Daily Illuminator Archive for December 2009

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December 1, 2009:
I have a question. Okay, so the newly released GURPS Thaumatology: Urban Magics is all about magic in cities, wizards playing with magic in cities, how cities affect magic, how magic affects cities, what magical entities live in cities, and just a whole big mess of neat city-related magic stuff . . . read article

December 2, 2009:
The year is nigh gone, and the last month is always the busiest. With that in mind, here's our schedule for this holiday season. Game Day. On the 11th, we'll be breaking out the dice and cards for some more games . . . read article

December 3, 2009:
After a print run is completed, the first couple of cases are traditionally air-freighted direct from the printer to our office, so we can show them off, provide review samples, or whatever else we can think of. With Nanuk, we sent a dozen out to a hand-selected group of our volunteers, the MIBs . . . read article

December 4, 2009:
We went to BoardGameGeekCon 2009, and now we have the video to prove it. You can see the evidence for yourself on YouTube . . . read article

December 5, 2009:
Today, December 5, is a unique holiday, in that "stealth" is a major part of the celebration. Some call it "International Creep Like a Ninja Day;" others refer to it as "Sneak Like a Ninja Day." We'll always know it as the Annual Day of the Ninja . . . read article

December 6, 2009:
We've done Munchkin Silver Pieces for several years now, and the response has always been "Shiny!" This Christmas, we've tried something a little different. Now, don't worry: the usual Munchkin 2010 Silver Piece will be available through the normal channels next month . . . read article

December 7, 2009:
A-heh, heh-heh? No? . . . read article

December 8, 2009:
If you're like me, you've waited until the calendar page turns to December before shopping for the holidays. If you continue in this "like me" vein, you'll be looking for a quick way to find gifts that are relevant to the season . . . read article

December 9, 2009:
The latest in our series of unboxing videos has been uploaded to our YouTube channel. This installment features Nanuk, the game of boasting and dooming we've been talking about quite a bit lately . . . read article

December 10, 2009:
So: We have the Munchkin Level Counter, and it's very spiffy indeed (and it will get even spiffier when we release the new upgrade, but we're going to let the testers play with it a bit first). And now Android users are asking "When can we get this?" But it's written in Cocoa Touch, and we can't translate it ourselves . . . read article

December 11, 2009:
We're doing another of our notorious Game Days today. For us, that means a ton of games . . . read article

December 12, 2009:
Early in the development of Munchkin Quest, we recognized that the components were going to have a significant impact on the "feel" of the game. And while playtesting rules is part of our standard operating procedure, mockups were a rarity -- and usually they were limited to just the box, as part of a trade show display . . . read article

December 13, 2009:
The toilet is a part of the history of human hygiene which is a critical chapter in the growth of human civilisation." So sayeth Bindeshwar Pathak, curator and founder of the Sulabh International Toilet Museum . . . and yet, creating an institution dedicated to that portion of our history would seem to be a step backward, wouldn't it? We'll skip the obvious jokes about the facilities available at the museum and simply hit some of the high points . . . read article

December 14, 2009:
Busy week, last week. We released not one, not two, but three PDFs! . . . read article

December 15, 2009:
We've talked at length about the game of The Stars Are Right -- how demos have gone, the degree of "puzzle" in the "game/puzzle" mix, and its origins. We haven't spent much time on the actual components, however . . . read article

December 16, 2009:
Retailers are gleefully reminding me that my traditional Yule procrastination has rendered me with less than two shopping weeks before the biggest gift exchanging date of the year. In order to share my stress, I pass said warnings along to you, the loyal readers of the Daily Illuminator . . . read article

December 17, 2009:
Since tomorrow is the last day Warehouse 23 will be open in 2009 -- end of year inventory plus holidays equals no one around to process orders -- I'll take this opportunity to remind everyone of some of the "perfect for stocking stuffer" items we carry. Mini-Chibithulhus. These cute little guys look great peeking out over the top of a stocking, or snuggled in the boughs of the Christmas tree . . . read article

December 18, 2009:
Braaaaaaaaiiiiiins! Zombie Dice is at the printer now, and should ship in March. We've gleefully given you all kinds of talk about what's in the game and how much fun it is to play . . . read article

December 19, 2009:
Last Friday was the last Game Day of 2009, and it was a doozy! We had everything from Warmachine to Nanuk, from Castle Panic to [NAME NOT READY FOR RELEASE] which is still in early development! . . . read article

December 20, 2009:
LAPP -- short for Light Art Performance Photography -- is a new art form which uses a single "click" of a camera and no computer manipulations to create the next step in light drawing. They're beautiful, ethereal, and just a little "Dr . . . read article

December 21, 2009:
Last week, we released a whopping three PDFs. That was so awesome that we decided to say, "What the heck, let's do it again!" And so we have . . . read article

December 22, 2009:
Here's a Christmas present for all you Munchkin fans. Well, no, actually, it's only for those who bought the iPhone Level Counter app . . . read article

December 23, 2009:
These items are available to your friendly local game store for ordering, and may already be on their shelves. Go! . . . read article

December 24, 2009:
Christmas Eve, for me, has always been a time of nervous energy balanced with satisfied relaxation. While there are attention-demanding boxes beneath the tree, the most stressful parts of the year are past . . . read article

December 25, 2009:
Today's Christmas here in Austin, and in many other parts of the world as well. Hope you got all the games you were wishing for, as well as an abundance of fine festive folks with which to play them . . . read article

December 26, 2009:
Our site was down for a bit over 24 hours. The problem proved to be a single port on a server switch, but it was a very important little port . . . and Jimmie was out of town, and attempts to troubleshoot remotely were not successful . . . . . read article

December 27, 2009:
In 2008, our big GURPS hardcover release was GURPS Thaumatology, which expanded the possibilities and options of the GURPS magic system. Of course, it always takes time for new options to be fully assimilated by our authors (and the fans!) . . . read article

December 28, 2009:
Because our Twitter account sometimes gets some questions that might be of general interest, or that might be hard to deal with usefully in 140 characters, or that the voices told us to answer here . . . @JoeKnows asks "Why do game designers keep on using red and green for color coding when r-g colorblindness is the most common type?" Good question for which I have at the moment three answers. (1) We're dumb. (2) We know that it is possible to have reds and greens that are distinguishable by most people, even if not as dramatically as by those with normal color vision. (3) For exactly the same reason they are used in so many other places: the cultural connection of red=danger and green=safe. @spideyo asks when Fairy Dust will be reprinted. We've already ordered the reprint, but it won't be in your stores until March or April. @DrSbaitso wonders when we are going to release an update to the Munchkin iPhone app . . . read article

December 29, 2009:
Is the CERN supercollider being sabotaged by the effects of its own success in the future? Holger Bech Nielsen and Masao Ninomiya have put forth the theory that the Higgs boson generated by a properly functioning supercollider would echo backward through time and prevent its own creation . . . read article

December 30, 2009:
Zombie Dice will include 13 dice in a handy cup. As you can see, Alex's awesome illustration is featured front and center . . . read article

December 31, 2009:
The various media streams have been filled of late with the traditional warnings of the season. Drinking and driving is a very real concern, especially on nights where the holiday practically demands you stay up past your bedtime, imbibe the beverages of your choice, and then sleepily drive home . . . read article

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