The Modern Materialist : games

Knock Before Serving

Laureen Mahler — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:06:00 GMT

You guys already know about my obsession with ping pong. With that in mind, this is indeed the most awesome product ever:

The Ping Pong Door is a mini-sized ping pong table that fits into a standard door frame. You just unscrew the hinges of your old, boring door, banish it to a place where people hate ping pong, and screw in your amazingly awesome new door. Once installed, the table unfolds when you want to play, saving space and making your life incredibly awesome.

Did I mention that this is awesome? 'Cause I want to make sure I've reached the prerequisite number of awesomes that this product deserves.

[via DVICE and Make]

Connect Foreplay

Alex Zalben — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:06:00 GMT

This is one of those ideas, so blindingly obvious, that I'm surprised no one thought of it before. The one huge downside is, it's called Foreplay Connect, instead of what I titled this post. I'm brilliant, they're not. Anyway:

The way you play is, each game piece has a different type of foreplay on it. You drop in the tiles, and the four that make up the winning row are what you're about to do in real life. Sexy? Maybe?

[£13, MenKind]

[Via Nerd Approved]

Sick Chandelier, Brah

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:03:00 GMT

[photo via Sontra's Flickr]

Are you a bachelor in need of some lighting for your pad/bro-down zone that reflects your love of hacky sacks, beer bongs, and air hockey? This would look great in your frat house:

[$225, Lighting by Lux]

As much as I fucking love air hockey, I don’t think I could ever own this un-ironically. However, this skateboard one may be more up my alley:

[$150, Nova Lighting Store]

This basketball one is neutral in my book:

[$190, Nova Lighting Store]

[Via The Awesomer]

Happy Hour: Fun and Games

Laureen Mahler — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:02:00 GMT

If you've ever wandered into a Bingo hall in Vegas at about 3am thinking it's going to be all fun and games, then you know what I discovered: Bingo is serious business, any time of day. Also, it's really freakin' hard! But now, for your happy hour pleasure, there is Bar Bingo:

[$7, Heliotrope]

With 12 different cards in the set, you can scream BINGO! all night long. Though I wonder if there's a square for "Drunk and Disorderly Bar Bingo Player." Maybe that's a little too meta...

[via Nerd Approved]

Get Your Game On

Steph Auteri — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:33:00 GMT

[$24.95, Amazon]

If I saw you wearing this tie, I'm not sure if I would run away screaming, or find it endearing.

Still, if that's how you get your game on...

[$24.95, Amazon]

[Via Gizmodo]

Let's Make Chess Harder

Alex Zalben — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Once you know the rules, Chess can be as difficult, or as easy as your opponent would like it to be. Unless you really want to amp up the difficulty:

Wobble Chess Set! Cute, and annoying to play!

[$250, SFMoma]

[Via OutBlush]

Winners: Obama! The Card Game

Alex Zalben — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:03:00 GMT

[$15, ObamaCardGame.com]

Well, we were giving away this:

- 5 Copies of Obama! The Game, courtesy of Obama! The Game.

And these are the winners:

Erica

Becky (phillipr at reed dot edu)

Jenny (cutechef at prodigy dot net)

Allen (allen_schulz at yahoo dot com)

Stella (rockstarwife at hotmail dot com)

Congrats, and please shoot an e-mail to modernmaterialist@nerve.com with your full name and physical mailing address, under the subject "Obama Card Game Winner." We'll send you back your prize. And once again thanks to Obama! The Game for providing the prizes.

Last Chance: Obama! The Card Game Contest

Alex Zalben — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:04:00 GMT

[$15, ObamaCardGame.com]

Its your last chance to get one of these:

- 5 Copies of Obama! The Game, courtesy of Obama! The Game.

All you have to do is comment on the post linked here (*See below for official rules) by the end of the day today, and one of these games will be yours.

And in the spirit of keeping things fresh, how soon do you think we'll stop being excited about Obama's inauguration? First person to guess correctly without going over gets, er, nothing.

*Official Rules for MM Contests:
- You can comment as many times as you want, as long as there's at least one comment between you and the previous commenter.

- Please leave some way of contacting you, whether a link to your Nerve account, an e-mail, or otherwise.

- The end of the contest will be announced in the comment section, and winner(s) will be announced in a separate post on the following business day. You must check back with this post to see if you won.

Reminder: Win Obama! The Card Game

Alex Zalben — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:01:00 GMT

[$15, ObamaCardGame.com]

Just a reminder, we're giving away:

- 5 Copies of Obama! The Game, courtesy of Obama! The Game.

All you have to do is comment on the post linked here (*See below for official rules) by the end of the day on Thursday, January 22nd, and one of these games will be yours.

And just to keep this post interesting, what was your favorite moment from yesterday's Inauguration? My favorite moment was when I had to stop checking the spelling of inauguration, actually.

*Official Rules for MM Contests:
- You can comment as many times as you want, as long as there's at least one comment between you and the previous commenter.

- Please leave some way of contacting you, whether a link to your Nerve account, an e-mail, or otherwise.

Obama! The Card Game + Contest

Alex Zalben — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:02:00 GMT

[$15, ObamaCardGame.com]

Hey, happy One Of The Biggest Moments In Our Lifetime Day, everybody. To celebrate, we're giving away:

- 5 Copies of Obama! The Game, courtesy of Obama! The Game.

All you have to do is comment on this post (*See below for official rules) by the end of the day on Thursday, January 22nd, and one of these games will be yours.

By the way, not only is it a super fun, and funny card game, but a portion of profits from the game go to Lost and Found Inc., an organization that takes in "at-risk" kids and gives them the shelter, the rehabilitation, the treatment that they need to survive.

It really is a brand new day in America.

*Official Rules for MM Contests:
- You can comment as many times as you want, as long as there's at least one comment between you and the previous commenter.

- Please leave some way of contacting you, whether a link to your Nerve account, an e-mail, or otherwise.

Trend Watch: Monkey Decor is a Barrel of Laughs

Steph Auteri — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:24:00 GMT

Is it weird that I still own (and love) that Barrel of Monkeys game? Is it a sign that I haven't matured in the past 23 years or so?

Give a nod to your more youthful side with these items inspired by the game:

[$16, giggle]

[$14, Broadway Paper]

[$6.99, Perpetual Kid]

[$99, Supermarket]

[$35, Etsy]

Hopscotch 2.0

Alex Zalben — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:01:00 GMT

Hopscotch has come a long way since your schoolyard days:

The concept idea uses light to project a hopscotch grid on the ground. Of course... Well... You can't actually hop on it then, because you'd block the light, right? So it doesn't work? Oh well.

[Via Yanko Design]

Related: A Modest Proposal

Worst Game Ever: Shocking Sick Puppy

Alex Zalben — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Why is Shocking Sick Puppy the most horrifying game of all time (beyond the disgusting picture above? Here's how you play:

The Sick Puppy is dripping slime and germs from his mouth. You have to sxtract the germs, and stick them in the puppy's head. However, if you touch one of the metal wires strewn throughout the slime, you get electrocuted. Seriously.

Also, the puppy is sick, so you're taking germs out of his mouth, and sticking them into his brain? As a medical doctor, I have to say, I don't think that's safe. Could be wrong though. I'm not actually a doctor.

[$61, Japan Trend Shop]

Gifts Under $50 for Media Nuts

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:32:00 GMT

[photo via]

For the friend whose media center looks like this:

Movie Collector

If you currently keep track of your DVD collection with an Excel file, you may be in need of this. This program lets you manage your extensive library in a very organized way. You can also sort and search every field in the database and view statistics! What more could an obsessive-compulsive DVD collector ask for? Also available for music, books, comics, games, and mp3s.

Thanks to Mike for sending this in!

[$30+, Collectorz.com]

The Dark Knight: Limited Edition with Batpod [Blu-Ray]

One of my favorite movies ever. This version comes with a mini Batpod. I don't even have a Blu-Ray player yet and I'm going to buy this.

[$47, Amazon]

Rock Band 2

Because it's way more fun that Guitar Hero (though Guitar Hero World Tour looks pretty sweet). From Alanis and Blondie to Sonic Youth and The Replacements, this game boasts a song list that can incorporate everyone, no matter what music you like.

[$50+ (depending on platform and peripherals), Amazon]

All Consuming Images: The Politics of Style in Contemporary Culture

Some more academic reading. Another great look at media, the meaning of image, and how style has overtaken substance.

Thanks to Sara for sending this in!

[$21, Amazon]

Equations: Foosball + Coat Rack

Alex Zalben — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:01:00 GMT

[90€, WarenBund]

[Via CribCandy]

The National Toy Hall of Fame

Diana Vilibert — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:31:00 GMT

Last Thursday, the National Toy Hall of Fame added three toys to their list of 38 classics ranging from Mr. Potato Head to the Atari 2600 video game system. This year, they added the Baby Doll, the skateboard...and something unexpected:

The wooden stick is "open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price" according to the Strong National Museum of Play's curator of collections. The perfect Christmas gift in this economy!

[$Free, On the Ground]

[Via CNN]

Related: Would You Pay: Warm Wood

Bring the Boardwalk Home

Steph Auteri — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:57:00 GMT

There are few boardwalk games I feel capable of winning, but that doesn't diminish my enjoyment of them. Now that carnival and beach weather is definitively over, I've felt aimless, restless, directionless.

Who knew it would only cost me $11,000 to get out of this almost-winter funk?

Bring the boardwalk home with this authentic Water Blast arcade game.

[$11,000, Hammacher Schlemmer]

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Game Your Way Into Her Pants [NSFWish]

Alex Zalben — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:05:00 GMT

I'm not going to lie to you guys, it's a little difficult to post about hot ladies in skimpy outdits this morning, what with all the hope and change in the air. That doesn't mean I'm not going to do it, though:

The above is snakes an ladders tights. The below is Sodoku panties:

The store has a ton more game themed undies and "outfits," which you can get for £100 to £200.

[Mio Destino's Game Store]

This Bookshelf Has a Whacky Secret

Alex Zalben — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:01:00 GMT

This bookshelf has a pretty whacky secret. Can you guess what it is?

Yup, I was spelling whacky that way on purpose, because it hides a secret Whac-a-Mole machine! So you look like an adult on the outside, but on the inside, you're really a Chuck-E-Cheese. I mean, kid.

Oh, and guess how much it'll set you back:

[$35000, Hammacher Schlemmer]

[Via Born Rich]

World's Most Expensive Scrabble Board

Alex Zalben — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:01:00 GMT

I think you can venture a guess as to why this is the world's most expensive Scrabble board, but it's actually cheaper than you think (at least for now):

The board is a one-of-a-kind, Swarovski crystal encrusted board currently up for auction on eBay. The auction benefits the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and at least for now, is not that expensive (considering we've seen quarter of a million dollar jeans, for example).

Hopefully, the price will go up, so that the childrens can get more research:

[$3051, eBay]

High(er)-Tech Sudoku

Diana Vilibert — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:32:00 GMT

I'll admit, I jumped on the Sudoku bandwagon for a few weeks, but it's been a while since I've seen anyone scribbling in a giant Sudoku book on my evening commute. Maybe because they all got this?:

[£2.99, The Gadget Chest]

Way Back When: Speak & Spell

Steph Auteri — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:45:00 GMT

Helping my parents clean out their garage has been traumatic. I've already forced them to save my old Lite Brite, and a small selection of my stuffed animals. I pretended not to see when they carried my headless Barbie dolls. My Little Ponies, and massive cassette collection to the curb.

Seeing the remnants of my childhood in the trash always makes me wonder...where did the G.I. Joes go? The matchbox cars? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Thundercats?

Where's my old Speak & Spell?

I can always console myself by playing with Speak N Spell online, while sobbing.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Strip Pool

Alex Zalben — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:34:00 GMT

Want to play a little Strip Pool? Sure you do. Only problem, of course, is how to bring it up in mixed company, which is why I might suggest grabbing one of these:

There's no way it WON'T come up in conversation then... This unit is customized, and you can grab one for yourself, but it ain't gonna be cheap: custom tables start at $37500, and go up from there...

[Baller Toys]

[Via Baller House]

Whack It At Your Computer

Alex Zalben — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:57:00 GMT

Normally, I like to whack it at a place where there's a lot of children around. But there's something to be said for whacking it at home, in front of your computer:

[£12, Gizoo]

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Rubik's Way Harder Cube

Alex Zalben — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:01:00 GMT

On the suubway recently, I saw the best salesman of all time. He walked on with a big bag, slapped it down, and said this:

"Ladies and gentlemen: before the Xbox; before the Nintendo; before the Playstation, this was the original video game system. The Rubik's Cube. And I have them for you today for only $1. We also have cotton candy."

I swear to god, by the time I left the train two minutes later, he had already sold at least ten of them. However, I don't think he would be quite as successful with this:

The Rubiks Mirror Block Puzzle is like the cube, except there's only one color, and different sized cubes. Therefore, impossible.

[$20, TwistyPuzzles]

[Via Technabob]

Have Fun Getting Stoned

Alex Zalben — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:33:00 GMT

How much fun can you have getting stoned? This much fun:

Steinmannli is a traditional game of skill from the Swiss mountains. Basically, whoever makes the highest structure, wins! And they say nothing good ever came out of Switzerland*...

[$99, Generate]

*Except chocolate, watches, and Peace.

Follow Up: Wordplay Cushions

Alex Zalben — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:34:00 GMT

Hey, you guys remember those Scrabble benches and pillows I posted about a while ago? Well, I've got some awesome news for you, straight for the horse's mouth:

They're available for purchase! You can get one letter of your choice for £18; two for £34; three for £48; four for £60; and five or more for £14 each. Sadly, the benches aren't on sale yet, but I bet if we all buy enough of these cushions, the benches are next...

[Stephen Reed Design]

Sexy Chess, Part 2 [NSFW]

Alex Zalben — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:31:00 GMT

To be fair, the picture above is probably NSFW, if you figure out what's going on with the pawns. But, following up on our hard driving report about the Russian Nesting Chess Set (and by nesting, I mean man-thing in va-jay-jay), comes this Kama Sutra Chess Set from Etsy:

[$200, Etsy]

[Via Boinkology]

The Best Thing Ever. Ever. Really.

Alex Zalben — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:35:00 GMT

When you see what this is, if your jaw doesn't drop at how obvious this was, you're not a human being:

See? Don't you want to play this right now? Also, please 'fess up if you're not human.

[$25, Amazon]

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

How Do You Say 'Erotic Chess' In Russian? [NSFW]

Alex Zalben — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:29:00 GMT

...Because that's where this handmade erotic chess set comes from. You can't really see the naughty pieces in the picture above, but you can below:

Pricing available on request.

[Russian Mammoth]

[Via Nerd Approved]