GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, Emily replaces Scott to review Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children, which we just saw at the International Children's Film Festival. We also are performing FIVE lectures at Anime Boston 2013!

Tonight on GeekNights, after considering surprise evictions of illegal apartments, pit traps, punji sticks, esoteric specialist problems with pypy, and the things they don't teach you at RIT, we consider the technology we use every day. From cameras to GeekNights' audio studio, cell phones to other cell phones! Everything!

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider why the question of "how to find a gaming group" is so ubiquitous in every corner of the Internet. While it might seem cruel, and perhaps even mean, we posit that perhaps the majority of those actively seeking are some combination of:Not in a cityUnable to find off-the-RADAR gamersAre "that guy"Before this, we don't talk about the PS4, but then do discuss the Natural Selection 2 Gorgeous Update (babblers!) and the Kobolds Ate My Baby Kickstarter. We're presenting Practical Game Theory and Mastering Game Mechanics at PAX East 2013! ConnectiCon is still accepting panel submissions! The GeekNights Gaming Grande Prix is underway!

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the recent My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic. We also realize it's cyberpunk season, and we're rewatching anime with gusto. In the news, Rym GeekBites From the New World (Shin Sekai Yori), Otakon is branching out into Las Vegas, and we learn why the golden age of Disney animated television came and went.

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of the recent opening of applications for early access to Google Glass (nevermind forum discussions), we discuss the promise of Augmented Reality. But first, we discuss non-standard uses of naan (get it?), New York groceries, the rise and fall of SuperDaE, and a surprising "solution" to the problem of poor Youtube performance. Also, the GeekNights Gaming Grande Prix is still accepting applications!

The Great Gatsby is a classic novel that, surprisingly, neither Rym nor Scott had ever read. Considering that a fantastic-looking movie is coming in the nearing future, we'll have but one chance to read the novel ahead of seeing it, so what better time than now? Per Amazon: The Great Gatsby stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.But, before we tackle this, we talk about centaurs, armagnac-soaked bread, shipping things to Australia, Rymblr, an ancient technology called "fax," and the GeekNights Grand Prix. Also, the next book club book is going to be The Player of Games (Culture).

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the difficult to acquire re-skin of Glory to Rome. It's a solid game, and worth owning. Just make sure you don't accidentally buy the old one. Also, NVIDIA launches the GTX Titan video card, and Valve officially launches Linux Steam.

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym saves a dead hard drive with one of the oldest tricks in the book, rumors are going around about an Apple watch interface (in light of the recent Pebble shipments forthcoming and talk of Corning Willow Glass), professors and educators seem to be very quick to reject technology in the classroom, and we answer whether or not you can erase yourself from the Internet. Don't forget we have both GeekNights Presents and many of our convention lectures up on Youtube! And submit your panels, workshops, presentations, and lectures to ConnectiCon 2013!

Tonight on a very special GeekNights, we tackle the (rightfully) contentious issue of "fake geek girls" and the wider discussion of "fake" geeks/nerds/fans. Why is this even a thing? Why not "fake football dudes?" What do these labels really mean? Is it simply latent sexism (yes), or are there other factors also at play? (also yes). We try to take this on with a more subtle opinion than most people on both "sides" of the issue have taken in this great wide Internet, and you may be surprised with our thoughts. Suffice it to say, however, the people who actually, with genuine intent, use the term in any of its permutations, are bad people who probably also think "Ladder Theory" is a valid, well, anything. BUT FIRST, an awesome subway conductor, Google Hangout adds manual bandwidth controls, conspiracy nuts think calling them conspiracy nuts is, predictably, a conspiracy, we consider "Rym's theory of fasted hadouken," and Penny Arcade appears to have a crossover character with Oglaf.

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the faded, then revitalized "genre" of point-and-click (or "type in a command") adventure games! From King's Quest to Quest for Glory, Space Quest to Full Throttle, Grim Fandango to Police Quest, nevermind Maniac Mansion or Day of the Tentacle, we recall what these games were to us as kids, and what they are to us now, all of this in light of a recent little game called Kentucky Route Zero. Also, Scott's Hexbright Kickstarter flashlight finally arrived (with disastrous consequences), Rym's office has a meme infection, Dungeon Village is perfect if you like dungeons and need something cute to poke, and augmented reality may well bring trouble to tabletop board games.We've uploaded the third and final video of our recent MAGFest appearances - Video Game Ethics - and we're ready to rock two PAX East lectures.

Tonight on GeekNights, we bring to you some initial thoughts on Star Wars (Wood) and Saga (Vaughan). They're both worth reading. Star Wars is reminds one of TIE Fighter, and Saga reminds one of The Incal and The Fifth Element. We also consider a crazy guy on the bus to MAGFest, fake cabs, the upcoming Ghost in the Shell: Arise, K.C. Green's Regular Show, TM Revolution appearing again at Otakon (we interviewed him once and talked about it), us continuing to be blacklisted from Otakon, and more! Don't forget that ConnectiCon Panel Submissions are open (you have to register for the site), and Anime Boston Panel Submissions end THURSDAY.

Tonight on GeekNights, thanks to a listener suggestion, we discuss... parking. In the "lounge," Rym updated his Flickr with stuff, was peed on by an elderly gentleman, witnessed a water cup getting put in its god damned place, and lamented the folly of youth. Scott didn't want to do a new show on taxes, nor did he want to do one on defecation.

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk a bit about Android: Netrunner, which we've been playing of late. In the news, HOOOOCKEYYYYY is back, Kotaku has some forward looks at five coming tabletop games, and Dungeons & Dragons classic books are available online as PDFs for reasonable prices.

Tonight on GeekNights, we bring you our coverage of MAGFest 11, along with impressions of three board games: The Castles of Burgundy (buy it), Core Worlds (skip it), and VivaJava (worth a second look). Along the way, we complain about the only thing worth complaining about at MAGFest (the ridiculous wristbands), recall our epic joint victory over the Petian and Philippian alliance in Eclipse, remember the fantastic dance party DJ'd by none other than Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser, Streets of Rage), and wonder if Team Stompadon will continue their meteoric rise in the Super Art Fight circuit. We'll have video from this year up soon, but check out last year's MAGFest:MAGFest X HighlightsGaming Intellectuals: Money Making GamesBeyond Dungeons & Dragons

Tonight on a very special Christmas episode of GeekNights, we review pumping, stylistic Hotline Miami. Before that, we consider the best Christmas movie ever made, Skiing and zeal, the God of Cedar Point, Scott commanding in Natural Selection 2, and Rym's experiences managing a CounterStrike: GO server (in all its undocumented glory).