MindCamp 3.0 is in the can!

This past weekend saw the return of the 24-hour geek mashup known as Seattle MindCamp. Like the last year, I served as a "Camp Counselor", and specifically got to be the designated AV Nerd for the weekend. That suited me just fine, since it was mostly my equipment getting hooked up anyway.

I tried valiantly to get Nintendo's PR firm to supply us with a Wii for a tournament, but couldn't get a phone call back to arrange it. I turned the reins over to Andru who was largely as successful as I was. But wait! At the last possible moment, someone from Nintendo (names withheld to protect them from a gamer onslaught) contacted Andru and offered to bring a screen, Wii and a full complement of controllers) for us to play with for a few hours. I figured that while the crowd were geeks and bloggers, and not necessarily gamers, that the Wii would be a big hit, and it certainly was. There was a ton of people huddled around to see the Wii in action, and not surprisingly, Wii Tennis was the big hit, with four people swinging their arms furiously and everyone having a great time.

I really wanted to box with Andru, but had AV duties and ended up missing the entire Wii tournament. Nintendo gave away a DS Lite, some games, and some Nintendo swag ... less than what I had originally proposed, but far more than we expected at the time, and not at all unwelcome given the last minute nature of the showcase. I got back just in time to catch the tail end, just as they were putting in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I grabbed a chair, pushed my way through the crowd and plopped right next to the Nintendo rep who was starting the game. I felt like a little kid again, even going so far as to tug the end of the nice man's shirt and beg him to let me play it. "Please sir ... can I play?" Sure enough, I got to play all right. Well, sort of. First, I dropped the nunchuck like an idiot when the gentleman from Nintendo offered to skip me past the sign in part. Which is a shame because that was the extent of the real Wii experience in the short time the game was running, apparently. What I really got to do was watch a lot of cinematics and then herd some goats using a fairly standard controller setup. I didn't really get to experience any of how the "Wiimote" really works save for someone pointing out that my pointer was stuck at the top of the screen, so I waved it around a bit. The lack of voice acting was noted by the onlookers as disappointing, as was the hilarity of the phrase "GOAT IN" that pops up when you herd the goats. Then, it was time for Nintendo to leave, and that's when the ... wait for it ... ennui set in.

Yeah, I'd been making that joke all weekend.

Anyway, Andru and I and some of the other camp counselors are going to camp again this coming weekend, but this time, for the Wii. I've already explained to Andru that after taking one for the team at the Xbox 360 launch, he "owes me a solid", so I should have no trouble securing my little glossy white friend. I can't wait to get my hands on it, and neither can many of the others that stood waiting. I'd say the time was very well spent, and when MindCamp returns for Version 4.0 in April, I'll make it my mission to make it work on the gigantic projection screen ... even if it kills me.

Other than that, the entire camp seemed to be a raging success. We tried a new system for determining which rooms would be holding which sessions, which involved posting your session on the wall and having people stick a colored dot on the ones that they were interested in. Sure enough, the largest spaces ended up with the largest sessions, and the main theater in particular was usually quite full.

One session that I heard was particularly great was "Lucid Dreaming", which ended up going three and a half hours well into the night. I missed it, since I was showing the movie Mirrormask, which was also a big hit. (I knew that a trippy Alice in Wonderland meets Labyrinth style movie with story by Neil Gaiman and amazing CGI art would go over well.)

Of course, Overnight Gaming made its return, but was less attended than it was previously. Part of the problem was the need to have the PlayStation 2 in the back for Guitar Hero II, so people who just wandered in didn't get to see all the fun we were having. I'm going on record right now saying that "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns and Roses was my favorite song of the night. I tried to keep myself from singing along, and sadly, it just wasn't happening. Close runner-ups were Heart's "Crazy On You" and "Message in a Bottle" by The Police. Awesome guitar songs, and just a ton of fun to play. Of course, it helps when you know the song, which is probably why some of the lesser known songs just aren't resonating with me. Please ... PLEASE ... give us an 80's Hair Rock version!

Finally, the big game of the night was none other than Gears of War, running in HD on a 30 ft. projection screen. My god, this game is amazing looking, and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center's theater is a fantastic place to play it. Dark, moody, loud, and nerve wracking. I'd say that if there were a flaw in the game, it's that the game tries to get you killed deliberately in order to get you to try out new tactics, and I think that's cheap. If anyone gets by the Berserker without dying five or six times before they figure out how to kill her ... well, they're damed liars. The biggest thing that people needed to learn was that the game is not like a regular first-person shooter. If you've played paintball (the clear inspiration for the game), then you know what Gears is all about ... dashing from cover to cover and only popping up long enough to pop off a few shots. Once you get that down, and you realize that the bloody gear that keeps popping up in the middle of the screen is your health meter, you'll do a lot better. You'll still die a lot ... since that's planned in the game design (the first encounter with the Kryll is another example), but overall the game is pretty solid. And frickin' gorgeous, even in SD.

Yeah, I still don't have an HDTV yet, and I have to say that I'm totally spoiled by the theater at Youngstown. Luckily, Sara McChristian told us that since the theater sits empty a fair amount of the time, she'd love to have us come down and hold a monthly gaming night. I think I'll have to take her up on it.

I took a short nap (from 4AM to 7AM), just in time to get in a few games of "Werewolf", a social game where a group of people tries to lynch the werewolves before the town is decimated. Basically, the group sits around a circle, and draws cards. Most people will end up being Villagers, but one or two might be Werewolves, one might be a Seer (able to determine if someone is a Werewolf) and one a Healer (able to protect any player).

The game works like this. A Moderator tells everyone that night has fallen. Everyone closes their eyes and starts slapping their leg with one hand. Why one hand? So that you can't tell who the Werewolves are when when Moderator tells them to wake up and collectively choose someone to kill. Then the Werewolves close their eyes, and the Seer awakens. They pick a random person, and the Moderator will signal to them whether that person is a Werewolf or not. They sleep, and then the Healer selects a person to protect. The Moderator might then check on a few things, but usually the town will awaken, and someone will be dead.

Then the Village tries to sniff out (ha!) the Werewolf (or Werewolves) in their midst. They can lynch someone if they are pretty sure, or choose not to. The problem is that they might lynch their Seer or Healer, because for their own safety, they might not reveal themselves lest they get eaten by the Werewolves. The game is hectic and fun, and I'm glad I got to do it this year. I'll have to find a way to split my time between gaming and Werewolf next time. There are apparently additional rules and roles that can come into play, like a Sorceror (who is allied with the Werewolves and can detect the Seer), and a Tinker (who works all night and thus, appears to be a Werewolf to the Seer). It'll be fun to try out some of those advanced rules. Maybe I can incorporate Werewolf into the Overnight Gaming session and play it on the stage!?

Probably my favorite part of the camp was getting to talk with Tom Bihn (bag designer and entrepreneur extraordinaire). I showed him my Kensington Saddlebag Sport, the backpack that's ushered me through my college career, and he marveled at the design and work that went into a bag that sold for only $60. It was amazing to talk with Tom and learn a bit about how he deals with having a local factory instead of outsourcing production overseas, and about management in general. He was absolutely fascinating to talk to, and hopefully I can hear more from him at the next camp.

Which is in April. You should plan to be there, and I'll let you know when we've selected a date. I just hope it's not when I'm supposed to be in Orlando!