So, you are reading this on the OLD 8bitlibrary.com. 8bitlibrary.com no longer redirects here (to blog.8bitlibrary.com). Here’s JP’s “farewell” post to the blog…but first, some nostalgia…

In 2009, JP Porcaro and Justin Hoenke met for drinks and found out they were both ALA Emerging Leaders for the upcoming year. Our bromance continued with daily IM chats until Justin one day said:

Let’s start a librarygarden of gaming.

So, we did. We really started taking off and getting hits when Justin made a joke on twitter:

Let’s all get library tattoos.

And I was like, YEA LET’S DO IT. And that’s how this whole thing happened…Justin & I would brainstorm crazy ideas, and if they were just crazy enough to work, i’d #makeithappen. So we started Project Brand Yourself a Librarian, librarians shared it like crazy, and a bunch of librarians got tattoos.

So from the very start, within weeks, we strayed from the original “library garden of gaming” idea.

We came up with other crazy ideas and made them happen:

• ALA DANCE PARTY (and other parties like the NJLA ones and the ACRL Social)
• #TeamRock8
• The Adventures of Flat Justin
• Think Tank (which grew into ALA Think Tank, facebook’s largest active group of international ideas-sharing for librarians)
• Cranky Kong, librarianship’s oldest blogger.

We also had lots of fabulous contributors, almost all the top names in the field of “gaming in libraries” either wrote for us or were considered part of the team.

And then we shifted from crazy ideas to more traditional ones:

• We ran the petition to start a the ALA Comic Book & Graphic Novel Member Interest Group, and with the help of everyone who sent in an online signature, we made it happen at ALA Mid Winter 2011.
• We ran National Unconference Day ’11, a hybrid online & in-person conference. We had fabulous lightning talks at it by Michael Stephens, Jaime Hammond, and Eli Neiberger.
• We became the largest active source for game reviews for librarians, and eventually lead the charge to make GameRT a reality.
• We hosted Retro Gaming Days all over New Jersey.
• Got involved in Buy India a Library.
• Launched #makeithappen and inspired MIH.
• Launched #libgaming (which has since died, sad sad…)
• We ran webinars.

In our heyday, we were getting about 4000 clicks a day (which is BIG for library blogs), and alexa.com had us listed as one of the highest trafficked library blogs. The only blogs that were getting higher traffic at the time were the ‘official’ ones; the LJ, SLJ and some of ALA ones…

Lots of success here in a short period of time, maybe moreso than any other library blog. So why did we let blog.8bitlibrary.com “die”?

• All of our contributors are doing other things.

We all got busy. 8bitlibrary lead us to publication deals, speaking gigs, new jobs, and new leadership opportunities. Now that GameRT exists, we have a more formal place to do our gaming-in-libraries work.

• Blogging is boring.

We should have figured out from day 1 that blogging was not what we were about. We were a successful BRAND, but never a good BLOG. All of the successes I listed had more to do with 8bitlibrary as a brand, and less to do with blog.8bitlibrary.com.

• WordPress sucks.

The blog was constantly marred by slow load times, login problems for contributors, and errors on the user and contributor end. Anyone who was a frequent contributor knows what I mean when i say “500 Internal Server Error”

• We have better places to “publish”

Blogging is NOT publishing. We’ll get some game reviews actually published via GameRT hopefully soon!

SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE 8BITLIBRARY?!

When Justin posted this on the new 8bitlibrary.com, people FREAKED out (they though we were killing everything, the facebook page, the twitter, the tumblr (which is now the main site) and the blog) and I had to write this.

Where we’re left without the blog is where we always belonged: as the party people of librarianship. So we’re still gonna do all the stuff we used to do, like ALA DANCE PARTY, Project Brand Yourself a Librarian, and all the Think Tanks and subsequent parties…but we won’t have to worry about keeping up this illusion that we’re a “professional” library blog.

We’re still here.

#partyhard and #makeithappen,

JP

WHAT?  Picross 3D is a sort of sequel to other handheld Nintendo Picross games (see here and here) which finds the user chipping away at numbered blocks in a puzzle like manner in order to reveal a picture.  It’s sort of part puzzle, part sudoku, part trinket collecting, and more.  And it’s really addictive

WHY? I gave this game a shot a few months ago and since then I’ve been thinking about it nonstop.  The simple puzzle mechanics of the game combined with the ability to work towards an end where you get something (hey, everyone loves a blocky dolphin) has got me hooked.  It takes just enough brainpower to keep the player learning and working towards a goal and at the same time saves just enough energy for fun.

WHO? I really think Picross 3D could be a gateway drug into video gaming for many non gamers.  When I play the game, I imagine it having the potential on a non gamer as say, something like Angry Birds has had on the world…something that sucks up time, is enjoyable, and requires some planning to play.  The game will require a tough sell though…”hey, you figure out puzzles by decoding numbered blocks and the prize you get is a blocky dolphin/dog/Nintendo character”.  I recommend talking up the game as an investment.  It is something that may seem clunky at first, but the potential for a rewarding experience are there.

WHY? Libraries should be purchasing this game for the simple fact that it gives patrons who own the Nintendo Wii a chance to enjoy 4 wonderful games.  The only other way to get these games is to download them through the Wii shop channel.  The addition of a music CD and history booklet also adds to the appeal of this package and will give patrons a good example of the rich (and still greatly underappreciated IMHO) history of video games.

My biggest beef with this set is that IT COULD’VE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER.  Add Super Mario World into the mix as well as more cuts from Mario’s musical history and right there is a better package.  Oh well.  That’s just coming from a hardcore Mario fan like me.  Your patrons won’t notice the difference.

WHO? Anyone with a Wii and an interesting in discovering their video gaming roots should check this out.  It also might be a good purchase for educators looking to use Super Mario in the classroom (HINT HINT PLUG PLUG CLICK ME)

WHY? First off, free is good.  Having scrapping the bottom of the barrel searching for good games in the horribly laid out iTunes App Store, I gave up a few weeks ago on finding anything that wasn’t a demo or required me to pay to actually enjoy the game.  Stick Golf HD came along out of the blue as a free app (looking at it today, yup, still free) that was actually enjoyable.  Whether or not this game will become one of those apps where you have to pay for more content or not is to be seen, but for the time being, enjoy the freeness of it.

WHO? I don’t have anything personal against golf, but it’s just one of those sports I’ll never really play.  However, hook me up with Stick Golf HD on the iPad and I’m all set.  The physics in this game are what seals the deal for me.  I feel like every shot I make actually makes sense when I think about the angles/wind/etc before I set up the shot.

Pick it up while it’s free.

WHY? Canabalt’s simple gameplay is its best feature.  It’s easy to pick up and pretty intense once you master the gameplay.  The 8 Bit black/white/gray graphics contribute to the simple gameplay to create a unique experience.

WHO? Everyone.  The game is free, so there’s no reason to not check it out.  Imagine a computer lab full of library patrons competing for the highest score at a gaming event.  Everyone can get into Canabalt and they should.

Wanna play?  http://www.adamatomic.com/canabalt/

Better yet?  Get Google Chrome and try it out at their app store

Today I came across this post reviewing the top 20 Android apps for pics at the web design blog  Hongkiat.com, and I figured I’d share it with y’all. [N.B. - beware the upper right-hand corner of the site, if you scroll over it by accident, a video auto-plays. Boo!]

Do you have a favorite mobile photo app? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaanyway, I just found an excellent new app for my iPhone called Instagram. If you like Hipstamatic (another awesome iPhone photo app) you’ll love Instagram. The difference? Well, Hipstamatic is an app that lets you apply different virtual lenses and film-types to your smartphone pics. The resulting photos have a vintage, washed out or color saturated effect, often with burn-out or frayed edges, depending on the lens-film combo you choose. Here’s an example (which is of course of my cat.)–>

To save yourself some time and trouble (although playing around with the app is half the fun) check out Photojojo’s Ultimate Hipstamatic Guide, which demonstrates the effects of all 336 lens-film combinations.

The downside to Hipstamatic? For one, the viewfinder is tiny, and not very accurate. You’ll spend time trying to get your subject right where you want it, only to have it be out of place once the picture is taken. Also, it only works with pictures you take through the app. As in, if you want a Hipstamatic-style pic, you need to take the picture with the Hipstamatic app.

Enter: Instagram. It’s free (unlike Hipstamatic, which will run you $1.99, plus an extra $.99 per new lens/film package, of which there are currently five.) Also, it allows you to apply filters to pics you already have in your iPhone’s photo library, as well as take pics through the app. Finally, Instagram allows you to find and invite your friends, and creates a feed of your/their photos, which you can then “like” or comment on.

This feature adds tons of value to the app, since once you get decent at creating quality photos, you really want to share them with others. The app will even let you post to Facebook and/or Twitter, for even wider sharing potential.

Some examples of Instagram shots:

As of the time I’m posting this, Hipstamatic and Instagram are iPhone-only apps. For Android users, try picplz (which also has an iPhone app, but I have not tried it.)

More info:

Hipstamatic review (BoingBoing)

Instagram review (ReadWriteWeb)

Picplz review (TechCrunch)

WHY: Killing Floor is a cooperative game; players work together to achieve a common goal–namely, killing zombie-like creatures.  It promotes and encourages good communication skills, communal strategy development, and watching your friends’ back.  Like most multiplayer FPS games of late, Killing Floor uses a class system.  Before each game, players pick one of several perks, which gives boons to weapons and abilities and discounts to items at the trader.  For example, the Commando perk grants the player additional damage with assault rifle weapons, faster reloading, and a discount on assault rifles at the trader.  Sharpshooters get damage bonuses on headshots.  Support Specialists can weld doors faster.  If your skill with the keyboard-and-mouse doesn’t allow you to be a pinpoint sniper, maybe you want to be a Field Medic, whose primary responsibility is to heal your teammates.  Like things that go ‘splodey?  Then you’re fit for Demolitions, who specialize in grenade launchers and other explosive weaponry.  With the players relying on each other so heavily, everybody has a place in this game.

WHO: With this being a cooperative games as opposed to a competitive one, gamers who want to work as a team in an intense game play environment but don’t want the difficult experience that competitive play can be will find much to love here. However, between the constant threat of danger, impending sense of doom, often panicked pace, and buckets and buckets of gore, this is NOT a game for children or the faint of heart.  If the films 28 Days Later or its sequel 28 Weeks Later is too much for you, this game is probably too much as well.  Also, most libraries focus on games as a service for kids and teens, but there are lots of adults that game as well–this would be an ideal game for an adults-only gaming night, what with the blood and violence and disturbing imagery.

WHAT:

There’s no lack of great zombie-themed video games out there, but if you’re trying to expand your tabletop offerings at your library, one game you’ll want to invest in is the excellent Zombie Dice from Steve Jackson Games.  It’s unique in that usually zombie games have you in the role of a human trying to survive and take out as many zombies as possible; in Zombie Dice, players take on the role of zombies trying to consume as many delicious brains as possible.

Quick to play and easy to explain, Zombie Dice is a game of chance with a heavy gambling element.  After gathering your players and designating a scorekeeper, you determine who goes first by seeing who can moan “braaains” with the most feeling (aside: this is the greatest way to determine first turn EVER).  That player then takes the dice cup, with all 13 dice in it, and shakes it up.  They draw three dice (representing three victims) from the cup at random and roll those dice.  You have three possibilities for each dice:

–Brain: You scarf that victim’s brain!  Set that dice aside.

–Footprint: That victim made tracks.  That dice stays on the table.

–Blast: Somebody was carrying a shotgun, and decided to fight back.  Set that dice aside as well.

As a kicker, there are three different colored dice (green, yellow, and red).  Green dice are easy victims, yellow are tough victims, and red dice are…well, they’re in the zombie-killing business, and business is good.  The tougher the dice/victim, the more likely you are to roll a blast.

After the initial roll, the player can choose to keep going or stop.  If they keep going, they re-roll any footprints AND draw new dice to replace any brains or blasts (you’ll always roll three dice).  They’ll keep setting dice aside as necessary until they decide to stop OR they get three blasts.  If the player decides to stop and they have less than three blasts, they score one point for each brain they have.  If they get three or more blasts before they decide to stop, their turn is over and they score nothing.

Players take turns and continue keeping score until one player has a score of at least 13.  At that point, everybody else takes one more turn and the player with highest score wins!

WHO:

Everybody loves zombies.  If you don’t believe me, Google search “zombies” and let me know when you get to the end of the over 23 million results.  Hang out at your local comic shop and see how many times zombie apocalypse survival plans are discussed.  Ask a teenage boy what “Rule #2″ is and he’ll likely respond “double tap.”

See what I mean?  People love zombies; gamers especially.

What’s more, this game is so easy to grasp and quick to play that there’s not too many people who won’t enjoy.  It’s fun to play in small or large groups, it can be approached as a deep exercise in strategy or a quick hit against the odds, and it allows for a great opportunity to use your imagination.  No matter what kind of gamer you are, you’ll enjoy it.

WHY:

Zombie Dice is relatively inexpensive ($13.99 MSRP, $10.73 on Amazon.com), offers up lots of personality and game play excitement, is easy to learn, and is never the same game twice.  It accommodates a broad range of demographics and gamer skill levels.  It’s the perfect game for libraries!

WHY?Aside from tense game play and a so-simple-its-complicated plot, Limbo challenges gamers on another level as well.  The main character is a boy–that’s made very clear–and he dies many gruesome deaths (it’s part of the game play actually: sometimes, the only way to figure out a puzzle is to die so that you may start over again).  These deaths are always shown in silhouette, so it’s not as graphic as it could be, but some of the imagery is unsettling, especially when cast against the frightening environments (chiefly a forest and a factory).  It’s the kind of game that makes you ask question of yourself and challenges you to confront realities you’d rather not–it’s a video game that is unquestionably art.  And what better institution to take a stake in this game-that-is-art than a library?

WHO? Limbo is not a game for the younger set; I’ll even break proper librarian protocol by skipping over the “it’s up to each parent to determine what is appropriate for their child” disclaimer, as I don’t see how any parent could let their child play this unless they were quite, quite mature.  Despite it’s brutal difficulty and open-ended, philosophical narrative, the disturbing imagery was almost too much for me; I can only imagine how terrible it would be for a child.  There is an option to turn off the gore in the game, so it’s possible to experience the game without the death scenes, but I’m not so sure it would be as memorable an experience were the game play the only thing the gamer experienced; without the philosophical pondering, the game might seem a bit too difficult and therefore a bit too not-worth-it.  Gamers with a good deal of patience, an open mind, and a willingness to be challenged on an emotional level will find lots to love here.