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-83049556950620243092009-01-31T14:22:00.000-08:002009-01-31T14:36:59.343-08:00

Writing a book does not provide me with the same kind of real-time feedback, scaffolded challenges, and network of potential allies that a well-designed videogame does.Also, it is harder than playing a videogame. ^_^So, I am trying to game-ify my writing process a bit.One of my methods is to start writing the book with the chapter that I think I am best prepared to write, aka "level one", which

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com13http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/01/i-need-to-game-ify-writing-my-book.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-25926975381056102662009-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:002009-01-30T13:00:42.360-08:00

You know, it's funny. I used to think of myself as a game evangelist. That's because for years now, I have been spending a lot of time talking to people who don't play a lot of games, or who don't take games seriously at all. Some people are there because they are curious if they should start to take games more seriously. Some people are there because someone else invited me to talk to them.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com17http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/01/i-am-not-game-evangelist.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-69813520063828530042009-01-03T15:53:00.000-08:002009-01-05T11:35:06.539-08:00

This is my video for Top Secret Dance-Off #1. Rules of the dance-off below. There is some major trash-talking and hip-waggling happening in this video. This is part of the awesome new dance MMO Top Secret Dance-Off. Find more videos like this on Top Secret Dance OffEach alliance will need a SECRET SIGN.The secret sign is a super-short dance move that alliance members will embed in EVERY future

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2009/01/secret-guilty-sign.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-15974071065670394992008-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:22:21.956-08:00

On behalf of Guilt-Edged Blonde, I challenge ALL YA'LL to summon even a small FRACTION of the UNPRECEDENTED choreopowers of SNEAKINESS such as I unleash up on you in this dance.Guilt-Edged Blonde allies, please unleash your own SNEAKINESS to this song -- Busta Rhymes' Don't Touch Me Now (Throw Da Water On Em) -- which you can grab from Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFbaE2WYFoP.S.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/12/im-throwing-down-dance-off-challenge.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61961886966007717812008-12-29T17:22:00.001-08:002008-12-30T18:10:59.634-08:00

Adventurous playtesters wanted.UPDATE: Cool... playtesters have joined from all over the world already: Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, Switzerland, Argentina... please join us if you are adventurous, creative, and like to help make your own fun.UPDATE x2: Now, you can win real loot! I couldn't help myself when I found

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/12/top-secret-dance-off-playtesting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-33347374209463455092008-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:002008-12-13T16:39:49.797-08:00

I love Chore Wars. If you've seen me give a talk in the last year or so, you know this, because I almost always talk about Chore Wars. In case you're wondering, yes, I actually play this game, and in fact I am a gold level subscriber! (For only $10 annually, you get access to much more interesting data about yourself. I strongly encourage you to go gold!)Kiyash and I moved to San Francisco

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/12/i-am-on-ninja-quest-to-clean-my.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-2773994911153963392008-11-19T17:17:00.001-08:002008-11-19T17:18:05.034-08:00

Just Do ItOriginally uploaded by What What. Okay, I had a revelation.Games like Superstruct and The Lost Sport and World Without Oil and Reverse Scavenger Hunts and Tombstone Hold 'Em and SF0 missions and The Go Game are "experience grenades".That's a new term. I throughly Google-checked it.Experience grenades: You play them, and that's like pulling the pin on the grenade. Nothing has to happen

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com18http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/11/these-games-are-experience-grenades.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-16095610237340261702008-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:002008-11-25T12:09:15.579-08:00

UPDATE:At our Fall 2008 Technology Horizons Conference, we crowd-sourced five questions (via Twitter, blogs, email, and SMS) about the Blended Realities that we will likely all be living in by 2019.We received over 300 micro-forecasts in less than 24 hours. Here are the massively collaborative results! (Posted in order of how many contributions were made -- the future of society won in a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com47http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/11/special-mission-inventing-future.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-39200970587235569222008-11-17T12:32:00.000-08:002008-11-25T15:48:46.736-08:00

Who won top Superstruct Honors from Bruce Sterling, Warren Ellis, Ze Frank, Tim Kring, Jimmy Wales, Chris DiBona, Tim O'Reilly, and more? How many years did we add to our human survival horizon? How many millions of people achieved SUPERSTRUCT awareness? Which celebrity guest showed up live to surprise everyone?* What will happen next to the world of Superstruct we've all created together?Find

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/11/superstruct-celebration.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-37604484063742967852008-11-04T09:56:00.001-08:002008-11-04T11:05:04.757-08:00

RFrankelOriginally uploaded by superstruct2019. Today is a historic day in America. Many people will vote for the first time in their lives. There will be record turnout in many parts of the country. We are on track to elect a leader that many people (myself included) feel is moving us toward a better way of governing like it matters -- a potentially transformative, once-in-a-lifetime

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/11/while-i-await-2008-results-i-live-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-22252666880702506622008-10-29T09:48:00.001-07:002008-10-29T11:00:18.312-07:00

Justice for AudreyOriginally uploaded by jfpickard. We're halfway through the Superstruct experiment. Want to catch up on the story so far? Here's the latest news and gossip from 2019. As you can see, there's a lot going on in our future. But don't let it intimidate you. If you haven't participated yet, it only takes 5 minutes to make your first contribution to the future. Please register and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/10/superstruct-wre-half-way-to-saving.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-17753399365776116762008-10-21T09:33:00.000-07:002008-10-27T15:05:25.864-07:00

What players are saying about Superstruct so far…“Superstruct is making my brain unfurl in the most hopeful ways…” - RachelAnnYes“It’s my favorite vision of the future ever. Because it’s a future that I can actually be useful in.” - Andrew“We need a SEHI brain-matter reclamation service, for when our heads explode from the possibilities.” – NordicNinjaIf you haven’t had time to explore the world

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/10/missing-out-on-year-2019-go-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-86553999242634188762008-10-19T11:17:00.000-07:002008-10-19T20:13:19.763-07:00

One thing I'm really proud of -- Superstruct is REALLY preparing its players for the future -- by engaging them in thinking and talking about some of the biggest, most potentially world-changing issues that SHOULD be on our collective radar but aren't quite yet. Issues like disruptions to the food supply chain, the coming wave of climate change refugees, and "social terrorism" in the form of mass

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/10/sneak-preview-superstruct-meetup-you.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-59722349559214240322008-10-17T10:03:00.000-07:002008-10-17T10:09:52.432-07:00

Time to start posting again on my Best Sentence of the Day blog... From the world of publishing news:NON-FICTION: GENERAL/OTHERResearcher at the Institute for the Future and alternate reality game designer Jane McGonigal's REALITY IS BROKEN: Why Games Make Us Happy and How They Can Change the World, an examination of how games function as "happiness engines," and how the lessons from game design

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/10/time-to-bring-back-best-sentence-of-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-82743064147998805032008-10-14T09:21:00.000-07:002008-10-14T14:21:28.531-07:00

What will the year 2019 be like? And who will YOU be in the future?You’re invited to a SUPERSTRUCT PARTY & MEET-UP!Learn all about, and try out, Superstruct, the worlds’ first massively-multiplayer forecasting gameIf you've been meaning to check out Superstruct but haven't had time yet...If you've poked around the site, but haven't registered yet...If you've been playing the game and want to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3http://blog.avantgame.com/2008/10/invitation-superstruct-partymeetup-in.html