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Polycon XXXIV, It's A Wrap
Every year it seems Polycon comes and goes way too quickly. It's like we just finished unpacking our boxes and set up our dealer booth, and then BAM! Time to pack up and go. What can I say? Time flies when you're having fun.
There were about 250 participants in total give or take this year. Although smaller than last year, it was still a far cry from when we started attending way back at Polycon XV when there were around 90 attendees. Over the years folks have come and gone, as you would expect; It is a college event after all. Kids grow up, graduate, start careers, have kids of their own, and so on. Maybe you see some of them make the occasional cameo appearance. Maybe they become a part of the old guard- folks we've been seeing almost every year since we've been attending. Either way, It's a great chance to see old friends, and make new ones.
Scores of games were going on from the time everything started at 12:00 PM on Friday, all the way up until the auction began at 2:00 PM Sunday. Yes, games were played around the clock. If you were awake, something was happening somewhere. That's what is part of the appeal of going to a game convention. You got a gamer itch, consider it scratched.
The whole event went very smoothly. Anything that was an issue (of which there were very few I was aware of) was resolved immediately. Everybody on the staff knew what they were doing and when they were doing it. Even the humble Barbeque crew of which yours truly is a part of managed to serve the entire con in under 30 minutes. Yeah, we've been doing this awhile now, and we get better at it every year.
We always have a great time at Polycon, and are already looking forward to next year. If you've never attended, you should. If you have, but not recently, you should go back. If you were there, it was great seeing you again. No matter your status, with any luck we'll see you there next year.
Of course hopefully we'll see you here at the shop way before that,
Ken
June 25, 2015
3 Days Of Fun Games, Great Friends And Awesome Food At Cal Poly SLO
This Father's day weekend, the Chumash Auditorium on the Cal Poly Campus will be the site for this year's Polycon; Polycon XXXIV. It all starts Friday June 17 at 12:00 PM, and runs until Sunday June 19 at 4:00 PM.
The theme for this year will be Future Con. There will be events and decorations loosely based on futuristic themes. Feel free to join in with them if you‘d like. Don’t forget to pick up a tee shirt too, which will have exclusive theme based artwork on it.
Of course Leisure Time Games will be there, selling our wares, and yours truly will be on the BBQ Team, feeding the hungry masses hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers on Saturday at 6:00 PM. The BBQ is free to all attendees, and if you've volunteered to be a part of the Concom Staff, you'll get an option for Tri Tip as well.
The final event of the weekend is the Auction. After 3 days of brain wracking mayhem and sleep deprivation, you couldn’t ask for a better way to wind things down. Words can not describe what happens, you have to see it to believe it. Bids fly around as everyone vies to be the last person of the con to chug a Jolt Cola. Badge 0 is a major item up for bid too, as the winner gets to have all the privileges of being on next year’s Polycon staff, without any of the responsibilities (they also get to choose the cut of meat they‘d like thrown on the Q for them. How’s that for a perk?). There use to be a final auction of the day, “The Painting.” Is it a bunch of seagulls? Pterodactyls? I don‘t know, but they must be in Los Angeles because the sky is a hazy brownish yellow. It's no longer for auction, but it is on display for everyone to see and ponder over. Like I said, you really have to be there. There’s usually about 100 different lots to be bid upon on top of all that, so chances are good you’ll get a steal.
Leisure Time Games has been a part of the Polycon scene since Polycon 15, way back in '97. We've watched it grow from around 100 people, to 200+ at Polycon 20, to well over 300 for the last few years. We've made many outstanding friends and great acquaintances in that time. This event is a highlight of our year, and we encourage you to join us.
You can get more info by going here:
May 28, 2015
March 9, 2016
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire board game
"From the ashes of war, nations rise to power in the Atomic Age. The successor to the very popular board game: The Manhattan Project."- From the Kickstarter Website
"Manhattan Project: Energy Empire is a stand alone game in our "Manhattan Project" line of games. It shares many of the same mechanics from the original top 150 award winning game, but with less "take that" actions. Designed by established game designers Luke Laurie and Tom Jolly." Also from the Kickstarter Website
And here's a little something from Co-Creator, Tom Jolly:
”Energy Empire, each player takes control of a nation vying for power in the second half of the 20th century. They build up their nation’s industry, commerce, and government by acquiring resources, building structures, and tapping new sources of energy. It’s a worker-placement, resource-management, engine-building game, based in the ‘Manhattan Project’ universe, but a stand-alone game with its own unique mechanics and play.”
Usually, I don't promote Kickstarter stuff, but this one is an exception. Tom Jolly (designer of Wiz War and many other titles) and Luke Laurie (of Stones of Fate fame) are both local folks, who also frequent Leisure Time Games. They've been working on and play testing this one for quite some time now, playing it with the local board game groups, and getting it fine tuned for this Kickstarter Campaign, and it's finally ready to go.
It's almost at it's goal, with a little under a month to go before the campaign ends, so you know there's interest. Help get it off the ground. Have a look at the Kickstarter page, read the info, watch the videos, and if this looks like it could interest you, give your pledge and help these two fine men get this game published.
Go here for more info:
Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
June 8, 2015
Nederlander Presents…
LINDSEY STIRLING
LINDSEY STIRLING ANNOUNCES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR WHICH WILL INCLUDE A PERFORMANCE AT THE SANTA BARBARA BOWL
Smash Sophomore Album "Shatter Me" Triumphs as the #1 and #2 Best-‐Selling Electronic Album in 2014
SANTA BARBARA, CA
Electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling, will take her critically acclaimed live show on the road with her highly anticipated North
American 2015 Summer Tour. The multi-city trek will make a stop at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Saturday, August 15 at 7:00
PM. Special guest Lights will open the show. Tickets go on sale now. Lindsey’s last US tour sold over 100,000 headline tickets and nearly 200,000 headline tickets worldwide.
The tour will continue to support Lindsey’s critically acclaimed sophomore album Shatter Me, which according to Neilson, was the #1 and #2 best-selling Electronic album in 2014. Released on April 29, 2014 via Lindsey’s own label Lindseystomp Records, Shatter Me debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, #1 on the iTunes Album Chart, and spent an impressive 21 weeks straight at the #1 spot on the Billboard Classical Album Chart. With nearly a quarter million copies sold in the US to date, Shatter Me marks the highest charting independently distributed album on the Billboard 200 since Garth Brooks’ “Blame It All on My Roots.” Since the release of Shatter Me, Lindsey has made a slew of national television appearances on shows such as Good Morning America, Today Show and the View and was recently honored with YouTube’s prestigious Music Award, which recognizes the site’s 50 biggest artists and musical acts.
Fans can expect to hear Lindsey perform some of her biggest hits to date, including her breakthrough track "Crystallize" and the very personal "Shatter Me" in an all new revamped production from her last US tour, which is currently being shown on Public Television. The TV special, “Lindsey Stirling: Live from London,” will continue to air on public TV stations nationwide for an exclusive two-month window (check local listings). The concert was filmed at London's Forum Theater in 2014 and showcases the incredible music production that fans have come to expect from Lindsey’s live shows, where the infectious energy of dance and electronic music meet modern classical.
Lindsey has created a new music world where the romance of Celtic folk music and modern classical meet the infectious energy of dance and electronica. On stage, Stirling moves with the grace of a ballerina but works the crowd into a frenzy, “dropping the beat” like a rave fairy. She is the model of a modern independent recording artist, with a symbiotic relationship with her fans. A motivational speaker in her spare time, Stirling uses her own story to show teenagers that you’ve got to have confidence in the very thing that makes you unique – then wait for the world to catch up.
Don’t miss your chance to see Lindsey Stirling with special guests Lights at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Saturday, August 15.
Tickets range from $35.00 to $45.00, plus applicable service charges. The Santa Barbara Bowl is located at 1122 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103, 805-962-7411.
Saturday, August 15 at 7:00 PM
SANTA BARBARA BOWL
Tickets On Sale Now!
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets including:
Arlington Theatre | Santa Barbara Bowl Box Office | Walmart
To charge by phone please call, 800-745-3000. Order online at www.ticketmaster.com