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Geek

Finally! A commercial that captures SMART’s Brand Equity

I’ve been a loyal SMART subscriber for more than 8 long years and I’ve always seen them as the better network (which is also why I chose to work with them). This commercial finally captures their brand equity.

I wouldn’t have stuck with them for this long if their service was crap.

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Geek

I really just have to get this out: Star Trek / Dr Who Crossover by IDW

My geeky brain is exploding (like right now) because I can’t contain the excitement! This isn’t the first time Star Trek had a crossover series. But Dr. Who.. well that’s something else!

And they’re both English. 😉

March 2012.

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Geek

My (Growing) iOS Board Game Collection

Last week, I met up with my staple group of high school friends who play board games semi-regularly. And one of them was really surprised to see me with an iPhone 4s when I swore by my Android-powered Galaxy S II last year (LOL!).

Well I still have my S II and would never trade it off. I feel that for PIM and multitasking, it’s hands-down Android. They have better means to help you stay productive on the cloud. Despite Apple’s iCloud, I don’t feel it as much (unless if you probably own several iDevices). But because Android is powered by Google and Google has just become so ubiquitous, you can’t go wrong.

There is ONE thing that Android doesn’t have though. And it’s a huge collection of board game ports into iOS. I’m not referring to Monopoly or Scrabble. Or Words with Friends. I’m talking about the geekier ones you can find on Board Game Geek which are so hard to come by locally. On iOS, a huge chunk of these titles are readily available for a fraction of the price. With multiplayer online support via GameCenter.

Here’s a roster of some of my growing collection above:

Hive Online – A hex based strategy game where you need to surround your opponent’s Queen Bee.It’s kinda like Chess.

Carcassone – A classic tile-based kingdom builder that has become one of the pillars of Euro-themed board games.

Ticket to Ride – Another classic. It’s fairly simple to play: each team has to build the longest railway system. You get points for completing train routes. It was free for some time.

Bang! The Bullet HD – This is one of my all-time favorite card games (featured back in 2010). One sheriff, two deputies, one renegade, and three outlaws. The twist is that the roles are hidden from all players except the identity of the sheriff. Game ends when the sheriff and his deputies kill the outlaws or vice versa. The “renegade” wild card wins if he’s the last man standing.

Kard Kombat – From Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. It’s Mortal Kombat .. with cards. Sort of.

Ascension – One of the world’s most popular deck building games similar to Dominion and Thunderstone.

Caylus – A popular Kingdom builder Euro-themed game, Caylus is a race to build and expand King Philip the Fair’s castle and make France strong!

Puerto Rico HDPuerto Rico is still newly discovered and it’s your job to dominate the island. This is a popular role-playing board game that’s also kingdom-builder themed.

Neuroshima Hex – A hex based sci-fi combat game that’s honestly a lot more fun than Hive Online.

7 Wonders Scorer – This is a scoring app for 7 Wonders, a board game that is coming soon to iOS!

——-

Are any of you guys fond of board games? The experience of playing with cardboard vs digital is very different, but one thing’s for sure — the digital version beats cleaning up afterwards!

Any other games to recommend?

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Geek

Outbreak Manila: A 5k run I would join

Similar to the US-based Run for Your Lives 5k zombie infested obstacle course, Outbreak Manila is a 5k thematic race where you can either role play as a survivor or a zombie. The race has goals: survivors will have 3 red flags attached onto their person. In turn, zombies must grab the flags. Once a runner has run out of flags, his brains are eaten. Figuratively of course.

The race will be held in Nuvali. For more details, check out:

Facebook: Outbreak Manila
Twitter: @OutbreakManila
Website: www.outbreakmanila.com

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Geek

Student makes 3D version of Arkham Horror. Help her beta test it!

Imagine that, to complete your Bachelor’s degree you design a 3D version of one of the best board games ever made: Arkham Horror.

I’ve been so wanting to get into it, but the sheer number of expansions, time to invest coupled with finding people to actually play with hinders me from this awesome experience. If you ever drop by Hobbes & Landes or Neutral Grounds, you’ll see rows and rows of Arkham Horror core sets and expansions. I really did want it but chickened out for reasons mentioned above and instead got Betrayal at House on a Hill which doesn’t live up to par, but at least doesn’t have a steep learning curve.

Well, anyway.

I emailed this amazing lady (her name is Andi) to ask if I can participate as a beta test and she sent me the game! in exchange for feedback. The game is about 80% polished (as the YouTube vid states) and I’m just so amazed at what she was able to do.

For those asking, this isn’t an official port of the game by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG). It’s by a student. She plans to present this project to them and get an official endorsement. If you’re wondering whether this holds as copyright infringement, well .. it doesn’t. Because this is a school project, it falls under Fair Use Policy in Europe. Wow. Just wow.

If you love Arkham Horror but hate the setup process, I suggest you send her an email. She’s accepting beta testers till the 5th of February 2012.