Mission in the Virtual World: Azeroth Uniting

In 2004 the video computer gamer company Blizzard released the massive multiplayer online (MMO), it was a ground-breaking online experience that allowed for fantasy game play and social community. I started playing on day one having been a big fan of other Blizzard titles such as Warcraft and Star Craft. During the past 15 years […]

Gamification @Synod

While attending the 2019 Synod meeting for Victoria and Tasmania I discovered that there was game built around the app containing all the reports and information for the 4 day meeting. The app used was called AttendeeHub by CrowdCompass and was a wonderful way of collecting all the information such as reports, proposals, and maps […]

Wonder, imagination and public opinion

During the 1960’s writer and producers like Irwin Allen, Gene Roddenberry and Verity Lambert let their imaginations play with possibilities, exploring emerging aspects of science fiction. The emerging canvas of television time and space became a rich medium to a explore and the previously still panels of text and comics came alive in serialised form […]

Two moons at sunset

It still gives me a thrill to hear the John Williams score with the flat dessert scene of Tatooine, the wistful look on the face of the young Luke Skywalkeras he contemplates the possibilities of a much larger existence beyond the simplicity of his known life. This scene which was shot on this day in […]

Victory Conditions!

When I am teaching a new game one of the first things I am asked about are the victory conditions, “tell me what I must do to win!”. Once we know what is expected of us, we can begin to form a plan or strategy to arriving at that point. In all games regardless of […]

Grace and the Zero Sum

As you may have guessed I do enjoy playing table top games and there is little more satisfying for me than a table top game with a twist and teachable moment. I know I sound like a total gamer nerd but hey the cap fits. So imagine my excitement when I discover a game that […]

Playfulness sacrilege and blasphemy

“Nothing reveals Humanity so well as the games it plays.” David Hartley (also Q) I take my play very seriously. That may sound like a nonsense statement, an oxymoron or perhaps a self-justification but hear me out. For me, games are more than an opportunity to socialise with friends. I admit though I do enjoy […]