gamelab was an independent game studio in new york city founded by game designer eric zimmerman and peter seung-taek lee in 2000 .

it is best known for creating diner dash , one of the most downloaded games of all time ( over half a billion times across multiple platforms in its first six years ) , as well as its two spin-off companies , the non-profit institute of play and the online game and community site gamestar mechanic .

gamelab

gamelab was formed in 2012 . prior to gamelab we ran a services company called instinct entertainment ( closed 2011 ) that made games for clients .
i really enjoy using gamelab . it is simple , clean and straight forward !
con @ ivanfdezlobo la voz de @ gamelab all along the watchtower . . . urltoken
gamasutra : gamelab has been around for almost five years . how have things changed ?
for more information about the gamelab , contact assistant professor sujan shrestha at 410 . 837 . 5888 .
cuenta en español del congreso de videojuegos y ocio interactivo . for english updates follow gamelab ' s founder @ ivanfdezlobo
students at the gamelab produce a quality portfolio that they can use post - graduation and apply for jobs . interns can receive credit or get paid for their work . visit the gamelab blog to learn more about student work .
urltoken is a media partner of the gamelab conference . our travel and accommodation costs will be provided by the organiser .
with gamelab , your animals are always close to you . any time . anywhere . on any device with web access .
thanks debbie for sharing your experience with us at gamelab : “production quality and business knowledge are the main indie developers’ problems . ” these are the 2 pillars of gamebcn training and mentorship program . # gamelab # gamelab2018 # indiegame # indiegamedev # indiepublishers urltoken
want to be a gamelab’s ambassador at your campus ! help us reach more professors , and improve management lectures while earning a commission .
gamelab takes place in barcelona from june 28 to 30 . for more information on speakers and the event in general , visit the website .
gamelab offers a great roster of speakers and a potent audience representing every facet of games . it’s an action - packed and well run event .
since 2005 , gamelab gets together world’s most influential creators , executives , investors and media to discuss current trends and coming opportunities in the expanding universe of gaming .
gamelab gave rise to a number of big titles such as diner dasy and subway scramble . zimmerman will teach “the game development design series” workshops starting early next year .
arkadium , a maker of “advergame” portals for well - known brands , said today it is expanding its reach with the acquisition of new york - based gamelab . com .
gamelab has consistently been a great event with a wide variety of speakers and well curated topics that bring a great snapshot of our industry . i would go back every year .
to learn more about the gamelab , its ongoing projects , and partnership inquiry , please contact sujan shrestha , assistant professor in the division of science , information arts and technology .
we have over 15 years of experience in the games industry and we’re sold on education . gamelab is committed to sharing knowledge and being world leaders in the edu gaming space .
gamasutra : one thing which gamelab is well known for during the development of any game is play - testing . how important is this process ? at what point does it kick in ?
the gamelab speaker line - up also includes activision esports boss mike sepso , playdead co - founder dino patti , the last guardian creator fumito ueda , and the legendary designer richard garriott .
home to sfo . @ gamelab was one of the best conferences i ' ve been to . wonderful hospitality , wonderful speakers , wonderful games , wonderful city ! thanks for having me ! urltoken
gamelab is lucky to count with the invaluable advice and feedback of lots of knowledgeable and influential industry friends . we’d like to give special credit and recognition to the members of our conference advisory board .
i really enjoyed participating in gamelab . its vision goes beyond just videogames . its 360º view of digital entertainment inspires new business opportunities using interactive content , something not usually covered by traditional games industry events
in gamelab education we are making the most out of the gamification trend for the classrooms . we plan on revolutionize business and management schools , providing simulators were students can make and try their decisions .
supercell ' s mikko kodisoja , cyberpunk designer mike pondsmith and the veteran games executive and investor phil harrison have joined the line - up of the gamelab conference , which takes place in barcelona later this month .
gamelab recently launched an initiative called gamedash2d in which they develop and release mobile games within 48 hours . i spoke with founder and ceo dan milward about the project and took a look at their latest game .
gamelab is incredible . they always bring together top speakers , as well as a passionate and multicultural audience that transmits energy and passion to the event . i ' m looking forward to the next opportunity to participate .
en the speaking talent at gamelab is impressive and the audience is enthusiastic ! there is an energy to the event quite different from what i ' ve seen at other conferences , my week in barcelona was definitely unforgettable .
gamelab is a wonderfully efficient conference in a setting that really encourages connection with interesting developers you ' d normally never get a chance to talk to . i came away with a ton o great contacts , and great ideas
once you finish your purchase you will receive an invoice and a confirmation e - mail directly from xing events . if you have any problems please contact xing events support . gamelab doesn ' t manage payments and invoicing .
zimmerman : i was working freelance , and with peter lee [ co - founder and current gamelab president ] and michael sweet [ currently running audiobrain , gamelab ' s digital audio partner ] , we all created a game called blix together on our own . it became a finalist in the 2000 independent game festival in the game developers conference and i realized that if we going to sell the game and negotiate with companies , they would want to negotiate with one and not a bunch of individuals . so we formed gamelab around that time . then urltoken paid us an advance on royalties for exclusive rights to that game , which allowed us to open our office .
gamelab surpassed all of my expectations . the speaker lineup was impressive , the talks were inspiring and the crowd was warm and thoughtful . i am very happy that i had the opportunity to participate in this world class event .
gamelab is a gem of a conference , bringing together many of the world ' s finest thinkers about the design and business of games in an atmosphere that is relaxed , intelligent and highly creative . it shouldn ' t be missed .
i speak at many events across the world , but the audience questions that followed my gamelab talk were the most interesting and thought - provoking i’ve ever been asked . ‘if shakespeare were alive today , would he be writing virtual worlds ? wow !
ahora se está llevando a cabo el panel del sector de la industria del videojuego en españa . luis quintans de @ dev _ es , arturo monedero de @ videojuegosaevi , xavier carrillo de devicat , gonzo suarez e @ ivanfdezlobo de gamelab # gamelab2018 urltoken
being able to participate in gamelab as both a developer and a speaker was a great experience . i learned a lot , and the show ' s hosts took great care of us , probably one of the best convention experiences i ' ve ever had .
gamelab is part of the university of the arts zurich ( zhdk ) and associated with the subject game design zhdk . gamelab encourages experimental game design and research in game development and game studies . we do research in game mechanics , artgames , interface design , game studies and virtual worlds . our game archive encompasses a large collection of historical videogame consoles , game computers and games . the purpose of the lab is to offer opportunities for experiments with games and different technologies to students and researchers and develop new pathways for games .
gamelab is one of the most exciting and exclusive game conferences i have been invited to speak at . it was a great to share stage and a very warm networking atmosphere with hundreds of very talented game professionals , and some of the industry ' s leading creative minds .
the ub gamelab is designed to support interdisciplinary research in games and media . the center complements classroom learning and prepares students to apply their knowledge to meaningful applied research in games and emerging technologies . this educational research facility is equipped with immersive , visualization and interactive game technologies .
given its barcelona location , gamelab will also feature some of the most exciting companies in the spanish industry , including mercurysteam ' s enric álvarez , social point ' s horacio martos , and tequila works ' raul rubio , whose studio has just released the critically admired rime .
gamelab ( barcelona , june 24th - 26th ) has been supported since its first edition by the spanish ministry of education , culture and sports , the generalitat of catalunya through the institut català de les empreses culturals , the departament de empresa i opucació and acc1ó , the spanish academy for interactive science and arts , the ministry of industry , energy and tourism through red . es , ficod and the city council of barcelona through its institut de cultura . the legend award is sponsored by the escola de noves tecnologies interactives enti - ub , centre attached to the universidad de barcelona , leader in specialized training in video games in spain registration for gamelab barcelona are open at the following link . should you need any further information please contact us : zenit comunicación gamelab’s press office + 34 91 559 91 88 zenit @ urltoken prensa @ urltoken
no se puede describir lo que es para mí poder escuchar a gente tan top como todd howard , geoff keighley , maja moldenhauer , josef fares o jon blow , creador de uno de mis juegos favoritos , the witness . gracias al @ gamelab por la oportunidad de ir acreditado . urltoken
gamelab is a think thank - like games conference focused on innovation . the event brings together an audience of world - class gaming and media experts to discuss and inspire next gen interactive entertainment formats , contents and platforms . people interested in exploring new digital playgrounds and re - inventing the way we play .
gamelab was an incredibly inspiring and rewarding experience for me . i met many great developers and future developers , saw some great games , and heard some amazing talks . it ' s a great way to really connect with the local indie scene , as well as meeting gaming luminaries from around the world . a + would attend again !
gamelab is ideal for students in the b . s . in simulation and game design program , with virtual reality systems , audio recording / engineering studio and other technologies readily available to support their research . the center is available to any student interested in conducting research in science , technology , engineering , mathematics ( stem ) through the arts .
conference and business passes grant access to gamelab ' s online networking tool pitch and match . this tool will not activate until about a month before the event . if after june 1st 2017 you did not receive your invitation to the tool and you bought your pass more than two days ago , please contact us to identify and solve the problem .
zimmerman : there can be . gearheads was the first title i worked on . frank lantz [ gamelab ' s senior game designer ] and i were the two game designers on the title , and we played that game so much that we kept on tweaking up the difficulty so that it would challenge us , but the game ended up being too hard .
one of the main reasons why gamelab is particularly noted its dedication towards pushing the game design envelope , albeit on a smaller scale in terms of personnel or size . zimmerman ' s thoughts on the subject has been well documented , with the best example being the book rules of play that he co - authored with katie salen , which examines game design fundamentals and theories .
sepso , is the founder of mlg , the pioneering esports organisation acquired by activision blizzard in january 2016 . speaking at the gamelab conference in barcelona yesterday , he portrayed the overwatch league as the single most ambitious project he has seen in his 15 years in esports ; a competition that will push the entire sector forward , while putting activision blizzard at the forefront of it all .
mike pondsmith was making games before playstation and xbox even existed , creating a string of influential role - playing games through his company r . talsorian games - most famously cyberpunk and castle falkenstein . joining pondsmith at gamelab is another vital figure in the evolution of the medium : richard bartle , who pointed the way forward for virtual worlds with his multi - user dungeon ( mud ) in 1978 .
another thing that we feel is really important at gamelab is just playing games . peter and i are always encouraging our staff to play board games at work . we also have a console area set - up . . . that ' s part of the greater idea of integrating research into game design development . when making games , probably the most important form of research you can do is playing games .
zimmerman : no . that was during the dot com days , so lots of money was being tossed around . people were actually giving you lots of money for an idea which you could just then develop . that ' s how loop [ gamelab ' s second game ] got started . and the blix advance allowed us to open our office . but shortly after that , things got tougher ; the dot com crash , and then sept 11 happened , so there were a lot of challenges and it was very hard to stay alive during that time because most of the work that we ' ve done is work for hire .
gamelab puzzles & games is the best place to relax and play free online games . you can play newspaper puzzles like crossword and sudoku , classic card games like klondike solitaire and bridge , and traditional games like mahjongg and jigsaw , all for free ! play at your own pace to pass the time , or aim for a new personal best - this games site will keep track of your highest score for each game so you can challenge yourself . come back every day for new daily puzzles in games like daily crossword , daily sudoku , and daily jigsaw . new free games are added often , so be sure to check our list of games - perhaps you ' ll discover a new favorite !
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playfirst could very well be known for the rest of its days as the diner dash company . the maker of casual games is best known for the diner dash series of games and the flo character who stars in them as a waitress who has to juggle a million tasks at once .
the san francisco - based company says that diner dash and all of its spinoff children have generated more than 500 million game downloads over the past six years . there is something fundamentally appealing about the time management game , where you have to serve customers food as the only waitress in a busy restaurant .
the numbers may sound astounding , but they’re perfectly plausible , given that they cover a mix of free game downloads ( monetized through advertising ) and paid downloads . they include downloads of the core diner dash game and four sequels , spread across the pc , mac , mobile phones , iphone , ipod touch , ipad , xbox live arcade , the nintendo ds , and the playstation 3 . the game is available on six continents and has been localized to a dozen languages .
playfirst has also expanded to related games such as wedding dash , which is just like the diner dash game because you have to rush around as a wedding planner , doing your best to serve wedding guests at a reception and keeping them happy as you juggle different tasks from logging gifts to serving cake . playfirst has also launched hotel dash and cooking dash — all with the same kind of frenetic juggling game play . all of the games are hits .
“this has gone from a game to a brand to a franchise , ” said mari baker ( pictured at top ) , chief executive of playfirst , in an interview . “a brand can be extended with sequels . but a franchise can be extended even further , moving across different platforms and on to related games . ”
wherever diner dash goes , it stays in the top ranks . the game ranks no . 7 in the top - selling games of all time , based on data collected by market researcher interpret . at that level , the game is chasing titles such as grand theft auto and tetris . and because playfirst has this unique property , it can afford to take on a strategy that a lot of companies only dream about : getting the game on just about every game platform that exists .
playfirst’s own research , conducted with market research firm frank n . magid associates and being released today , shows that two thirds of american adults play some type of digital game . one out of three plays games regularly on social networks , smartphones , or computers . among game players aged 18 – 34 , about 80 percent play casual games regularly , and 80 percent say they enjoy playing games more than watching movies , listening to music , and reading books , newspapers , or magazines . and among game players , social networking and social gaming are stealing time away from traditional video games .
for playfirst , that means there are a lot of places that it can put diner dash . but baker says the company isn’t simply shooting with a shotgun . when she came aboard as ceo ( taking over from founder john welch ) in early 2009 , baker said the company wasn’t doing very well with its expansions onto the iphone . she pulled the teams together to focus on higher - quality games . when the games were relaunched , they went straight to the top 10 .
in addition to relaunching on the iphone , the teams also decided to turn flo , who is an independent - minded former wall street worker who quit her job to start a diner , into more of a character . the company has introduced an adventure game dubbed avenue flo .
if game developer rovio , the maker of angry birds , adopted the same strategy of milking its hit franchise , then you would probably see a bunch of games such as angry rabbits or angry beavers . at some point , though , the concept has to run out of gas . and that’s why baker is also investing in other key brands .
the company has launched its chocolate - factory game , chocolatier , on facebook . whether this game takes off and spawns its own spinoffs is yet to be determined . right now , playfirst is giving special attention to the ipad , facebook , and iphone . in that way , it is making sure that it can make the jump from a focus on downloadable web games to apps , which are sold in app stores on a variety of platforms . the company managed to pull together a swat team to do diner dash for the ipad in just six weeks . no surprise : the title became a hit .
so far this year , playfirst has launched six games on pc web sites . three of them were brand new properties and three were related to franchises . four of those six hit the no . 1 spot , and the other two made it into the top 10 . the lesson is that the company is starting to figure out how to make not just a good diner dash game , but how to make a good game , period .
the game business is anything but predictable . since playfirst has a dependable franchise , it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the business . the company could screw it up . it could become overly dependent on one franchise . but as far as baker is concerned , that’s a good problem to have .
new york city , cultural center of the world ; here you can find it all . . . music , the arts , baseball . . . . basically anything , except - a vibrant video game scene ? enter eric zimmerman , who is many things : game designer , academic , businessman . but to many people , and above all else , eric is a passionate , vocal voice of the new york game development community .
zimmerman : i ' ve been working in the game industry for almost 11 years in a variety of different contexts . starting off on pc cd - rom games , i was a freelance consultant , doing education stuff , stuff for entertainment , stuff for adults , stuff for kids .
i was trained as an artist , studying painting as an undergrad , then got an mfa in art and technology . but my whole life i had enjoyed not just playing games but making games . even as a little kid , i used to make up rules when playing with plastic army men , variations on kick the can for my neighborhood friends to play . i just always enjoyed making games for whatever reason . and i guess it ' s continued .
zimmerman : i did two pc titles ; one was while i was working for rga interactive in new york city called gearheads , a dueling game about wind - up toys . another one was an edutainment title called robot club .
that ' s why we really trying to do more downloadable games like diner dash and subway scramble .
zimmerman : we ' ve steadily grown , taken on bigger and bigger projects , and have been forced to become more disciplined about our process . at any given moment we have three to four games in the middle of or in full blown - development , and another three to four projects that ' s not , such as consulting work , or just early concepting on a game . considering that we have just fifteen people and there ' s more than half that number of things going at once , and that ' s a lot of stuff to juggle .
zimmerman : well , there ' s plenty to talk about in terms of what wrong with today ' s games . a lot of people talk about how it ' s very genre - fied , but that ' s more of a business crisis than a creative crisis , so i could say designers need to be more experimental , create new forms of play . but that ' s as much of a business problem as it is a design problem .
i think that many games fail on the very fundamental of design interactivity . meaning , the game isn ' t communicating the state well to the player . the player took and action and isn ' t sure what happened and why .
zimmerman : for me , the fundamentals of game design is not about technology . i think of it being part of the history design play which is thousands of years old . though obviously , the medium in which you ' re working is incredibly important when doing the actual design and development of the game .
zimmerman : play - testing is more important the more experimental the game is . if you ' re doing a copy of an existing game , playtest is less important , because you already have models of what works and what doesn ' t work . the more you deviate from an existing title or genre , the more important it is to playtest due to design uncertainties ; is the core mechanic fun ? how does the player learn about this ? what elements should come before others ?
our rule of thumb is that we ' d like to have a working prototype 20 % of the way into the project . so one month into a five month game , we ' re playing the game , though that ' s a maximum ; we ' d like to have it sooner than that . the prototypes are usually very ugly and they don ' t represent the final experience , but they begin to test the game rules and interactivity . and hopefully address the things that are the biggest questions marks , and that ' s
is this basic idea of gameplay fun ?
zimmerman : we are the initial playtesters , and as the development proceeds , the circle widens .
but like anything , you can do it well , or do it poorly like frank and i did , by not including other people in the play - testing . again it also depends on the kind of audience that you ' re designing it for . if you ' re designing a game for little kids , you need little kids playing the game . you can ' t bring in an adult play - tester and expect them to have the same kinds of challenges and question a little kid would have . in terms of game skills and even physical skills , depending on the age . same thing when you ' re designing a game for a casual audience ; you want to try and find testers who are not hardcore gamers .
zimmerman : there is no one thing that makes a game work . that ' s like asking what ' s the one thing that makes a movie work ? there ' s many correct answers to that question . different games have different aims and succeed or fail at those aims . the point of the game might be to tell a story , to communicate a political message , it might be to have a certain type of social interaction . . .
zimmerman : the fundamentals are similar . both kinds of games have rules and goals that put players in situations where they have to make meaningful choices . it just depends on your point of view . . . from a game design point of view , they ' re fundamentally linked , and game designers have a lot to learn from the broader scope of things that ' s followed the rubric of play .
digital extremes ltd . — london , ontario , canada [ 07 . 08 . 18 ] level designer
deep silver volition — champaign , illinois , united states [ 07 . 06 . 18 ] senior project manager
rabbit — san mateo , california , united states [ 07 . 06 . 18 ] lead game designer - contract
rovio entertainment corporation — espoo , finland [ 07 . 05 . 18 ] senior game designer
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the acquisition should help arkadium get more traffic for its various casual game web sites . arkadium currently creates platforms for casual online games where the game and portal are ads for a certain brand . it has a network of 5 million casual game fans who play web games that advertise brands such as abc , aarp , or espn . on the aarp’s web site , for instance , arkadium created the driver safety web game for senior citizens , and it operates the entire section of the aarp site that is dedicated to games . that section accounts for 60 percent of traffic to the aarp site . all told , arkadium operates about 45 such game portals now .
founded by well - known game designer eric zimmerman , urltoken built casual games that were published by other companies . arkadium is not buying those games or the game development team , which was disbanded earlier this year .
as part of the announcement , urltoken says it will introduce a series of free game design work shops for new york area game developers . zimmerman will teach the workshops and consult for arkadium , but he will not be a full - time employee of arkadium , said kenny rosenblatt , chief executive of arkadium , in an interview .
arkadium was founded by rosenblatt and his wife jessica rovello in 2001 and has 85 employees . it is based in new york and has an office in the ukraine . the company originally started as a casual game site . but that wasn’t successful . instead , arkadium made money licensing its games to well - known brands . so it shifted into advergaming . now it has more than 200 flash games which it licenses out to brands . those games can be easily customized . one of the top games is mahjong dimensions .
in the summer , arkadium acquired urltoken and relaunched another gaming portal , greatdaygames . com . the efforts are part of a plan to step up the number of ways marketers can reach gamers . it is also adding social features to its network of sponsored game portals . and it has added new business models , such as subscriptions and micro - transactions , for monetizing its games .
the company’s main rival in advergames is blockdot , which differs in that it focuses on creating online games based on specific brands rather than offering entire portals for web sites . other rivals are real networks and bunchball . the company is privately funded and is part of the zelnick media portfolio .
rosenblatt said that the ad business was tough in the first half of the year , but he said it has come roaring back in the third quarter . rosenblatt said the company has been profitable for five years .
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one recent sunny morning , in the student center overlooking washington square park , four new york university graduate students wearing brightly colored sheets and sneakers and carrying cellphones gathered for a mission .
somewhere out there on the streets of greenwich village , a fellow student was running around in a yellow pac - man suit . his four pursuers , code - named inky , blinky , pinky and clyde , aimed to track him down and snuff him out - - the sooner , the better .
' ' our strategy is a dragnet to block all the roads pac - man might go down , ' ' said michael olson , a k a clyde the ghost . ' ' you take that street , ' ' he said to pinky , as he pointed to a map of the village . ' ' and i ' ll take this one . ' '
so began a test run for a game of pac - manhattan , a real - world version of the 1980 ' s video game played on the streets of new york and the latest example of a so - called ' ' big game ' ' : a contest that uses wireless devices like cellphones and global positioning beacons to track players as they move through the urban grid , turning cities into vast game boards . big games , with some players online and others pounding the pavement , have been staged in the last year in minneapolis , las vegas and london .
frank lantz , who teaches a class on the subject in n . y . u . ' s interactive telecommunications program and whose students designed pac - manhattan , said the games are a somewhat whimsical response to the convergence of digital and physical space . because millions of people conduct important aspects of their lives , including shopping , banking and communicating , online , professor lantz said , ' ' online spaces are becoming a new form of public space . ' ' at the same time , he said , wireless technologies like cellphones , global positioning systems and personal digital assistants have added a virtual component to the physical world . big games , he said , take place in the overlap between the two . for players , the allure of big games is based on a less theoretical premise : bigger games equal more fun .
' ' a lot of video games are trying to put you in an environment , ' ' said dennis crowley , 27 , a student in mr . lantz ' s class . ' ' but when you ' re playing pac - manhattan , you are in that environment . you ' re sweating and running around , and you know what it ' s like to actually be in the game . ' '
in the last year , a london - based group called blast theory has run two big games - - can you see me now ? and uncle roy all around you - - that allowed hundreds of online players to communicate with runners on the ground who were charged with making their way through the city in search of clues . the group plans to bring uncle roy to the united states later this year .
on grade - school campuses in england , a consortium of technologists has been running a game called savannah , in which teams of students simulate the lives of lions - - complete with virtual hunting , scouting for water and forming and dissolving prides - - by communicating with one another over cellphones and computers , the way lions communicate by roaring .
and perhaps inevitably , corporations are getting in on the act . in two weeks , intel , the computer - chip maker , plans to begin testing a competition tentatively called digital street game in manhattan , in which players claim parts of the city grid by performing outrageous stunts in those areas , then broadcasting them online to voters who rate them . the team that gets the most votes wins control of the segment of the city . michele chang , an intel designer who created the game , said that she hoped it would eventually include hundreds of players , and that intel wanted to use the game to better understand how city dwellers use its wi - fi networks , which give internet access to users of laptops and hand - held computers .
steve benford , a professor at the mixed reality laboratory of the university of nottingham in england , who has worked on savannah and uncle roy , said the games thrilled players because unlike regular computer video games , they incorporated physical activity and social interaction , not unlike some reality television programs . the games , he said , also encourage people to push the bounds of accepted behavior . in uncle roy , players on the ground might be directed by online players to look , say , in the saddle bag of a random bicycle or to get in a stranger ' s car , all without knowing if the clue is genuine or a hoax .
' ' there ' s a real sense of being in a real conspiratorial experience , ' ' mr . benford said .
in pac - manhattan , players on the streets report their positions via cellphone to team leaders in the kimmel student center . those positions , which are constantly updated , are plotted on a computer screen like the pac - man screen of old , and the result is a sort of slow - motion version of the original . teams in the student center direct the players outside , helping them navigate their way through the streets and avoid danger . the result is a wild , keystone kops - style scramble .
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in the recent test run at n . y . u . , megan phalines , a second - year graduate student in the big - game class , was on the phone in the student center with her teammate , mr . crowley , who was playing the role of pac - man . in the classic video version of the game , pac - man accumulates points by gobbling dots in his path . mr . crowley ' s task was to sprint up and down the streets of greenwich village , and as he covered ground he was awarded dots , and points , on the computer display at the kimmel center .
and just as in the video version of the game , he had to avoid ghosts bent on capturing him .
' ' you ' ve got a ghost on fifth avenue and washington square park north ! ' ' ms . phalines shouted into the phone , after seeing their positions on her computer screen . mr . crowley changed direction , reporting his positions as he headed east , toward a virtual power pellet , which would allow him to turn on the ghosts and gobble them .
mr . lantz , on the ghost team , was sitting across the table when the computer showed that mr . crowley had made it safely to the power pellet .
' ' pac - man is hot ! pac - man is hot ! ' ' he screamed into his phone . ' ' the ghosts should spread out . we have ghost clumping . ' '
looking through the kimmel center ' s windows , it was possible to see pac - man sprinting west on waverly place in pursuit of fleeing ghosts , as befuddled pedestrians looked on .
mr . lantz said he and his students were particularly interested in the way the game and the city interact . pac - man is free , for example , to try to shed ghosts by running through traffic . and there ' s nothing to prevent the ghosts , say , from asking passers - by , ' ' excuse me , have you seen pac - man ? ' ' the result is a kind of tableau of digital convergence with the physical world , in which humans are game pieces that are monitored and guided over digital networks .
the goal of the preliminary run was to tweak the game to make it more competitive , with an eye toward providing a template for others outside the class to design their own versions of the game . in the trial , the ghosts ' team couldn ' t see pac - man on their computer screens , but pac - man could see the ghosts .
the goal , mr . lantz said , was to give an edge to pac - man and to ' ' pit the wily individual against the moronic masses , ' ' which the class figures is an even match . the students had hoped to use global positioning systems to track players through the streets , but resorted to cellphones when they found that satellite signals necessary for the positioning systems were affected by tall buildings .
pac - man continued gobbling dots and sprinting back and forth across the village , but things turned grim about an hour into the game , when he headed south and took a right on waverly place .
' ' we ' ve spotted pac - man , ' ' mr . lantz shouted . ' ' don ' t clump . let ' s close in . ' '
anyone who has ever played the video game would understand the panic that set in next on the pac - man team , as the ghosts closed off all escape routes and herded pac - man into an area directly north of the park on fifth avenue . but in contrast to the video game , there was no joystick to thrash in frustration . ms . phalines could only watch helplessly from the window as pac - man went through his last desperate throes . moments later the ghost team was high - fiving :
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a must - attend event for those looking to understand the reach of the gaming medium . conference topics include new platforms and game formats , esports and live events , player creativity and new media content , virtual worlds and economies , social and cultural impact , interactive storytelling , distributed and ubiquitous gaming , ai , mixed realities and out - of - home entertainment , games learning , etoys , etc .
just like city of barcelona , the great moment i spent at the event was filled with passion , friendliness and inquisitiveness .
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interesante debate acerca de la industria profesional del desarrollo del videojuego de españa con representantes de @ dev _ es , @ videojuegosaevi y devicat y empresas del sector . # gamelab2018 urltoken
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we believe that the need for new scientific and educational games is tremendous , so we are building them .
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we develop simulators and videogames that transform the experience of learning management into a fun and effective one .
our games help lecturers around the world create meaningful learning experiences , where students make decisions , thus learning management and business concepts .
i think educational simulations are a very effective learning tool in the sense of motivating the students . pricingame is like a hands - on experience for the students .
some of the students that had been very quiet throughout the semester “came alive” and communicated more with each other than they had during formal classes up until then .
simulations engage the students directly and give them an opportunity to not only apply the techniques they’re learning but also to think critically about the outcome by assessing the metrics and considering cause , event , and effect .
i would say that students have a different energy whenever its game day . even the students who are the least motivated in class end up being the most involved during a game .
it is much easier for the students to understand the concepts through the game than a standard lecture .
we call it a game because it’s fun , but as a learning tool it is equally effective as a lecture , homework or a case study .
the game is like a trial and error method , which allows you to learn more .
during the pricingame session , my students were engaged with the problems facing real - world revenue managers .
el emprendimiento chileno de juegos educativos y simuladores para universidades y empresas realizó su primera ronda de capital , con la que recaudó us $ 300 mil .
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pics from gamezfestival 5 . 0 and gamez & rulez conference and play gamez – indie game festival stuttgart
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as the co - founder of supercell , kodisoja started one of the most profitable studios in the history of the industry , and as game lead he helped to create some of the most popular products on the mobile market today . phil harrison was an early investor in supercell , just one of the smart investments he made after serving as president of sony computer entertainment worldwide studios , and executive leader of xbox in europe .
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uk charts : jurassic world narrowly misses no . 1 as crash bandicoot holds firm
the overwatch league will be a major step forward in the development of esports , activision blizzard ' s mike sepso has said , and the company ' s perceived silence on its plans is simply an outcome of the complexity of what it ' s trying to achieve .


buddyhead was a music webzine and ( from 2000 to 2010 ) independent record label formed by travis keller in the summer of 1998 in hollywood , california .

buddyhead engaged in criticism of popular culture and the music industry .

their gossip column resulted in buddyhead being sued over a dozen times by numerous celebrities and record labels , including korn , courtney love , fred durst , moby , drive-thru records , and , most recently , axl rose .

as of late 2016 , the site was taken offline with a message that reads , " r.i.p. buddyhead , 1998-2016 , was for the children , make stuff . "

buddyhead records was an independent record label from hollywood , california that sprouted from the website of the same name .

the label was started in 2000 with the pressing of a seven-inch single from the icarus line ( " kill cupid with a nail fie " ) and ended almost exactly ten years later with a full length from dios ( " we are dios " ) in august 2010 .

the label released records by a number of bands , such as : the cassettes , shat , dios ( also known as ( dios ) malos , ink & dagger , the icarus line , burning brides , the dillinger escape plan , jubilee , your enemies friends , the mean reds , 400 blows , text ( ex-refused ) , at the drive-in , murder city devils , modwheelmood , wires on fire , radio vago , the jada kings and gayrilla biscuits .

buddyhead records also became known for their compilations .

first in 2003 came the now out-of-print " buddyhead suicide sampler " , which featured key tracks from each of the label 's releases , rare/live tracks from each band on the label 's roster , and prank-calls to music-industry luminaries from a secret person who went by the name " torture device " .

rumors have circulated which claim that torture device is everyone from bill hicks to sam kinison to chevy chase , but buddyhead has never officially commented on the matter .

in 2004 , buddyhead released the major label funded gim me skelter compilation , which was paid for ( and distributed by ) netwerk records .

the compilation featured cover art by famous artist ( and brother to black flag 's greg ginn ) raymond pettibon , who 's done cover art for bands like black flag , sonic youth , foo fighters & off ! ) .

the compilation also contained exclusive and/or rare songs from bands such as : primal scream , mudhoney , iggy pop , yeah yeah yeahs , wire , weezer ( " pinkerton " b-side ) , dead meadow , le tigre and others .

in addition to cds , buddyhead records released a dvd compilation in 2004 entitled " buddyhead presents : punk is dead " through image entertainment , which featured music videos from tv on the radio , the jesus lizard , singapore sling , yeah yeah yeahs , turbonegro , the locust , british sea power , the dillinger escape plan , the fiery furnaces & others .

buddyhead have been part of a number of antics , including vandalizing the strokes ' tour bus , and an incident where they broke into fred durst ’s office at interscope records , stole three of his red baseball caps , took photos in front of his limp bizkit gold records , and then auctioned the hats off on ebay ( the hats sold for $ 1700 each ) , donating the money to a rape victim charity ( a stab at fred for the allegations of rape and violence happening in the mosh pit during their set at woodstock 99 ' ) .

co-founder / co-owner aaron north ended his association with buddyhead in late 2008 .

following north 's departure , buddyhead " re-launched " their website and started publishing their gossip section every monday .

they also signed los angeles band dios , with whom they released an ep called " cosmic rays " .

buddyhead released the third dios full length player , " we are dios " , on february 16 , 2010 — their 31st release as a label .

dios was extremely well received in the press , obtaining articles/reviews in la weekly , mojo , spin , rolling stone and pitchfork .

on july 15 , 2009 a cartoon of travis keller appeared on the cover of los angeles ' biggest free newspaper , la weekly to celebrate the buddyhead cover story inside .

the article was written by staff writer erin broadley .

buddyhead records

independent record company started online in 1998 by travis keller in los angeles , california . officially began releasing material as the buddyhead label imprint in 2000 with the first buddyhead release being handed out for free on february 14 , 2000 at the buddyhead valentine ' s day massacre show at the smell in downtown los angeles .
both an independent record label and an irreverent website , buddyhead is the project of photographer travis m . keller and aaron
icarus
north and has released records by your enemies friends , the icarus line as well as the gimmie skelter compilation .
perhaps their best prank was when they broke into fred durst ' s office at interscope records in the wake of the woodstock 99 debacle . they stole his red caps , took pictures with it in front of his gold records , auctioned the caps on ebay and donated the money to a rape victims charity .
the “rules” : no re - issues , “best of” albums , live albums , or previously unreleased material collections . also no buddyhead releases , or bands with buddyhead people in them… though by now you should know that if we’re involved with it , owning that shit is totally mandatory . so is hitting the buddyhead online merch store hard , if you’re reading this shit then you owe it to us to go buy a shirt right now !
start listening to buddyhead radio on your phone today with player fm ' s free android app . you can sync with your account with this website too .
the
rules
: no re - issues ,
best of
albums , live albums , or previously unreleased material collections . also no buddyhead releases , or bands with buddyhead people in them . . . though by now you should know that if we ' re involved with it , owning it is totally mandatory . so is hitting the buddyhead online merch store hard , if you ' re reading this shit then you owe it to us to go buy a shirt right now !
this is amazing . vintage buddyhead from their end of year lists . i know it ' s kicking a dead pig , but sometimes even that can be funny .
as rad as early van halen was , the subsequent decades have been filled with a lot of bummer moments in michael “the secret weapon” anthony’s career and have culminated in the ultimate lame experience known as gold record status band chickenfoot . for the benefit of future generations let’s review the six steps towards total - wackness that the secret weapon took to arrive here today on buddyhead’s worst records of 2009 list .
keith morris interview part 2 – buddyhead radio # 9 welcome to buddyhead radio ! our new , sometimes - weekly , radio show / podcast hosted by travis keller that focuses on art , music , film and the internet . this is the second part of episode nine in which travis speaks with keith morris , frontman from such legendary bands such as black flag , circle . . . …
henry rollins interview – buddyhead radio # 7 welcome to buddyhead radio ! our new , sometimes - weekly , radio show / podcast hosted by travis keller that focuses on art , music , film and the internet . this is episode seven in which travis talks with legendary punk rocker and man of many words henry rollins about life plans , traveling the world , if h . . . …
steve albini interview – buddyhead radio # 5 welcome to buddyhead radio ! our new , sometimes - weekly , radio show / podcast hosted by travis keller that focuses on art , music , film and the internet . in this fifth episode , travis sat down to talk with legendary recording engineer & member of shellac steve albini in seattle to talk about life , how he . . . …
these five entries from the positive side of our best & worst records of 2009 list . we ' re not into spreading our negativity here at the huffington post . so if you like what you see and wanna read the rest , you ' ll have to come to the dark - side and read the full sixty album list at buddyhead here . either way , enjoy these five great albums from 2009 .
keith morris interview part 1 – buddyhead radio # 9 welcome to buddyhead radio ! our new , sometimes - weekly , radio show / podcast hosted by travis keller that focuses on art , music , film and the internet . this is episode nine in which travis speaks with keith morris , frontman from such legendary bands such as black flag , circle jerks & off , about . . . …
duane denison interview – buddyhead radio # 3 ( the jesus lizard / tomahawk ) welcome to buddyhead radio ! our new , sometimes - weekly , radio show / podcast hosted by travis keller that focuses on art , music , film and the internet . in this third episode , travis gets over the fear of hearing his own voice played back to him and gets to talk with the alw . . . …
so can we all agree that this was about the worst decade ever and that 2009 was the cherry on top of the diarrhea sundae that was the last 10 years ? everyone was broke , the best rock n’ roll band in the world - oasis - broke up , jobs were hard to come by , the rock press got tricked into thinking “lo - fi” automatically equaled “good” , michael jackson’s overdose transformed him from “jacko the tabloid joke” to “mj – demi - god” in the eyes of millions of mindless idiot consumers , crabcore swept through the bible - belt like a brushfire , sky saxon of the seeds died and gas prices shot up higher than anything nasa has ever put their name on . however , hard times are usually fodder for great art and 2009 churned out more bueno records than any year in recent memory . in fact , the quantity of rad music we were turned onto this year was so large that we were forced to expand buddyhead’s “sometimes - annual” best & worst records of the year to 30 records . we also felt slightly guilty for that three year vacation ( * cough * bender * cough * ) we took from all of this . hey man , we got our priorities mixed up ! what did you expect from buddyhead ? get real !
we were really young and bored , yet excited about everything happening around us . we didn ' t really plan to start buddyhead , it just kind of happened and we went with it . if we would have meant to start this , i ' m pretty sure we would have put more thought into the name of it . maybe a bit more into the plan as well . i don ' t know if it translates or makes sense but buddyhead just happened . . .
ty segall’s self - titled debut that was released at the end of 2008 on castle face records is fuckin’ great . but his sophomore record , lemons , that showed up via goner records ( which is run by a dude in the oblivians’ who isn’t greg cartwright , eric friedl ) a few months later is even better ! san fran’s one - man - band comes out hard , heavy and poppy at the same time . this record sounds like it was recorded entirely in a bathroom plus it’s got a captain beefheart cover off “safe as milk” on it , bonus points !
there aren ' t too many roadblocks in getting an album released aside from getting the money to do so . there are way more roadblocks in getting people to actually care about music and buy the album once you do release it . what do you perceive is the reputation of buddyhead ?
we couldn’t pick between these two records featuring king khan plus you know how fuckin’ lazy we are ! so here are two records with our favorite james brown impersonator , king khan , the first being “invisible girl” . it’s the third album from this “shrine - less” king khan & bbq duo and it looks like they’ve finally perfected their songwriting formula , either that or third time is a charm , cuz this record is solid ! “animal party” is the best , not to mention cheapest , babysitter in the world , fact ! put that song on repeat and watch any child discover his new favorite song . the king khan & bbq show + cole alexander , jared swiley , ian saint pé , and joe bradley from the black lips = the almighty defenders . an ‘evil gospel’ supergroup album recorded during an off - week between tours in berlin for both bands . squeezed out in a drunken week , this collection of party tunes is almost better than either bands’ real studio records cuz it captures the feeling of seeing these hillbillies live . “what do you mean there’s a party going on tonight ? ”
that would depend and vary greatly on who you ask . i don ' t really care what people perceive what we do as to be honest . buddyhead has been known for playing pranks from publishing cell phone numbers of various people in the music industry and releasing prank calls on comps being among the tamer things . any regrets ?
this lp originally came out in 2007 in the rest of the world , but didn’t see the light of day here in the states till this year . technically it’s not a new release but let’s face facts , until a record comes out in america it’s not really out . you can thank the fine folks at goner records for making sure that we were able to hear the debut from these aussie badasses . this lp will smash you over the head with stooges - like - swagger mixed with some kind of arty twist while leaving all the pretentious bullshit behind them . grab your cup of coffee and blast “get up morning” to get your day started right ! also make sure to pick up “primary colors” and whatever their other records are called .
buddyhead has been an la institution of sorts since it launched in 1998 by travis keller and aaron north . after two years they got into the record label business and have put out releases by the icarus line , your enemies friends , shat , radio vago , modwheelmood , the dillinger escape plan , gayrilla biscuits , 400 blows and many more .
we here at buddyhead have been fans of digital leather since the very beginning , when it was mainly a punk synth fling from the lone shawn foree . on this new lp they’ve really stepped up their game . it’s hands down the best offering thus far in their career . this time around that little studio project has become a full on band , includes way more guitar and they get bonus points cuz the title is a reference to a nazi gay joke ! there also seems to be a bit more focus on the writing cuz songs are all top notch and the lyrics are solid . in another time and place tony wilson would have been begging these fuckers to sign up on factory records . “kisses” gets my vote for song of the year !
not our favorite jarvis moment by any means ( in fact travis gave it a bad review ) , but this steve albini - produced sophomore solo effort has grown on us . this ain’t no pulp record for sure , but jarvis comes off randier - than - ever with angela and other tales of shagging . jarvis is so well dressed that he somehow makes even his mediocre records seem stylishly great .
lazy music journalists tried to act like these nerds armed with bongos and delay pedals were the second coming of the beatles or some shit . everyone from mojo to rolling stone to pitchdork seemed to have these fruitcakes somewhere in their top five records for 2009 . these dudes couldn’t write a song if their lives depended on it , they are to songwriting what “alvin and the chipmunks : the squeakquel” is to cinema .
this two - disc , twenty - four song collection is the fifth studio album from t . s . o . o . l . these nordic weirdos have been cranking out killer records that don’t sound like abba and aren’t death metal for close to a decade now from their little scandinavian country of sweden . in case you didn’t know , that’s where ikea is from . chances are your apartment looks exactly like these dudes’ apartments .
we ' re also in the process of
relaunching
the site and going back to doing monthly issues like we did in the old days . i ' m pretty excited that we have a
staff
again and they ' re people we are really creative , motivated and prolific . it ' s nice to be pleasantly surprised by people turning in really rad articles or videos . after the site somewhat just being me for the past few years , it ' s a nice change to have some outside input and help from others . it feels like the old days of buddyhead except instead of being 20 - something and pissed off at the world , we are 30 - something and life isn ' t all that bad . buddyhead with positive mental attitude but we still wanna entertain and make ourselves laugh .
i’ll tell you what i’m doin ! throwing this turd like a frisbee across the room . hey girls ! just because something is recorded in a lo - fi manner doesn’t make it good . you have to have some songs in there somewhere . but good for you ! you fooled quite a few people into thinking that this is some good girl punk scronk . we at buddyhead are not taking the bait . whatever happened to huggybear ?
p . s . though you are on our “worst of” list , the news isn’t all bad . buddyhead would like to thank you for releasing a record that has 2000 different covers featuring the faces of your fans ( as mentioned above ) . now we have amounts to the rock music equivalent of a sex offender registry so we know the faces of people we need to be suspicious of and avoid in our community . valuable public service dudes !
with these dudes making noise like this there may actually be some kind of reason to go to nebraska other than having to pass through it on the way to somewhere else . oh wait , that’s why bands go on tour ! three dudes including an off the hook drummer that kind of resembles a goblin who plays both keyboards and drums at the same time in the vein of animal from the muppets . sounds goofy but box elders have seriously made one of the best pop records of the year .
either way and in the meantime , i ' d like to welcome you all to buddyhead ' s
sometimes - annual
best ( & worst ) records of the year . can we all agree that this was about the worst decade ever ? let ' s tally the score here . . . . everyone was broke , the best rock n ' roll band in the world - - oasis - - broke up , jobs were hard to come by , the rock press got tricked into thinking
lo - fi
automatically equaled
good ,
michael jackson ' s overdose transformed him from
jacko the tabloid joke
to
mj - demi - god
in the eyes of millions of mindless idiot consumers , crabcore swept through the bible - belt like a brushfire , sky saxon of the seeds died and gas prices shot up higher than anything nasa has ever put their name on . however , hard times are usually fodder for great art and 2009 churned out more bueno records than any year in recent memory . in fact , the quantity of rad music we were turned onto this year was so large , plus we also felt slightly guilty for that three year vacation ( * cough * bender * cough * ) we took from delivering all of you our
picks
( &
icks
) , that we were forced to balloon this years list to 30 good ones and 30 bad ones . everyone ' s got rules , here are ours . . .
but fear not , because buddyhead is back and “for the children” now more than ever . now that odb is dead and gone , we’ll be picking up his slack . we don’t walk , we get carried . and you’ve got our word that we’ll not be taking any breaks ( that are too long ) from now on . hell who knows , maybe we’ll even back - track and play ketchup with 2006 , 2007 and 2008 best / worst lists . hey , maybe axl rose will grow his hair back too . either way , we’re not going anywhere . so , unless some creepy - psycho rolls up with a copy of catcher in the rye and pulls a mark david chapman on us , we plan on sticking with this whole buddyhead thing . we love doing this and , let’s be honest , at this point , it’s really all we know how to do , unless you wanna count pumping gas…but that doesn’t really make our lady - friends wanna play “hide the pickle” with us . shit , doubt we’d even get a game of “just the tip” going if it wasn’t for this . plus , from our point of view it seems safe to declare that we have entered buddyhead’s most productive year ever with our weekly ( or at worst monthly ) gossip updates and ever expanding staff in 2009 , so the chances of this ego - masteurbation - rant coming true are actually pretty good .
from the very beginning the almighty ink & dagger have chosen to create their own environment rather than play by the stale and comfortable rules set up by everyone else , even if it meant making a few enemies along the way . they began their dark and essential journey with the now infamous , highly collectable , tomb stone shaped , hand numbered in blood , and highly sought after “love is dead” e . p . on philadelphia’s now defunct happy days records . from there the bloodthirsty night stalkers called for a change in the conventional state of punk with the release of the 7” and cd titled “drive this 7” wooden stake through my philadelphia heart” on initial records . giving words new meaning as they created the new vampires , craving not blood but energy ( and of course always creating their fair share of mischief along the way ) . multiple trips across the states and a european stint with sweden’s premier “new noise” outfit refused , brought their explosive stage show complete with bright flashing lights , malevolent red floods , white painted faces , the occasional red food coloring blood baths and waves of thunderous music to the eager hearts and minds of rebellious youths everywhere .
whether this band , sexed your girlfriend , stole shit from your house , inspired you , or pissed on everything dear to you , the name ink & dagger alone will continue to provoke some sort of reaction for years to come . “ink & dagger” is undoubtedly destined to be a classic and stand the test of time . in the end , the bullshit will wither away and the music will endure as the only thing that really matters . perhaps the only thing you hate more than ink & dagger is buddyhead , so how appropriate is it that both camps are teaming up for this release ?
this is what it sounds like when not a single person has said to a musician “dude , this is a really bad idea” for about 5 years . yeah , we know some of the dozen or so records we’ve listed above came out before 2009 , but since apparently omar and the yes men that make up his circle of musician friends seem to never stop recording every single retarded idea they have , this shit comes off like one long , self - indulgent stroke session that doesn’t have an end . therefore , we think it’s as valid to tell you all of this sucks in 2009 as any other time . omar , muchacho , seriously , it’s break time . now hit the showers .
judging by the sound of this album , these dudes have listened to some good records and done some good drugs in their lives . this record sounds like what happens when 3 dudes are prescribed lsd for their a . d . d . we wouldn’t say something called “songwriting” was in the front of these dudes’ minds when they got together to write “fits” , but a strong sense of how to keep things musically interesting and have a good time while doing it was definitely present…plus the singer of this band just so happens to be the son of former major league baseball catcher geno petralli who caught nolan ryan’s 300th career win in 1990 ! yeah , we just knew that off the top of our heads .
somewhat the same way the site did - accidentally . aaron ' s band at the time , the icarus line , had an extra song laying around , and we were putting on a valentine ' s day show at the smell in downtown la ( which was actually the first show ever booked there ) . so we pressed the song on a one sided pink seven inch . the first 214 people that entered the show got a copy of the seven inch for free . get it ? 2 / 14 . after that , a few friends of ours that were in bands asked us to release their records . next thing we know , we have a
record label
and we ' re signing bands .
when i first moved to la my friend scott told me i could
get paid to play records in bars
and i ' d
get chicks doing it too
. he was right . plus , i can ' t ever find places i like to go out to cuz the music always sucks . who do i gotta pay to hear some rock n ' roll out in this town ? so i guess it ' s creating a place i ' d like to hang out as well . not to mention how rad making people listen to what you want to really loud through a pa is . basically it ' s fun , they pay you and you can get your friends drunk for free .
you’ll probably notice that this collection of albums is pretty different than every other year - end out there , which might as well all be a single list considering how many of the same bands appear . excellent use of the “copy and paste” functions american music press , you guys really provide a valuable service ! can’t believe you actually get paid to write about music , it’s a crime we tell ya ! please note : we here at buddyhead stick with what we know , so you won’t find us inserting our white - cracker feet in our mouths over who’s the best rapper or giving a flying fuck about dj culture like who’s the best re - mixer like spin , rolling stone and “the blogs” are trying to these days . we’d rather review potato chips folks . that said , you’ll find that the rock bands on this list have little in common with each other , stylistically or otherwise . also , we’re not ranking any of these records , because let’s be honest , that’s fucking retarded ! this isn’t college basketball , this is rock n’ roll . like we’ve said before , how could you possibly decide between shat and radiohead , and which of them contributed the greatest album of the year ? that’s apples and oranges my good friends , the universe needs both opposing energies to keep balance and remain in perfect harmony . it’s science , look that shit up !
like we said , we’re not ranking these records . however , if you held a gun to our heads and asked us to tell you what the worst record of 2009 is , we’d probably tell you it was brokencyde’s album “i’m not a fan but the kids like it” . that’s a pretty bold statement considering we also had attack attack ! , marilyn manson , puddle of mudd , and insane clown posse records come out in ‘09 and even a creed reunion record to contend with this year . seriously though people , this shit crosses every musical line that we’re aware of , draws another line , crosses that and then molests a puppy on the other side . this band’s terrorism - justifying sound is an amalgam of every terrible thing that’s happened in music since the late 90’s : misspelled band name a la nu - metal ? check . emo singing paired up with some subhuman screaming in the background in the vein of shitty emocore ? double check . auto - tuned vocals that would be right at home on a t . pain song ? yep . geometry haircuts with retarded colors and graffiti - themed clothing that every metalcore band on the cover of alternative press seems to be sporting these days ? done and done . add a dash of the lamest hip - hop / crunk beats imaginable and a pinch of pro date - rape lyrics and you’ve got what might be the worst record of the year and possibly even the worst record we’ve ever heard .
monsters of suck is more like it . if you’ve ever read buddyhead , you know we’re somewhat less than pro - conor oberst , so that douche nozzle’s involvement + the ego trip of a band name is two strikes against this record before we even put it in the stereo . however , we’ve backed jim james’ main gig “my morning jacket” before so there was some hope that this album might contain a song or two on it we could get psyched about . that bet turned out to be about as solid as a taco bell dinner on the way out . spend your money on that aa bondy record instead of this collection of songs that are white as bird shit .
this dude is better at the whole “just me and a guitar” thing than anybody else right now , hands down ! aa bondy runs circles around pretty much everyone in the song writing department plus the dude has a black belt in fingerpicking and playing harmonica . in fact , he sounds best when it’s just him , his guitar + a harmonica . that’s why it was kind of a bummer he recorded this second album with a full band . it’s still a great record full of great songs though – duh we put it on the best records of the year list – but we can’t help but think they would have sounded better if they were recorded in the same vein as his sparse and stripped down debut , “american hearts” . at least he hasn’t gotten into world music yet .
the existence of a fourth puddle of mudd record is kinda like if the nazis won world war ii and then world wars iii , iv and v . we’re not really sure who they are or just how it happens , but people actually buy these records and these posers don’t have to get real jobs . all because the idiots in puddle of mudd speak directly to the ( mongoloids , err ) people of wal - mart . seriously the singer dork wes scantlin or whatever his name is must be the “redneck whisperer” or some shit cause there is no other explanation as to how we’re still talking about this fossil from the nu - metal era in 2009 . check out their video for “spaceship” - the fact that these dudes have fans blowing their hair back throughout and aren’t joking says it all .
keller can now be seen around town djing at various bars in the area . he just finished a stint at bar lubitsch in west hollywood on tuesday nights where these pictures were taken . every thursday nights he will be at bar chloe spinning with ian rogers of top spin media , and on july 9 and july 16 he will be at the tropicana bar at the roosevelt hotel with josh homme from queens of the stone age , dave catching from eagles of death metal and buddyhead ' s troy boy . if you like jesus and mary chain , tones on tail , pulp , blur , oasis , guns ' n roses , yeah yeah yeahs , etc . , you will make like zombies to groove and dance out .
from the time we wake up til the time we go to sleep we ' re working on our art or something that relates to it . and we barely sleep . jubilee has been lucky enough to be the first band involved with the topspin software which is backed by the guy who invented pro tools . basically it allows bands and artists to sell their own music , video and photography on their own site , for whatever price they choice , without a middleman and it boasts a digital subscription fan club . it ' s a whole lot more than that and it has been the reason we ' ve been able to keep the lights on over here at buddyhead . what are some of the roadblocks in getting an album released ?
before anyone gets bummed that all i ' ve done so far in my two posts here is yank my own chain and link back to my wildly funny yet highly misunderstood website , i would like to point out that this is what i was told to do when the huffington post ' s la editor , billy silverman , hired me . so deal with it . if you take into consideration that the last job billy and i had our bosses forced him to dress up like a french burglars , a japanese chef , a banana , a soldier and even a clown cop , billy has really moved up in the world . that makes me proud , i really do hope that one day i move up the food chain from having to assemble lists of records people should and shouldn ' t listen to in my underwear .
as usual , we’ve also included a “worst of” list for you . now don’t start talking all that shit about how the dudes at buddyhead are negative , like to bum people out and are all around downer people ! not so ! we’re just doing like nardwuar the human serviette , we’re here to serve the youth . go ahead and use this list of terrible albums as what we’d like to call a “compass of evil” . think of it as a guide for today’s children to point them in the right direction and steer them clear from audio molestation . just like it’s important to study all of the world’s wars so that we don’t make the same mistakes , these albums and artists should be studied so that their musical atrocities will never be committed again .
before you guys start whining in the comments about how this record came out two years ago and shouldn’t technically qualify for our worst records of 2009 list , let us remind you that it took axl rose and a laundry list of retards 13 years to record and release this mind - blowingly embarrassing legacy annihilator of an album . plus , if you thought that a guy with a giant yellow bee - foot guitar and a dude with a kfc chicken bucket on his head being in guns n’ roses was fucking mortifying , then check out the newest and by far the douchiest “not - slash” toolbox that’s on axl’s payroll in the video below . why is it that older rockers always think dudes who look like they are cast - members of mtv’s “jersey shore” are actually hip young dudes that are perfect for their rock band ? ten bucks says that this douchebag , dj ashba , ends up on urltoken in the near future .
we love us some greg cartwright around here , we’re og cartwright . believe it . in fact we’ve been down with this dude since back in 1995 when joel floated travis promo copies of “soul food” from the oblivians that he got from the record store he worked at in northern idaho . old school . here with “love and curses” the old dogs once again show all the young pups how it’s done . although this sure as hell isn’t as good as it’s predecessors , “time bomb high school” or “too much guitar” , this new batch of greg cartwright songs is only further proof that his songwriting is unfuckwithable ! hey greg , we heard you’re a trust fund kid who loves to drop cheddar on music and all things rock n’ roll ! ? well hey there kemosabi , ain’t nothing more rock n’ roll than buddyhead… can we call you daddy ?
this dude is better at the whole “just me and a guitar” thing than anybody else right now , hands down ! aa bondy runs circles around pretty much everyone in the song writing department plus the dude has a black belt in fingerpicking and playing harmonica . in fact , he sounds best when it’s just him , his guitar + a harmonica . that’s why it was kind of a bummer he recorded this second album with a full band . it’s still a great record full of great songs though – duh , we put it on the best records of the year list – but we can’t help but think they would have sounded better if they were recorded in the same vein as his sparse and stripped down debut , “american hearts . ” at least he hasn’t gotten into world music yet . bonus trivia : this dude doesn’t like how much waste hotels create so he sleeps in his car on tour . how weird and rad is that ?
for a place that’s mostly known for it’s lack of good food , plethora of bad teeth , lack of showers and negative sunny days , england sure knows how to rock . these lads that wear their mancunian influences on their sleeve proudly are a prime example of modern rock n’ roll done right . sure these dudes sound a lot like the stone roses , happy mondays , oasis and the rest of the creation records catalog all rolled into one but that’s pretty fookin’ cool if you ask us . plus with this dan the automator - produced third full length not only have these dudes hit their stride but they’ve proved they know how to write some fookin’ catchy songs and still retain a raw and danceable sound that’s all their own . in the uk “west ryder pauper lunatic asylum” was number # 1 on the charts for several weeks , only to be knocked off by the sharp increase in sales of michael jackson albums following his overdose . speaking of , let’s party michael jackson style ! who’s got the propofol , lorazepam and midazolam ?
much like drinking and driving or buddyhead and spell check , acting and rocking don’t mix . this has been proven time and time again ( see the juliette lewis record above for one example ) , but somehow these drama queers keep thinking they can play the part of the rock star . many have done it in the past , but very few have done attempted the crossover in such an over - the - top - hilarious fashion as the dork who played claire daines’ love interest in “my so called life” . we’re not even gonna print his name cause , considering he has made at least 3 music videos ( aka gigantic visual blowjobs to himself ) that have opening and closing credits ( ! ) in the last few years , this dude’s ego is already so mammoth , one more typing of it just might cause him to attempt giving himself head so fast and furious his neck will snap . we don’t want to get sued or nothing . unfortunately , in 2009 this pretty boy , his brother who looks like him if he were a caveman , and what ever other dorks fill out the line up of 30 minutes in uranus put out the record “this is war” . you guys must have been hanging out with muse or something , cause you just joined them in the self - nuking club this year . this is war you turds , so if you want peace , drop the guitars and just start being an overpaid hollywood actor and his posse of mooches . it’ll be like that show entourage except there will be way less getting laid inolved . leave the music making to the musicians . kosher ?
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today heav drag are sharing their new b - side to “lsd” , “leech” . we think you will dig it . heavy drag is a miami , fl - based foursome formed…
heavy / / drag is a miami , fl - based foursome formed from the ashes of their previous troupe , lil daggers . playing and touring together for the past…
location : philadelphia , pennslyvania members : sean mccabe - vocals don devore - guitar joshua brown - bass terrance yerves - drums website : n / a bio : this is the highly anticipated , self titled , third and final full length release piece of work , from philadelphia’s night stalkers , ink & dagger . over the course of some 3 years , ink & dagger made a name for themselves as one of the most progressive , controversial , and sensory provoking bands around . throughout their existence , the group successfully explored their punk and hardcore roots , while simultaneously developing their own brand of sonically powerful rock .
with their first appropriate full length album , accurately titled “the fine art of original sin” , ink & dagger , as energetic and scowlingly angry as ever , challenged everything anyone had ever thought about them . “the band you love to hate” used the opportunity to modernize and expand on everything they had done before , removing the face paint and inserting electronic wisdom . collaborating with philly’s remixer / junglists jsmooth and jg of gfs productions on the closing track , only further cross the established guidelines and smash even more genres .
this new offering of intelligence and madness is even more of a divergence from their past and no doubt their most definitive and true piece of work . ink & dagger have yet again asked to be redefined . the sweet taste of revenge has now finally been had . the scores have been settled and the naysayers have been silenced . this is defiantly not the ink & dagger you have heard before . yet one thing has remained the same , the group’s dark imagery and precarious bite , as well as their bravery to not play by the rules and do whatever the fuck they please . a comparison to my bloody valentine now doesn’t seem to far off the mark , as did that to swiz as few years back . vocal duties on “ink & dagger” were occasionally shared with bassist joshua brown as well as random female vocals adding to the breadth of the recording . the deadly scope of sound only extended their explosive energy and reaches from spacey lull instrumentals and delicate rhythms , to fierce and sharp explosions and energy you’ve come to know as ink & dagger . you’re so dangerous .
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this year’s list was compiled by the following music journalists : travis keller , kevin hilliard , meathead and joel jett .
bonus trivia : this dude doesn’t like how much waste hotels create so he sleeps in his car on tour . how fucking weird and rad is that ?
aside from the singer sounding a little too much like “blonde on blonde” era bobby dylan ( then again we can’t really think of a better dude’s style to bite ) , the strange boys are what we’d call guitar rock at it’s finest . in these days of bloated rock bands and boring “reunions” that have lost the plot , these dudes shine like a beacon of light due to how much they totally get it . they’re a bare bones garage - rock band who take the best from old blues and county music , then shove their take on it through a modern psychedelic fuzz . the word on the street is that these dudes have already recorded their second album “be brave” in costa mesa with their sometime member “when he has time” , tim presely from darker my love . our favorite song on this lp is “heard you wanna beat me up” . check it out .
this debut is technically only an ep but it’s so damn good ( plus we heard so few people talking about this band ) that we’re putting this fucker on here anyways . sue us . instantly like - able and totally sugar sweet dreamy danceable pop songs sprinkled with dirty guitars . think the jesus and mary chain “honey’s dead” era guitar tones . this transient couple / band who cite both los angeles , ca and nashville , tn as their home , are currently holed up in a san franciscan studio banging out their first full length that should have you dancing your ass off sometime in 2010 . we can’t fuckin’ wait !
florida totally fucking sucks . sorry if you live there ( really , we are ) , but it’s neck - n - neck with texass as the worst state in the union . and musically , not a whole lot of good shit has come out of the state where midwestern fuckheads go to die and bake in the sun . in fact , most of their musical contributions can be counted on one hand . let’s see… home to crocodiles , hurricanes that wipe out thousands of houses and swamps full of snakes… sounds like a party but i think we’ll stay over here in the sunshine state of california . but we’ve gotta acknowledge that florida has given us tom petty , 2 live crew and now on a third finger… . straight outta miami… we’ve got three youngster weirdos known as the jacuzzi boys who are takin - names , kickin - ass and makin - hits ! this pupil - dilatingly nugget - influenced trio cut their teeth with a string of badass seven - inch releases full of fuzz ( “i fought a crocodile” , split with woven bones , “ghost ghost” and our favorite “island ave” ep ) , bad acid , and animal references . we’re pretty sure that almost every song is about an animal . and now , with “no seasons” , they have outdone themselves ( and their contemporaries , the black lips ) with this epic party - starter full length . to quote fellow miami resident , godfather of punkrock and jacuzzi boys fan , mr . james newell osterberg , jr . ( aka iggy pop ) : “there’s a band here in miami called the jacuzzi boys . it’s a stupid name but they’ve got a good spirit . shout out to the jacuzzi boys ! ” good work fellas , a firm slap on the ass to you .
technically a reissue seeing as how it was recorded in 1974 but didn’t come out til 2009 . and technically this record is just too bad ass to follow any rules anyways so it makes this list despite what we said in the intro . death is the three hackney brothers who were the inspiration to bad brains . they were fueled by their detroit brothers in the stooges and mc5 . these dudes were ahead of their time . 35 years ahead of their time to be exact .
speaking of weird , this dude is the king . the beautiful album that almost wasn’t by the dude that’s so weird he doesn’t even need drugs . after an accidental leak halfway through recording , deerhunter frontman brad cox almost stopped recording the awesome mindfuck that is logos . we’re glad he pulled it together , grew a pair and finished this thing cuz it rules the school .
i guess if you never brush your teeth , you really can get a lot more done , cause here’s another brit band on our best of ! when the red coats in future of the left put out “curses” in ’07 , they simultaneously reminded us of all the reasons that mclusky was a great band and showed us they had some new tricks up their sleeves . with “travels with myself and another” , andy falkous and co . prove that this project might just be superior to mclusky . armed with the 12 killer tunes that just might be the most perfect embodiment of snotty british ( or in this case , welsh ) melodic punk rock since wire’s late 70’s heyday , fotl makes a relatively old tradition sound fresh and vital . able to shift from aggressively in your face to anthemic on a dime , these teachuggers find a balance on this record that will ensure its classic status for years to come . there are very few bands out there that are writing songs this well - constructed and instantly memorable and there are no bands out there that sound this fucking punk while doing it . take notes kids , this band has being rad down to a science .
when you get to be an old dude , it’s easy to lose things . for example , the dirty old men in chicago’s tortoise lost their balls for a while a few years ago when they put out “it’s all around you” , which was like audio - anesthesia . fortunately , they rediscovered them , squirted a litttle fixadent on there and shoved’em back in their pants cause “beacons of ancestorship” flirts with levels of rocking - ness these dudes have rarely , if ever approached in the past . listen to “prepare your coffin” and tell us you don’t get a little amped . don’t get too jazzed , cause “millions now living will never die” this record ain’t , but the amazing songwriting and talent for development is still there and tortoise still dwarfs pretty much every other instrumental band we’ve ever heard . however , this record still doesn’t make us want to visit chicago .