Remote Controls
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the humble remote control. We are some of the youngest people who remember having screens and other devices without remote controls, and they changed things in more ways than you might have expected. In the news, Apple is going after Itch.io in its ongoing fight with Epic, Steam rejects some games but not others without clear rules, Facebook rejects adaptive clothing ads, Microsoft changes its old icons, and a major US fuel pipeline was shut down by ransomware.
Learning Languages
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider learning languages, and touch ever-so-briefly on the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. In the news, vaccine research and production should be nationalized, Youtube "Shorts" compete with TikTok, Twitter adds tips and removes crops, and New York has its 2021 Michelin Stars.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tonight on GeekNights, we review Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES. It is hard to express how revolutionary this games was in 1988-1991 (depending on where you lived), and it holds up pretty well today. (Rym just beat it on a lark last week). In the news, Tom Wilson should be expelled from the NHL, Ravenloft gets a much better look, Twitch took action against 7.5MM fake accounts, the Epic Games store is not only losing money, but also doesn't lead to actual game sales.
The Great Pretender
Tonight GeekNights, we review The Great Pretender, an anime from Hiro Kaburagi and Ryota Kosawa that you can watch right now on Netflix. In the news, the Macross/Robotech saga has (for now) been (mostly) resolved, WarnerMedia consolidates Adult Swim and HBO Max's animation teams, you can check out the Cells at Work! COVID-19 Vaccine Chapter, the Sailor Moon Eternal films are coming to Netflix, and we got the order wrong on the post-finale Adventure Time episodes.
GeekNights Community Code of Conduct
Effective immediately, the GeekNights community code of conduct is no longer in draft status. Compliance with the code is mandatory for participation in our communities. We want to send a clear message that our spaces are safe for all people who themselves do not make the space unsafe for others. The code is available on GitHub, please familiarize yourself with it.
https://github.com/Apreche/geeknights-code-of-conduct/blob/1/code_of_conduct.rst
The code isn't, and can never be perfect, so it is always subject to change and improvement. Feel free to contact us using the platform of your choice to discuss changes, errors, or omissions.
While this code applies to conduct in all of our community spaces, it is currently primarily focused on our forum and our Discord server. We would love to have you join us there. Links are below.
Where is the Finish Line?
PAX Online 2020
All games must end. This is especially important for competitive games. A single-player game ends when you decide to stop playing. But a competitive game ends when someone wins. Or does it? Turns out a lot of competitive games are over before they’re over. A good game can be ruined by ending too soon or too late. Too late, and you have players who have already lost trapped with nothing meaningful to do. Too soon, and you didn’t even “get to the good part.”
If you’re designing a game, how can you determine the best time for the game to end? The conditions that make it happen? Join GeekNights for a thorough examination of the common types of game ending conditions and exploration of a process to determine which one is best for your game.
Book Club - The Tale of Genji
What better selection for the book club than the first novel of all time? And of course, we have to read the best possible unabridged translation. No baby mode here at GeekNights
The plot revolves around Genji, who is the son of the Emperor and a low ranking concubine. Genji is removed from the line of succession, and proceeds to go on an epic journey. The journey involves tons of romance and court drama. Spicy!
Despite being older than any other novel, The Tale of Genji has a tremendous amount of relevance to the geeks of the 21st century. The influence of Japan on nerds around the world is undeniable, and a surprising amount of things we see in pop culture are present here in a book from the 11th century. I'm quite confident after reading it how we will notice how many newer stories have been making references to this tale without us realizing it.
Also, I feel the need to point out that this first novel ever written was written by a woman. For all these reasons and so many more, this is more than worthy of book club selection.
