Slog - Comments on The Boringest Video Game of All Time

Comment by bma

bma — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:09:01 -0800

This, in fact, actually beats out Penn and Teller's "driving a bus to Las Vegas" game as the boringest ever!

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:09:41 -0800

I clicked a book a couple of times and gave up.

Comment by Rotten666

Rotten666 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:19:43 -0800

Fuck. This. Game.

This reminds me of the cataloging class I'm taking right now.

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Comment by josh bomb

josh bomb — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:24:25 -0800

this is worse than community service!

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:27:17 -0800

Is this what Laura Bush used to do for a living?

Comment by levide

levide — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:34:54 -0800

Boring my cracker ass, this is the very first video game I've seen that's actually, like, interesting in any way.

Comment by Meg

Meg — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:38:57 -0800

Considering the number of people who come into my library and don't know how to find a book on the shelf using a call number (and note, this includes people working on their PhDs, for pity's sake!), I'd say more people need to be playing this game!

Comment by Sam M.

Sam M. — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:53:37 -0800

Kudos to #1 for the mention, but seriously, this lousy edutainment thing is STILL more interesting than Penn & Teller's Desert Bus Challenge. That thing is truly the Andy Kaufman of gaming. Check it: http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/03/penn_jillette_discusses_unrele.php

Comment by kid icarus

kid icarus — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:57:55 -0800

I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time at Google Image Labeler. Quite a time sink.

Comment by mattymatt

mattymatt — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:02:20 -0800

You know, librarians such as myself find this kind of thing very fulfilling. I'd much rather play this game than, I don't know, Super Atari Shoot Some Madden Army Men or whatever.

Comment by doctiloquus

doctiloquus — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:24:29 -0800

This was my career for a decade. Thanks for reminding me why I decided to change everything and go after my dream of making a living as an artist.

And boy do I need reminding from time to time.

Comment by gfish

gfish — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:58:52 -0800

Sad, that could have been an interesting game if the challenge was to classify the books in the first place. Taxonomies are hard.

Comment by M

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:01:03 -0800

ackkkkkk!!!!!! anyways..we all know Dewey kicks LC's ass every time.

Comment by Gay Seattle

Gay Seattle — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:23:39 -0800

This game was created because no one reads books or goes to the library anymore except to use the Internet.

Comment by Rotten666

Rotten666 — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:50:14 -0800

@14 obviously you haven't been to a library recently.

Comment by Toby

Toby — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:52:52 -0800

@ 14:

Book?

What is this "book" of which you speak?

Comment by Readin' Is Fundamental

Readin' Is Fundamental — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:20:27 -0800

@9 - hey Kid Icarus, sounds like you should be messin' with this:

http://www.loc.gov/blog/?p=233

Comment by bma

bma — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:32:36 -0800

@12 I hate to say this, but level 3 in this game actually has classification...

Comment by Sam M.

Sam M. — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:48:06 -0800

For whatever reason, I decided to try this again. Did anybody even turn the sound up on this game? Every time you place a book in the correct spot, some guy yells "YES!" and "ALL RIGHT!" like you just rolled a wicked saving throw. Fucking awesome.

Comment by kid icarus

kid icarus — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:17:21 -0800

@9 - Thanks for the tip!

Comment by Gay Seattle

Gay Seattle — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:24:12 -0800

@ 15 Actually I did. It was a complete waste of time. Every single person there was on the Internet or picking out DVD's. I looked for any HTML guidebooks and there was nothing. I inquired and they said they had a few in the entire library system but each had about 25 people on a waitlist. Latter, I was enlightened by someone to the fact that the library exists just to supply the bare minimum and get by. I have a feeling some people go to check out fiction novels. But who the hell has time to read fiction.

Comment by kid icarus

kid icarus — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:28:28 -0800

I mean @17, duh.

Comment by Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:31:48 -0800

@13: Dewey FTW! Give me something from Dewey, and I'd be all over that shit, all day long.

Comment by Anna

Anna — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:01:29 -0800

Took a bit to figure out the gameplay, but after that it was a fun personal challenge to see if I could remember how to shelve in order and where things fall in the classification by subject matter. Fun! (Love reading the comments here, too.)