Kotaku: Water Cooler Games

Bogost! Colbert! Talking!

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 07:20:49 MDT

As mentioned earlier. So if you don't have a television or live in a country with foreign TV, watch away.

Bogost Hits Colbert

Brian Crecente — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:00:55 MDT

Water Cooler Games' Ian Bogost let me know last week he was going to be on The Colbert Report. He sounded half totally freaked out and half jazzed. I don't blame him. I don't know how I would stand up to that eyebrow, and god forbid Colbert releases both on you.

Watch the show tonight at 11:30 p.m. on Comedy Central if you want to see how he does... I'm sure well since he will be talking about his new book, Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Video Games, and, I'm sure, his gig with the New York Times which I find endlessly fascinating (Hey, it finally gives me a topic I can discuss with those non-gamers out there that I frequently bump into.)

Serious Games Make Toy Hot List

Brian Crecente — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 20:00:26 MST

The Green Guide, apparently out to ruin Christmas for millions of children, has created a Toy Hot list that flies in the face of all of that TMX Elmo, PS3 and Wii lust.

The site lists games and toys that are "long-lasting" and "imagination-provoking" like finger puppets, wooden blocks and, to just about everyone's chagrin, computer games by Persuasive Games.

Older kids and adults will enjoy Persuasive Games' Oil God (engage in realpolitik to double the global price of oil) and may get an insight into politics with Activism, The Public Policy Game (www.persuasivegames.com/games/).
You may also adopt a member of an endangered species such as a Sumatran rhino (see "Saving Something Wild"). And for your artistically-oriented child, check out the options listed in "Better Art Supplies for Budding Artists").

Remember too that a gift can be a service, such as building a fort or renting an instrument and getting lessons for a musically oriented child (see "Greener Guitars"). And don't forget a massage for your spouse.

I'm not sure if inclusion on this particular Hot List is a compliment or an insult. Brian Crecente

Hot Toys [The Green Guide]

Super Columbine Massacre RPG: Better Than You'd Think?

Joel — Wed, 03 May 2006 10:26:40 MDT

I haven't had a chance to play Super Columbine Massacre RPG, despite it having been released last year, so don't expect any commentary from me. From the screen shots showing SNES-quality pixelated libraries in flames and Final Fantasy-eqsue dialog screens, one could presume it's a tasteless riff on the actions of the two screwed up kids who killed several of their classmates, but according to Water Cooler Games it's a "worthwhile effort, and one truly unique to videogames as a medium."

So who knows?

With a name like Super Columbine Massacre RPG it's obviously not going for total, reverent solemnity, which is fine; I think we can reflect on murder and social pain without being maudlin, and a little bit of levity leavens the whole lump. But then again I haven't played it—give it a shot and tell me if SCMRPG treats its subject with enough care in the comments.

Download and Screenshots [Columbine Game]