Board Game Buzz, March 25, 2013
Here is the latest news in the world of board games, for the week of March 25th, 2013:
Major Monopoly Acquisition Adds to New Museum Game Exhibit
New at the National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, the Philip E. Orbanes Collection, the world's largest and most comprehensive assemblage of classic Monopoly games: "The collection includes every authentic mass-produced version of Monopoly, a 1920s handmade copy of The Landlord's Game (precursor to Monopoly), other significant Parker Brothers games (such as a 1949 American Clue), game and toy prototypes from Orbanes' career, and material from George Parker." [link]
The Antimonopolist History Of The World's Most Popular Board Game
"The initial phase of competition in Monopoly, the free-trade phase that happens to be the most exciting part of the game to watch, is really about ending free trade and nixing competition in order to replace it with rent-seeking." The irony is that the game of Monopoly is descended from The Landlord's Game, which was created to teach "the philosophy of Henry George, a nineteenth-century writer who had popularized the notion that no single person could claim to 'own' land." [link]
The meaning of chess in Hollywood
"The game of chess has a long history, dating back to the sixth century AD, so it was already well-established in our collective psyche by the time movies came along and started to make use of it. Since the silent era, films have used chess as code for a number of character traits. From there, chess was established as easy shorthand for being deeply brainy. If you're a clever character, you have a chess set in your house somewhere, whether you get to play it or not." [link]
Empire Conquest – Strategy board game with chess elements
"Eradicate evil forces in the turn-based board game Empire Conquest for Android. You'll be taking control of three heroes: a mage, a warrior, and a gunslinger. Learn how to use each character strategically to win battles against your enemies." [link]
Online Pool Tournaments
"Minnesota Fats would never have believed it, but pool is now played more often on a screen, than on a felt table. The strategic game of pool has translated better than anyone might have guessed to the computers of players all over the world." [link]
Play online pool at Tournament Games.
Games for Writers
"As authoring tools, games encourage players to write stories and design new worlds. Storytelling games provide deeper understanding of language, the world we live in and ourselves. They unleash freedom of expression and, frequently, insight into solving seemingly intractable personal or business problems. While you're playing ‒ creating a story with you kids or writing group ‒ you might just write the next best-seller." [link]
Recent Board Game Reviews
Notable Quote
"The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us."
~ Thomas Huxley
Deal Alerts
- Free Shipping at FunAgain Games – Free ground shipping with $75 order (continental US)
- Take 20% Off your order at HoyleGaming.com with code: HWINTER20. Expires 3/31/2013
Board Game Buzz is a periodical roundup of news and notes from the board gaming blogosphere, featuring board game news, board game game releases, board game reviews, and opinion from the people who live and breathe board games and gaming!
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