So BGN is not about board game news anymore but focuses on conspiracy theories from now on?

It is even worse: it’s about religion! Let’s keep our hobby free from foul theories like this! Just like sports and politics do not go together, let us just focus on the things we like to do most: play games (OK, and have sex...)!

...And it’s not only about religion, but about a very fanatical one: creationism. What is your point in linking this, Eric?

I think it is funny. A couple of the Legion of Doom people as well as a few of the folks hanging around SJ games around the time of the infamous RAID turned up at a pair of amazing conspiracy cons in Atlanta called Phenomicon. 

The sorts of theories discussed there pretty much fit the basic structures of all of the thing in the Illuminati. All anyone had to do to create the cards is to listen for a bit to conspiracy writings. The themes haven’t changed a lot, only the topics.

I think this article is in quite poor taste.

You guys need to lighten up.  Of course the series is in poor taste--conspiracy theorists hardly ever consider how their ludicrous stories might affect those directly touched by the tragedies they endlessly discuss.  But there’s nothing like a nice hot spotlight to expose these ravings for what they are.  And poking a little fun at these crazies might be just what the doctor ordered.

As Frank mentioned, the articles are very typical and pretty funny stuff.  Although I have to admit, the card showing the Twin Towers getting nuked is kinda spooky.  Of course, even in ‘95 it wasn’t exactly a secret that many of the terrorists were fixated on the Towers, but I bet that’s an image that Steve Jackson wished he hadn’t commissioned.

From back in my days as a power INWO player, I recall one card that (IIRC) was considered on the chopping block for future editions: Princess Di’s ability was immunity from Peaceful and Liberal groups, except for Media.

You’ll find Internet evidence of RPGNet and INWO players having a laugh over this site in 2004, and ultimately, meh. A game that involves itself with current events, conspiracy theories, and personalities of the day are going to create “synergies” in the same way conspiracy theorists can create links between all sorts of bizarre non-connected items, given enough paranoia.

I think may of the above posts take on different meanings if you add a ;) to their end…

’...posts take on different meanings if you add a ;) to their end…’

But they did’nt, and why should they? That is so nice about our present writing; that we are not stuck with hieroglyphs anymore, but are able to make an accurate description of what goes on in our minds - apart from the above suggestion that is like putting graffiti at the end of every poem - it also makes its meaning different…

Richard and Ben, I was traveling and wouldn’t be posting anything for at least a day, so I wanted to give everyone some fun stuff to read. Yes, the Cutting Edge site is completely nutzo—something that should be evident from my first paragraph—and (as Alex reiterates) the articles are a few years old, but they were new to me and an interesting example of how games are sometimes perceived in the non-gaming world.

Ben, I’m not sure what “this article” refers to when you say it’s in poor taste. My item about these articles? If so, color me confused.

In retrospect, I should have slotted this item in the Media Watch category since that’s what Media Watch is intended for: appearances of games in the non-game press. In fact, I’ll go do that now. Problem solved!

Eric

Eric -

I appreciate the article. I knew about some gaming story that I always thought was urban legend about FBI/CIA or some agency putting the stop on a gaming book, but never believed it. If nothing else I got to see the story people were talking about.

Somebody was always telling me this, saying it was Grimtooth’s traps or something similar.

I would love to know what areas the Secret Service are in charge of as an agency, as the whole thing makes me think that there might be some overstepping of the jurisdiction… I’m sure if I researhed them enough I’d find that they have more responsibilities than those traditionally known, but this seems to be something that would have been assigned to a computers division of the FBI or something.

Any people here from the Secret Service? Haha! I better watch what I type, that Dept. of Homeland Security medallion I got at Origins is starting to make a whirring noise!