Geek Catalog Update 11/9/2014

It’s your weekly update of Citizen Geek Resources!

First of all the full lists now have in-page links since they’ve gotten huge – you can find them sorted by Geeky Interest or Specific Focus.

With Blizzcon ending, I figured this week I’d focus just on video game charities and causes.  Here’s a chance to get your Citizen Gamer on!

Video Games

  • Accessibility
    • Special Effect – Helps people with disabilities play video games with special technology and a variety of fundraisers. Takes donations and runs events.
  • Charitable Work
    • Gamers For Giving – Michigan’s largest game charity event, a game tournament that supports Gamers Outreach Foundation
    • Gamers Outreach – A game industry charity organization that uses game events to raise money to set up game kiosks in hospitals and support the troops.
    • Games Aid – A UK video Games charity that’s an umbrella for many other charities helping the disadvantaged. Raises money via activities, auctions, and more.
    • Gaming For Good – A platform where you get games for donating to charity – with revenue going to Save The Children.
    • Gaming Worldwide – Harnessess the power of gaming to get people involved in events, charities, and more.
    • Hyrule Hustlers – Video game enthusiasts who sponsor Childs Play and run Zelda-based events and marathons.
    • Marathon Gamers – A gaming marathon group tha does marathons for charities.
    • Mario Marathon – A yearly all-Mario gameathon to support Childs Play.
    • One Big Game – A nonprofit that raises money by selling games.

 

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.;

An Interview With Bill Kendrick On His Atari Parties!

Remember when I mentioned the Atari Party when I profiled the Digital Game Museum? Well I got a chance to meet the gentleman behind the event, Bill Kendrick (ironically, when I had to make a correction). Of course I seized on the opportunity to interview him because this is a living history event – the kind of thing we geeks should do more. That’s a hint, but let’s talk to Bill to motivate you more.

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California Extreme – Looking Back, Looking Forward

caextreme_2001_collage

Last year I found out about California Extreme, an event in the Bay Area where people get together to show off, discuss, and of course to play old video games and pinball machines over the course of two days. This has been running for 16 years, and its to my shame as a geek that I took so long to discover it.

So needless to say this year I went, if only because I felt a near-moral obligation to do so. This is pure applied geekery – a historical and social event that also contains some people who do or did make a living in involved industries, and a ton of hands-on experiences.

Here’s what I saw. Short form – it was great. But dive in longer – there’s a lot to share.

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