BGTG 73 - Oct 15, 2007 - Pre-Essen 2007

I'm just squeezing this show in before the Spiel game fair starts in Essen later this week. If you're like me you've been reading the lists and rumors about new games with great anticipation . . . even though you aren't attending Essen in-person. This year, I took a closer look back at the previous year's Essen buzz before & after the show, confirming that I've only got about three "keepers" from an initial list of perhaps thirty games that caught my eye in some way. And three is a good year!

Does that mean there are only 2-3 that interest me this year? No, it just means that's what I'll have to hang onto in 2008. Right now I'm again interested in well over thirty titles, anxiously awaiting play reports, photos, and even a chance to check them out myself. The process of winnowing down to the few keepers is part of the fun, too.

-Mark

BGTG 72 - Oct 10, 2007 - Where are all the kids?

Here's one of those shows I recorded long ago, this one back in April. I went over to David Gullett's house, and we played some games with our kids. And that was also the subject of the podcast--playing games with kids. Over a year ago I posted an earlier podcast with Davebo about Gamer Dads, meaning the games we play with our own kids. This time, I tried to discuss a slightly different topic--playing games with other peoples' kids. Put another way, how come so few of the people I play games with are parents, and why don't we involve our kids in game parties & events?

The conversation meanders around that point, raising a few points that I'd love to receive some feedback about.

-Mark