Welcome to Kickstarter–Lincoln’s War

Lincoln's War by Multi-Man Publishing

Lincoln’s War by Multi-Man Publishing

     I’ve mentioned that I’m something of a “late-adopter” when it comes to new technology.  Often, my worldview can be summed up by the saying, “I fear change.” But sooner or later, when I can’t ignore the chatter about something, I’ll go check it out.

     Such is the case with Kickstarter. If you’re not familiar with the website, it’s basically a site set up to allow “crowd funding” of a huge variety of creative projects. It’s pretty simple–you find a project that appeals to you, then you pledge a certain amount of money. The more you pledge, the more you get. IF the project meets the minimum funding requirement set by the creator(s). There’s also something called “stretch goals” which is bonus swag and/or content if a project get’s funded beyond the original goal.

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Rainy Sunday Afternoon? Bring on the Zombies!!!

Zombies!!! by Twilight Creations

Zombies!!! by Twilight Creations

     Last Sunday, which happened to be Easter, was cold and rainy where we live. Maybe it was the sugar crash from too many jelly beans and marshmallow Peeps, but nobody wanted to watch TV or read.  My son said, “Hey Dad, can we play that zombie game you got the other day?”  Easter, candy, zombies…”Why not?”  So we broke out Zombies!!! from Twilight Creations.

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Where’s My PS3 Controller, Bedelia?

LevelUp PlayStation Edge Controller and Game Storage Tower

LevelUp PlayStation Edge Controller and Game Storage Tower

     So, we’re de-cluttering the Nerd Cave this week. Here’s another great find to help you do the same.

     If I had a dollar for every time my son asked, “Hey Dad, where’s the PlayStation controller?”, I’d have at least enough to buy a copy of BioShock Infinite.  If you have a seven year old, you know they aren’t famous for putting things back in their place.

     Enter the Level Up PlayStation Edge Controller and Game Storage Tower. Phewww. That’s a mouthful. Found it on Amazon for 38 bucks. Two days later (thanks Prime), it arrived at the Cave. Went together easily despite some low-star reviews from people who apparently struggle with putting the cap on a pen.

     The tower holds 38 games (either PS2 or 3 sized cases) and two wireless controllers. As you can see from my high quality photography, it looks great in the corner and now my little man will never again have to panic when he wants to fire up Lego Batman.

Copyright 2013 It Came From The Nerd Cave

Trip to the Antique Mall

     Yesterday, while killing some time before heading to the theater to see Oz The Great and Powerful, the Nerd Cave Family pulled into the local antique mall.  You probably have at least one in your town.  The massive steel building crammed from floor to ceiling with junk, treasures, and everything in between.  Like most, this particular store is made up of dozens (if not hundreds) of booths belonging to dealers of everything under the sun.  If you’ve ever been to one, you know that one person’s definition of “antique” or “collectable” is often much different from yours.

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Atari 5200: It seemed like a good idea at the time…

Atari 5200

Atari 5200

     If you’ve read more than a few of my posts, you’ve probably noticed that I tend to be a bit nostalgic when it comes to the playthings of my youth.  Usually, when I acquire something from that time of my life, I feel validated that I have pretty good taste.  But occasionally, like an old girlfriend, the memory of something turns out to be a whole lot better than the reality.  Case in point is my recent acquisition of a “vintage” Atari 5200 video game system.
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Gygax Magazine…It’s On!

Gygax Magazine No. 1

Gygax Magazine No. 1

     A month ago or so, I heard an announcement on the Roll For Initiative podcast that TSR was coming back.  Or at least a new incarnation of TSR.  For those of you who don’t know, TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) was the company co-founded in 1973 by Gary Gygax (co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson).

     The new company, founded by Jayson Elliott, and Gary’s sons Luke & Ernie, among others, launched in November 2012, and they just released their first product, Gygax Magazine. The quarterly publication launched yesterday at a special event in Brooklyn, New York and I put my order in for a one year subscription when I woke up this morning. I haven’t been this excited to receive something in the mail for awhile.

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App of the Month: BoardGameGeek

bgg_cornerlogo

     I’m a bit of what’s known as a “late adopter.”  That fact surprises even me.  I’d think I’d be all over new tech, but until recently, my motto (at least one of them), “I fear change,” kept me from messing around with newfangled stuff like iPhone apps. Until, that is, I stumbled upon some great ones like BoardGameGeek’s iPhone app.

     As you know, I’m a collector.  I like to keep track of my vast empire of stuff.  Until now, I’d always done so by using a list compiled on MS Word.  The problem with that is, you have to make sure you keep up with it, updating it religiously. You forget to do it a couple times and now your inventory’s useless.  Well, for the game collector (or just the player with a bunch of titles), BoardGameGeek’s got you covered.

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Turn It Up And Rip The Knob Off! Podcasts for Nerds

audio-input-microphone

     I work inside a 100+ year old building.  I don’t know what’s in the bricks they used back then, but whatever it was, it isn’t conducive to great radio reception.  Luckily, I’ve got an office in the dungeon that I share with no one so I can pretty much listen to podcasts on my computer all day long. If you could sit and talk about your hobbies and interests for hours on end, then the next best thing while you’re shackled to your desk or stuck in traffic is firing up a podcast.

     Here’s a laundry list of eight podcasts I regularly tune in to during my mind-numbing workday… Continue reading

A Positive Games Workshop Story

LEAVE GW ALONE!

     You know, I realized that some recent cracks on Game Workshop could lead one to believe I have an ax to grind with them.  And if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: lower those prices!  Just like “if you build it, they will come,” I sincerely believe an across the board price decrease would go a long way to create some good will with hobbyists and gamers who love GW products.

     But that being said, I thought I’d relate a story from a few years ago that demonstrates GW does have a heart.

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Musings From The Nerd Cave

     Hello nerds of the world. Been busy with work and landscaping here at the house so haven’t had much of a chance to post.  I’m hoping once I get this place up to my standards, I’ll have more time to devote to my hobbies and blogging.  I decided to forgo the weed pulling tonight and am ensconced here in the cave with yet another Bigfoot documentary (don’t even ask) on the T.V.

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