Bragtoberfest 2014

As first announced on the latest episode of Couch Podtatoes, Bragtoberfest is coming in October, which is just over a week away. I wanted to take the time before the event got started to inform you what it will entail, as I promised at the end of that show. So, what is Bragtoberfest?

We all know that the last few weeks have been a frustrating time to be a fan of video games. There are sections of the Internet and our society as a whole that don’t necessarily see things the way we do, and a huge push back against women, other minority groups, and the industry have stigmatized the word “gamer.” I want to take it back. I want us to remember why we started gaming in the first place. I want you to enjoy being a gamer, and to brag about your accomplishments in games, be it a high score shattered, a nice piece of loot earned, or your name at the top of a leaderboard. That bragging can take place however you see fit, be it via your blog, on a podcast, in a video, whatever you want. Let’s just get back to our roots as gamers.

Bragtoberfest aims to make it fun to be a gamer again. We all game, and most of us also either blog, stream, vlog or podcast about games as well. Why not combine the two into a month-long event?

The Details:

Now that you have a decent understanding of the vision of the event, what can you do to get involved? First off, this isn’t a blog-every-day kind of event, but I do want to see you guys blogging. We started blogging about games because we were so passionate about them that it spilled over into other areas of our lives. We wanted to talk, write and think about them when we weren’t playing them. Plus, many of us became a part of this community due to the Newbie Blogger Initiative, so of course we want to encourage people to keep blogging!

That said, I also want to see you gaming. As such, me and J3w3l are going to be running four events during the month where we play games as a group. Events will be taking place on the weekends, times are yet to be determined, but I believe we have the games in mind already (I know I do). These events should give you writing opportunities by themselves, but if for some reason you aren’t interested in the game we’re playing or can’t make the designated time, you can always organize your own games with your buddies, or just play something solo and write about it later. There’s nothing stopping you from bragging about anything you achieve in games, be it in a group or otherwise!

Each week I’ll be giving out some writing prompts that will (hopefully) get you writing about past experiences, or pursuing new challenges in games that you can write about. At the end of each week, I’ll be doing a round-up post of the gaming event along with some fun blog posts by participants. I hope that this will be a fun filled month of blogging and gaming for all!

I created a Nook for the event, so that you can sign up there and be sure to include your timezone and contact info/blog so that we can organize the events better, and I can track info for achievements. I encourage you to sign up for Anook if you haven’t already, but if you’re not into that sort of thing, leave your info in the comments and I’ll track you that way.

Achievements:

In an effort to gamify Bragtoberfest, I have made a small list of achievements that you can earn as an added incentive to game and blog about it. These achievements are not just for looks though, they will also earn you extra chances for the loot at the end of the tunnel. Here’s a sampling of some of the achievements you can earn during the month:

As you can see, there are a variety of different ways you can get involved in Bragtoberfest! If you mention the event on social media, your blog, or elsewhere, be sure to use the #Bragtoberfest hashtag!

Phat Loot:

For those of you who join in on the gaming events, we will be giving out random prizes to participants. I have a fairly long list of some really cool games to give away, plus we’re going to be checking out some free to play titles you might really enjoy. Here are some examples:

FTL: Advanced Edition
The Last Federation
Rogue Legacy
Limbo
FEZ
Deadlight
Gone Home
Luftrausers
Gunpoint
The Bridge
Papers, Please

As far as the achievements go, each one you earn will get you extra rolls towards loot at the end of the event (separate from random wins during gaming weekends). This will be resolved with RNG, but just know that earning achievements will get you more chances at more prizes. MOAR LOOT.

Conclusion:

So, to sum this all up into a TL;DR format:

• 4 gaming weekend events hosted by myself and J3w3l.
• Achievements for joining in said events, also for blogging and spreading the word.
• Loot earned for weekend participation and also for achievements earned.
• Sign up on the Bragtoberfest Anook or leave your info in the comments.
• Use the #Bragtoberfest hashtag when mentioning the event.

Keep an eye on the Anook and this space for more information regarding upcoming events. I’ll be announcing the first gaming weekend event soon, as the 4th of October isn’t too far away. As always, happy gaming!

*Special thanks the Belghast of Tales from the Aggronaut and Doone of XP Chronicles for providing graphical goodness.

#bragtoberfest #community #gaming