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Summer Game 2015 GAME OVER Gala!

by erin

Monday August 31, 2015: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm -- Downtown Library Lobby

Let's take the Summer Game out with a bang with a building-wide scavenger hunt, badge coloring, a free photo-booth and light refreshments to commemorate the 2015 summer game! Check out the new digs at the Downtown library and get a chance to meet other summer game players!

Comments

so sad

In reply to by JY 2005

@ Zekimom - the scavenger hunt and the photo booth will go on for the length of the event, however I doubt there will be a lot of snacks left the later you arrive :) There will be small cafe tables set-up in the lobby area near the refreshments - with a much bigger building we anticipate lots of fun all over the place! We hope to see you there!
- erin

So cool! I really I hope I can make it. Just a suggestion, how about all the players wear name tags with their username so that we know who we have been interacting with?
Thanks AADL for the Summer Game and all the fun!

I can't imagine anyone showing up who hasn't already shared their friend code, aside from the few players who seem to have a philosophical objection to it (which includes one member of my household!).

So cool! I really I hope I can make it. Just a suggestion, how about all the players wear name tags with their username so that we know who we have been interacting with?
Thanks AADL for the Summer Game and all the fun!

@sharmas
I am going to wear a homemade name tag!

I tried making a name tag last time we went out gaming and they didn't stick to well, so I removed them. Unless AADL provides something, I most likely won't have one if we come.

FYI - AADL will be providing nametags - hope to see many of there!
- erin

I am happy to see AADL watching these comment threads!
It is nice to know AADL engages with the people using their website.

@sarai - Pictures would be great! I would like to see some snapshots of gamers saying hi, as it were.

It would also be neat if those of us who won't be able to make it could maybe send in a picture with our name and friend code (though it would be too late to use the codes) so we could meet virtually.

Please share as many pics as you like via twitter @aadl and instagram / aadlgram ! Library staff will be posting photos there and on facebook as well! And don't forget that there will be a free PHOTO booth all night long too! See you all tonight!
- erin

@erin - Thanks, Erin! I'll try to remember that about the social media accounts (I'll have to find them all, too). If I get a chance, I'll submit a photo of me with a nametag to join in virtually, though it may be after the fact.

At some point, does the library/summer game staff plan on conducting user needs/wants analysis insofar as the summer game itself is concerned? Specifically I mean aspects such as game play, badges, shop items, and our ideas and feedback?

I was under the impression last year that it might happen at some point, while at the same time, several players' ideas shared on this website were dismissed as not in line with what the summer game staff has in mind for the game, e.g. prizes that players wanted that were deemed too pedestrian by the library staff.

Is the game over gala intended to include a period of feedback, or is it predominantly for completing another badge?

Is there intended to be a place set aside for game players to interact?

It would be helpful to know more. (Last year's format seemed primarily a code-solving activity, with some time for cookie eating.)

Thanks!

It would be nice to have a separate (serious) meeting about the game sometime after the Game Ending Celebration. Game Over is for fun and excitement and cookies (if you arrive early enough).

Hi Willow, the Summer Game is all about ideas and feedback! All the comments, emails, actions, and interactions with staff help us shape the next summer's game, and we're always delighted to hear ideas from players. Feel free to say hello if you come to the Game Over Gala; we won't be doing a formal feedback period, but as always, we will be all ears. There will be a scavenger hunt with around 10 new 100 point codes hidden in the building on colored paper and a riddle to help players find them. There won't be a badge for these codes, they're just bonus for fun. As we found last year, a lot of the attendees to the closing party are looking for something to do. We will have our bistro tables and chairs set up in the lobby near the food and anyone is welcome to use them; and of course there's a whole building of places for people to interact. A lot has changed at the downtown library this summer, and we hope some players come visit and discover something new! Hope to see you there.

-[:eli]

Does the Download of the Day game continue on when the Summer Game ends? I am guessing it does (because it started before the summer). Are there any actual DotD badges? What can you do with the DodT points?

Well, I had planned on joining you all after I got done with work at 6. However, I have a brand new nephew, so I'm ditching the Gala to go visit him! :) It would've been nice to put faces to usernames and friend codes, but I really want to go hold my precious new nephew for a bit. I hope everyone has a good time tonight! :)

Also had planned on coming, but life got in the way. Oh well. Hope it was fun. Thank you AADL staff and volunteers for all your hard work. I'm not a fan of summer but I love the summer game!

I'm coming to you live from here at the Summer Game closing night GALA --- a casual gala --- the best kind of gala. My oatmeal cookie is still racing through my bloodstream; it's so busy in here I can't get a text out to register codes, so I've logged in to a library machine. VERY EXCITING.

A line of a dozen people is perpetually awaiting a shot at (and in) the photo booth. Children are unable to stop themselves from breaking into running. A general hubbub is in the air. Quite hubbubby.

C'mon down. It's not too late.

What fun it was!

Could someone remind me the name of the photo booth company (or the URL provided)? I totally forgot it!

I wish I could have gone to the gala tonight. It sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling well today. Maybe next year.

I had a wonderful time at the gala tonight! Thanks tons to all the AADL staff and volunteers for making the summer game Awesom!!!

I wasn't able to get there tonight, so I'm posting my thanks here.
Thank you AADL: this was my first year playing and it was wonderful.
The games, the witty descriptions of prizes that had me logging in all day, the help from fellow players: community.
Thank you for all of the hard work.

Really fun! Kids loved the scavenger hunt, Photo Booth, and giant chess! I really liked putting faces with names of folks I keep seeing on the leaderboard. Also fun to meet the creators of the badges. I feel good about my tax dollars at work tonight! You all go above and beyond!

I'm sorry I missed the Gala. I'm sure it was fun.
So was the entire Summer Game.

Thank you, AADL staff, for the scavenger hunt badges. Some led me to parks and places I had not visited in ages, others led me to books, authors and movies I had not yet discovered.

Thanks for the Game!!

well, after leaving the gala, I dropped my all important life line... my iPad. It must be replaced now. It cannot be repaired. Instead of heading home and getting my son to bed, allowing me time to continue working on SG tonight, I had to deal with a broken iPad... so, I'm out. It's late, I need to shower and make lunches for the morning and my 3yo son is still awake.

Thank you summer game. Til next year.

PS: I spoke with Eli, if they haven't already, they're changing the Jan Master badge so the Minecraft badge is not a requirement... so at least I feel better that I will now have earned that badge.

PPS: I liked this years summer end game much better than last year.

Thanks, on the plus side, I'm probably going to get an upgrade from a Gen2 to an Air2 with 16GB more of memory than I had. Though, I'm not really happy about having to lay out the money for it right now. I could get a replacement Gen2 for less, but I'm thinking it's time for me to upgrade anyway.

I had a great time at the Gala tonight - thank you very much wonderful AADL staff! The scavenger hunt was really great, and your new room in LL is beautiful. I had lots of fun meeting other gamers and library staff. The cookies were delicious. Loved the photo booth, too. The Friend Codes really added to the socializing at the party and it was fun to recognize Leaderboard names. Thank you for a really great Summer Game, and Gala Party for celebrate the finish. See you next year!

Sorry I missed the gala! I would love to have a chance to give feedback, post summer game!

The cookies, lemonade and social opportunities were a grand experience! The final clues were not too hard and suitable for all populations.

It was a nice idea to have a personalized code exchange. Smart idea. Only thing is it seems like the computer was on drugs or out to lunch when assigning the names, like one name I encountered was "IGNORE." Really?! Otherwise, bravo and well done!

Overall, I think I really was impressed with the boat and art institute river paintings. What a concept. I have a swell set of pictures and the green/red one is really snazzy. Getting the codes around the town like in the store windows must have been quite a task but was great fun on this end. I know someone who went into Zingerman's about a dozen times and never saw the cute display in the window! They were everywhere and so many were doing it yet it seems many were walking around them and had no clue. What a funny dynamic!

A few random thoughts...

My kids were approached yesterday while IN THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY by a woman who wanted details on the summer game after seeing them do some code-related activity. She knew nothing about the game. Word is just not getting around!

The Lego display in the Hatcher library was just darling. I think most of the other ones were tucked away and were easy to miss, especially in crowded shops. The terrariums last year, especially with several stores having internal displays, were more obvious.

I wished I could have done more downtown but parking and/or moving around is such a challenge when it's so crowded! I did better with the parks. I like that there are options for people who are downtown a lot, including ones who cannot easily leave downtown, and other things for those who are mostly in other parts of the city. And I love the nudge to go to the places I don't usually go.

I think the library should not underestimate our desire for socializing activities. It is great to find interesting people and it would have been fun to have more time with everyone. The Nerd night idea is a good one, but not everyone wants to go to bars, or finds the time or location convenient, not to mention that it is not family-oriented and kids cannot come.

The photo booth was a great idea! By the way, the lemon raisin cookies were especially yummy and pleasantly different. :)

Finally, April, sorry to hear about your iPad.

Maybe if I hold out they'll put a special just for me in the Summer Game Shop and I can get a new one with the tons of points I have (I was told people were looking for me last night because they wanted to know who I am, being in the Top 10). I got there kinda late and didn't have a lot of time for Friend codes or socializing, so I only met a couple of people.

My son and I (and husband) are Ajay KNEW476 and Cherie (husband doesn't have a player name, he's just a Helper and works for the Roos Roast coffee).

Funny, I'm glad it's over, but kinda sad too.

BTW: The pink sign codes were great for end game, my son (3yo) loves hunting for the signs and he was able to understand the difference between searching for the white signs (which we already had gotten) and the new pink signs. It's really nice that he's able to participate this way.

The pink signs sound like an awesome idea! A great way to help separate the "new" from the "old" signs. :)

I'm sorry I missed last night (tho' my "consolation prize" was getting to give my new nephew a bottle which was thoroughly enjoyable, but I'm still sorry I missed it!). It sounds like those who went had a good time (tho' I was sorry to hear about your iPad, April. That sucks.). The game has been a great way to meet some of our patrons that I may not necessarily get to meet at the branches because of the self-check usage and stuff. :) And the new Friends' Codes this year have added to that!

Thanks to all the Summer Game Staff who work so hard every year to make it fun for everyone! It was a blast this year as it always is and I appreciate all the hard work you all put into it!

Have a great school year everyone!

@AprilCDB, I also didn't get to meet a lot of people because I went early due to a commitment in the evening.

Something that really bothers me is the people who rate and review random items just for the sake of points. I think that most people got points just by Friend Codes. I tried my best by not adding everybody because I felt that it was cheating. I originally thought I would only follow the few people with whom I had interacted online, but I saw that I was slipping very quickly on the leaderboard and that many people were adding me, so I ended up adding lots of people.

Also, the GALA was so much fun, even though I was only there for half-an hour. I loved the idea of the Photo Booth, but I wish the photos weren't uploaded online. I was in line to take a picture, but once I realized that the pictures would go online, I decided not to get my picture taken.

sharmas -- one thing is, you get 50 points for reviewing something you've checked out and 10 for something you have not, therefore making it more worthwhile to rate something that the library knows you have interacted with, even if just to hold it.

I think they've put some safeguards in place. You can find old reviews where people wrote identical reviews for a large number of items -- including "Loved it!" types, which was last year's thing. That is no longer allowed; the identical reviews don't get points. There have been a few people who post random strings of letters, but honestly, I've seen better behavior on the reviews as of late, compared to previous years. We have no way of telling on reviewing, unless you look at individuals' scorecards to see the details.

I like the idea of the Summer Game facilitating interactions with people. One of my kids did not enter ANY friend codes and understood the consequences, points-wise. Another kid thought they were great and, despite being shy, was willing to chat up some fellow attendees at the party yesterday about the summer game and give his friend code. I think the gala had a nice atmosphere, and I'd love to see more of this sort of thing.

if anyone is wondering, my iPad has been replaced. I got it last night and got it up and running tonight. im ready for SG2016 now!

oh, and I got the fuzzy sleeve for it to help give it an extra layer of protection (still can't believe I dropped it and broke it, not even sure how it happened)

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