Category: Games

So it turns out that this week is full of stuff that I would like to share with you, Internet.

First, I wrote a column for The Washington Post about how anonymous trolls are poisoning the video game community, and what we can do about it.

Anonymity, in some cases a key civil liberty, also enables society’s worst actors. The loudest, most obnoxious, most toxic voices are able to drown out the rest of us—a spectacle that has nearly pushed me to quit the video-game world entirely in recent months. I don’t need to hear about the sexual conquest of my mother from a random 12-year-old on Xbox Live ever again.

But here’s the thing: that random 12-year-old I seem to encounter so often? He probably isn’t 12. According to the ERSB, the average age of a video gamer is 34. That 34-year-old is certainly old enough to know better, but he probably came of age in an era when trolling was not just acceptable but encouraged by a generation of players who rarely, if ever, had to see the actual people they were playing with. No wonder he feels enabled by digital anonymity. It means he never has to face the consequences of his actions, or acknowledge that there is a human being on the other side of the screen.

It’s time to break this cycle—and to teach gamers that they can compete without being competitive, that they can win and lose without spewing racist, misogynist, homophobic bile at their fellow gamers. But doing so requires casting off the cloak of anonymity.

Early feedback via Twitter is split between a majority, who are tired of being harassed while gaming, and a minority who seem to believe I am advocating for an end to online privacy (which I clearly am not). I’m interested to know your thoughts on this column, so please read it, and comment here, if you don’t mind. If you’d like to read more about it, I highly recommend this article, which quotes my friend, Stepto, at length.

I’m hosting DC ALL ACCESS this week. Here’s the trailer, which makes me laugh:

Tabletop Season Three premieres in just two days!! We put together a special trailer for this season that asks the question that’s on everyone’s mind…

I signed agreements to do two more audiobooks. I can’t reveal their titles, yet, but I will as soon as I get permission.

Next Monday, I’m performing in a live show here in Los Angeles, with Hal Lublin, and John Ross Bowie. It’s Hot Comedy Dreamtime, written by my friend Joseph Scrimshaw.

Oh! Also next week, I’m filling in for Larry King, and interviewing Chris Hardwick for Larry King Now.

In a couple hours, I’ll sit on a seat which will magically hoist itself into in the sky, and I’ll end my day in New York City. I don’t think I can talk about why I’m going, yet, but I’ll be there for just under 24 hours, for something really awesome that I can’t wait to share with the world.

PLAY MORE GAMES!

I have additional thoughts, based on your comments, which I wrote while in a seat in the sky. They are behind the jump.

(more…)

Last night, we wrapped production on the third season of Tabletop. It was bittersweet for me, as always, because I’m so wiped out and teetering on exhaustion, the idea of sleeping until I don’t need to sleep is very appealing … but I’m also sad, because I love the crew so much, and they are such a joy to work with. We truly have become a family over the last three seasons, and it’s going to take me a few days not only to decompress from the intense production schedule, but to get used to not seeing all these people who I genuinely like for 12 hours a day.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we did this season, and I am super excited to get to work on editing and the other post-production tasks, starting on Friday.

For those of you wondering, here is the complete list of games and players from this season, in the order they were played (not the order they will be released):

• Tokaido – Jason Wishnov, J. August Richards, Chris Kluwe
• Concept – Joseph Scrimshaw, Rett and Link
• Roll For It and Sushi Go! – Jason Ritter, Jennifer Hale, John Ross Bowie
• Forbidden Desert – Felicia Day, Alan Tudyk, Jon Heder
• Love Letter and Coup – The Fine Brothers and Felicia Day
• Hare & Tortoise and Council of Verona – Jessica Merizan, David Kwong, Alison Haislip
• Sheriff of Nottingham – Meredith Salenger, Ashley Clements, Derek Mio
• Stone Age – Nika Harper, Jesse Cox, Jordan Maron
• Geek Out – Anne Wheaton, Bonnie Burton, Clare Kramer
• Five Tribes: Jenna Busch, Richard Garriot, Satine Phoenix
• Epic Spell Wars: Jonah Ray, Emily Gordon, Veronica Belmont
• Mice & Mystics, Chapter One – Anne Wheaton, Ryan Wheaton, Nolan Kopp
• Dread – Molly Lewis, Ivan Van Norman, Laura Bailey
• Catan Junior – Emily Anderson, Brett, Baligrad, Adam Chernick
• Libertalia – Karen Gillan, Seth Green, Clare Grant
• Kingdom Builder – Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Paul Scheer
• Dead of Winter – Dodger Leigh, Grant Imahara, Ashley Johnson
• Legendary – Allie Brosh, Mark Fischbach, Brea Grant
• Tabletop After Dark: Cards Against Humanity – Aisha Tyler, Ali Spagnola, Laina Morris

Our backers also get a special mini-episode that includes a whole bunch of behind the scenes stuff with our crew. I’m keeping that stuff secret unless backers want to talk about it and share it. Also, we have an episode order as well as a season premiere date, but we haven’t announce that stuff, yet.