Interactive GenCon 2012 Map

Last year I created a simple interactive map for GenCon that was very popular judging from all the feedback and Google Analytics, so I figured I’d follow up with one for this year (since GenCon recently made their PDF map available).

IUPUI: GenCon Educational Partner Pilot School

It was recently announced that my alma mater, Indiana University & Purdue University of Indianapolis was selected by Gen Con to be the pilot school in their forthcoming Educational Partners Program. So I called up a former professor of mine, and good friend, Mat Powers to find out more about what this partnership means. Mat, who is a lecturer for the Media Arts & Science program at the IU School of Informatics, spearheads IUPUI’s part in the partnership. Mat was contacted a couple of months ago by Jake Theis, the senior marketing & communications manager for Gen Con, LLC about participating in the program. Unfortunately, I can’t share much about what they’re cooking up, because IUPUI and Gen Con don’t want to announce anything too early as they are still working out the details. Since the program is in its infancy, the partnership is exploring all their options.

News

From the Ruins of the Labs

As I settle into a new work schedule, I hope to begin integrating time to return to writing and creating stuff for this hobby, so don’t delete me from your feeds just yet. I’m re-writing my free Pathfinder RPG online character creator, VentureCaptain.com from the ground up, but this time I’m building it with accounts in mind and as a subdomain of a much larger site: GamingKeep.com. GK will roll up all the RPG-related web apps I’ve worked on using an integrated account system.

So if you liked my Savaged Tools (a Savage Worlds dice roller, initiative draw, and logging tool), you’re going to see some similar (and expanded) functionality for PFRPG too. It’s all pie in the sky, and honestly, could end up in the geek project graveyard, but I’m working on the infrastructure now. I even plan on putting tools for my own RPG on GamingKeep, so as long as my interest in my homebrew continues, so will work on this site. I won’t even deign to put a timeline on the project, but I hope to have the site updated within six months (it is only me, and I have a new day job, after all).

News

Fantasy Grounds Pathfinder Edition?

I think we may be seeing a virtual table-top integrated with Pathfinder in the near future. While at GenCon, I spied some of SmiteWorks’ people speaking with various Paizo luminaries as well as Lisa Stevens herself intensely demoing something at the SmiteWorks booth Saturday. For those unfamiliar with SmiteWorks, they are the producers of the Fantasy Grounds VTT.

News

Encounters in Intellectual Property

Intellectual property infringement was popular this week in the world of roleplaying games. We have seen an entire game company disappear seemingly after Berin Kinsman[1] discovered and ousted obvious plagiarism and copy & paste jobs from two different products. And a small kerfuffle erupted over Paizo Publishing enforcing their rights as owners of copyrighted works.

Conventions

GenCon 2011 Preview Map & Video

Last night GenCon released the Exhibitor List & Map[1] so future attendees can see where their favorite game companies will be positioned in the new expansion. That’s right, this year’s exhibit hall will not be in the same place as last year, but rather in the shiny new areas along Capitol Street. GenCon even made a video to walk you through the new area.