Virtual reality + licensed venue you can book with your friends = super happy fun time!
Chris Hall is the owner of The Portal in Winnipeg, which is pretty much exactly the above equation. He’s our guest of Episode 71, and he’s generously offered 20 per cent off for bookings for Super Gamer listeners: just enter “SGP” in when you book time at https://www.theportalwpg.ca.
Download link – Super Gamer episode 71 – The Portal
Okay, Winnipeg tabletop enthusiasts, there’s good news and there’s bad news.
First, the bad: JimCon, a way cool tabletop gaming convention in Winnipeg that I visited last November, is no more.
The good news, though, is there’s a new tabletop gaming convention in town: Game-itoba! It’s conveniently at the same location on the same weekend.
Learn more from Game-itoba co-chair Mike Hofer on today’s Super Gamer!
Today’s guest is Peadar McMahon of Mojopin Studios. Mojopin is making a Gaelic football game, and is looking for funding. Gaelic football is awesome, but Peadar says an old video game franchise of it on PS2 was not. Mojopin is shooting for awesome with its game. Check out the Kickstarter here.
Download link – Super Gamer episode 69 – All Star Gaelic Football
I forgot to ask Peadar about the leniency refs give in Gaelic when it comes to dribbling the ball. To me — someone who has seen very little Gaelic and knows very little about the sport — it looks like Gaelic refs follow the NBA rulebook when it comes to travelling.
If one of you fine listeners can fill me in, leave a comment below.
Get the deets on Ubisoft’s announcement that they’re opening a studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This episode features Ubisoft Canadian Studios CEO Yannis Mallat, managing director of Ubisoft Winnipeg Darryl Long, and New Media Manitoba’s Louie Ghiz.
Download link – Super Gamer episode 68 – Ubisoft Winnipeg
Video Games Live kicked off its 14-show, 12-city Canadian tour in Winnipeg, MB on Monday. At the show, I got a chance to speak to VGL creator and performer (and industry icon) Tommy Tallarico. Have a listen, and find out why Mr. Tallarico thinks Beethoven would be a video game composer if he were alive today.
Download link – Super Gamer episode 67 – Tommy Tallarico and Video Games Live
The video includes: the orchestra, led by Bryan Deans, playing Metal Gear Solid; Jason Paige singing the Pokemon theme song (with Tommy Tallarico on guitar); Winnipeg’s own SuperFX playing Halo; and … a box?
(By the way, I can’t seem to sing the Pokemon theme song without switching to the Transformers movie theme. “I know it’s my destiny. Pokemon! Oh, you’re my best friend — FROM THE EVIL UNICROOOON!”)
Pinball is way deeper than it looks. Did you know each machine comes with instructions? I learned this with a visit to Forth in Winnipeg to speak to David Morris and Kevin Peden of the Manitoba Pinball League. Listen in!
Download link – Super Gamer episode 66 – Wizard Mode
Check out the Manitoba Pinball website.
Some of you may know that Alberta, Canada has a Dinosaur Provincial Park: a UNESCO World Heritage site where tons and tons (heck, tonnes!) of fossils have been found. But did you know you can explore that park in Minecraft? It’s true!
Today’s episode is with Elwyn Galloway, a geophysicist who worked on the Minecraft versions of both Dinosaur Provincial Park and the area around Peace River, Alberta.
Download link – Super Gamer episode 65 – Elwyn Galloway, Dinosaur Provincial Park
Download the Dinosaur Provincial Park Minecraft model here.
Fantastic episode today with guest Elizabeth LaPensée. She is a designer, artist, writer, and researcher, and some of her work will be part of the family arcade tomorrow at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, as part of the Symposium on the Future Imaginary, a multidisciplinary arts event centred around the theme: how do Indigenous people imagine themselves in the future. The event is being livestreamed here.
Take a listen:
Download link – Super Gamer episode N64 – Elizabeth LaPensée
Winnipeg’s annual tabletop gaming convention, JimCon, was this past weekend. I did a bunch of investigative journalism — found out what’s REALLY going on (turns out they’re playing board games and having a great time). Take a listen!
(Guests: Michael Hofer, Jim Buchanan, Cliff Stornel)
Download link – Super Gamer Episode 63 1/3 – JimCon
Also check out Cliffside Games!
It’s the official Extra Life stream day! Extra Life is, of course, a charity benefiting Children’s Miracle Network hospitals (as of this posting they’re up to $6.8-million!). Here in Winnipeg, Bold Commerce is putting on a big ol’ all-day event, and I checked it out earlier.
It was great! More players than I expected, and a very enthusiastic attitude. Plus, a guy shaved his beard (and another guy was apparently going to glue the trimmings to his face but I wasn’t around for that part).
Anyhoo, check out the stream here if it’s not too late.
Download Link – Super Gamer Episode 62 – Bold Extra Life
