{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/tabletop-games/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/tabletop-games/", "feed_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/tabletop-games/feed/json/", "title": "SEE Business travel & meetings magazine", "description": "Magazin za oblast poslovnih putovanja i kongresnog turizma Jugoisto\u010dne Evrope", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tabletop-games-learning-through-fun/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tabletop-games-learning-through-fun/", "title": "Tabletop Games \u2013 Learning Through Fun", "content_html": "

We\u2019ve been playing them since forever. But did we ever stop to wonder where they came from and what purpose they served? Let\u2019s be honest, probably not. That\u2019s why this SEEbtm issue delves into this subject.

\n

Most tabletop games come from Asia, and they were created as an additional incentive to study and develop military strategy; some were aimed at promoting religion, making mathematics and astronomy more accessible, helping to distinguish between good and bad,
\nas well as supporting protests.

\n

Today, there are more than 60,000 different tabletop games in the world. For some, the primary purpose is socializing and having fun, for others, it\u2019s winning, but one thing is certain \u2013 they are a great way of connecting those who take part. The oldest tabletop game in the
\nworld are dice \u2013 the basic element of most of today\u2019s tabletop games \u2013 made of stone, bone, or colored wooden sticks, and this was the very beginning of the history of games. And the game consisted only of throwing them. The winner was the one who, at the given moment, throws the highest number.

\n

\"\"

\n

Asia as the birthplace of tabletop games

\n

The Royal Game of Ur, also known as the Game of Twenty Squares, was found on the territory of today\u2019s Iraq. The game is about 5,000 years old and is one of the first board
\ngames. This game inspired Tavla (backgammon), which was also played in Persia, Ancient Rome, Asia, and Middle Ages. The rules are as follows: two players roll dice and move 15
\npieces across 24 triangles (12 on both sides) according to what they got. The pieces are moved over the opponent to the other end of the board according to the numbers shown on the dice, and if you get the same numbers, you roll the dice again. The objective is to remove all of the players\u2019 pieces from the board.

\n

In contrast to the Royal Game of Ur, which was available also to ordi\u00adnary people, in Egypt, such games were primarily intended to be played by pharaohs only. Senet is one of ancient Egyptian games that is found on many illustrations found in pharaohs\u2019 tombs. About 1,550 BC, this game became a sort of talisman for the afterlife, because it was believed that successful players were under the protection of gods. Due to this belief and great popularity among rulers, this game started to become widespread also among the people.

\n
\"Senet\"
Senet
\n

One of the games we know best \u2013 chess \u2013 originated in India, during the Gupta Empire, 1,500 years ago, and his then name – chaturanga – meant \u201cfour military units\u201d \u2013 infantry,
\ncavalry, elephants, and rickshaws. As time passed and the military\u2019s composition started to
\nchange, these units today include pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks. For Hindus, chess was a tool for studying military strategy, gambling, mathematics, and astronomy. The term \u201cchess\u201d started to be used in Persia in the attack on the opponent king and it translates to
\n\u201cking,\u201d and the end of the game \u2013 check mate \u2013 means \u201cthe king is helpless.\u201d After conquering the Iranian Plateau, the Arabs brought chess to Europe, where it got its modern form, as we know it today.

\n

\"\"

\n
\n

India is the birthplace of another game that is still played today, Chutes and Ladders, originally known by the name of Vaikuntapaali or Leela. It was conceived as a game teaching of sin and virtues \u2013 climbing the ladders was the significance of good deeds on the path to enlightenment, and the chutes showed how sin inflicts harm on the sinner. The end of the game meant reaching nirvana. Only when it came to America it got its current version as a fun children\u2019s game. The Indian game Pachisi is India\u2019s national game and one of the first to be adapted to the western market.

\n
\"Pachisi,
Pachisi, By Micha L
\n

Indian rulers raised this game to a higher level \u2013 the courtyard of a palace in the town of Fatehpur Sikri was actually a large board, where 16 slaves dressed in different colors moved instead of pieces. Pachisi is intended for two to
\nfour players, and each player gets four pieces. The player throws six shells of sea snails, and the piece moves by as many fields as the shells fall with the opening upside. If only one falls like this, you get ten moves, and if all the openings are down, you get 25. The board\u2019s center \u2013 charkoni \u2013 represents the starting point and the ending point of the game. The player who first moves around the entire board counterclockwise and gets to the finish with all his/her pieces wins. Because of the similar rules, many people compare this game with the game
\nSorry!. The game of Weiqi was invented by the Chinese Emperor Yao to enlighten his son. From China, this game came to Japan under its present name \u2013 Go. In Japan it experienced its greatest development \u2013 in the 17th century three Go schools were developed, from which the first professional players came. The first European Go club was founded in Pula, and the first Serbian in Kragujevac in 1970. Kragujevac\u2019s Radnicki is still today a leading one in Serbia. This game is proven to increase spatial intelligence and planning abilities.

\n
\n

Mahjong is another game from ancient China, thought to have been conceived by Confucius, about 500 years BC. The main part of this game are the three dragons that are associated with three skills thought by Confucius \u2013 benevolence, honesty, and respect for family. In Japan, today there are more than seven million players and more than nine thousand salons
\nspecialized for the game. To be successful in this game you need a good strategy and a lot of
\ncalculations. Mahjong is a game for two to four players with a set of 144 tiles fe\u00adaturing
\nChinese characters and symbols. Players split and throw the tiles 13 times, and on the 14th draw four melds (sets) and a pair (eye) is formed. The tiles can be simple \u2013 numbered, or honorable \u2013 winds and dragons. You can steal a tile from your opponent and win. Playing mahjong helps with cognitive memory problems and against dementia.

\n
\"Mahjong,
Mahjong, Alex Wong, Getty Images
\n

And from Europe…

\n

The game of draughts was created in 1723 in France, and the first world championship took place in 1984. The French, Dutch, and Belgians even founded the World Draughts Federation. This game is played on a board with 100 fields, 50 black and 50 white. Each player has 20 pieces that move across the board diagonally towards the opponent. When the player\u2019s piece comes to the opponent\u2019s piece that has a free field behind it, the player skips it and captures it. All pieces start off as plain and become kings when they reach the field in the last row. The king consists of two regular pieces stacked atop one another and can move diagonally in all directions, by as many fields as the player wants. The objective is to capture all the opposing pieces, or to block their next move.

\n

One of the most famous games of today, Risk, was invented by French producer Albert Lamorisse in 1957under a different name and later bought and published under its present name by Parker Brothers Co. in 1959. At the beginning of the game, each player pulls a card
\nfrom the deck on which the task is written. The board is actually the map of the world, so the second deck of cards contains names of countries that can be conquered. The objective is to complete the task from the first card, which is secret until the game ends.

\n

Tabletop games in the US

\n

As the pilgrims and puritans associated dice with the devil, the first tabletop game came to America only in 1822, and all American games from the beginning of the 19th century were thematically related to religion. Only at the end of that century the first game based on capitalism and materialism came to the American market.

\n

\"\"Monopoly was created in 1903, but it looked completely different from what it looks like today. The first version of this game was created as a protest against the taxes and monopoly system in the United States and a warning of the dangers of greed and promoted introducing higher taxes for the rich. In 1930, the game was sold to Parker Brothers Co. under today\u2019s name \u2013 Monopoly. By 2015, Monopoly had been sold in more than a billion copies, making it the bestselling tabletop game of all time!

\n

Another game that is very popular today was created in the US. Yahtzee was bought by \"\"E.S. Lowe in the 1950s (one of his professions was the production of games) from an unknown Canadian couple who called the game \u201cThe Yacht Game\u201d because they played it with their friends on their yacht. When Milton Bradley bought E.S. Lowe in 1973, it also inherited the right to manufacture and sell Yahtzee. Hasbro, the current owner of this game, claims that more than 50 million copies of Yahtzee are sold worldwide every year.

\n

Play, it\u2019s good for your health!

\n

Tabletop games can be a good choice for Saturday night with family or friends \u2013 adjust your schedules, turn off your mobile phones, and play away. In addition to good fun, these games
\nalso have positive effects on your health. Also, tabletop games can be a great choice for relaxing the mood and strengthening relationships among employees, or for involving and
\nbreaking the ice among participants at a conference or seminar. Playing tabletop games is a source of good entertainment, as well as laughter, which increases the level of endorphins \u2013 the happiness hormone, which helps relax muscles and blood circulation, lowers blood
\npressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system.

\n

Also, laughter and fun can increase the level of empathy and connectedness with the people we play with and strengthen family relationships. In addition to this benefit, tabletop games enhance memory at older age and reduce the risk of developing diseases like dementia
\nor Alzheimer\u2019s. So, find some free time, get your favorite game out, or try a new one. And we recommend one that appeared only recently \u2013 Revolution.

\n

\"\"

\n

DID YOU KNOW?

\n

\u00b7 The oldest dice were found in a tomb in Turkey and are more than 5000 years old.
\n\u00b7 The first game intended for children was hopscotch, invented in the Roman Empire around
\n500 BC.
\n\u00b7 At the beginning of the 1960s, the slogan for Yahtzee was \u201cThe fun game that makes
\nthinking fun!\u201d

\n

Nevena Ilic

\n

The post Tabletop Games \u2013 Learning Through Fun appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "We\u2019ve been playing them since forever. But did we ever stop to wonder where they came from and what purpose they served? Let\u2019s be honest, probably not. That\u2019s why this SEEbtm issue delves into this subject.\nMost tabletop games come from Asia, and they were created as an additional incentive to study and develop military strategy; some were aimed at promoting religion, making mathematics and astronomy more accessible, helping to distinguish between good and bad,\nas well as supporting protests.\nToday, there are more than 60,000 different tabletop games in the world. For some, the primary purpose is socializing and having fun, for others, it\u2019s winning, but one thing is certain \u2013 they are a great way of connecting those who take part. The oldest tabletop game in the\nworld are dice \u2013 the basic element of most of today\u2019s tabletop games \u2013 made of stone, bone, or colored wooden sticks, and this was the very beginning of the history of games. And the game consisted only of throwing them. The winner was the one who, at the given moment, throws the highest number.\n\nAsia as the birthplace of tabletop games\nThe Royal Game of Ur, also known as the Game of Twenty Squares, was found on the territory of today\u2019s Iraq. The game is about 5,000 years old and is one of the first board\ngames. This game inspired Tavla (backgammon), which was also played in Persia, Ancient Rome, Asia, and Middle Ages. The rules are as follows: two players roll dice and move 15\npieces across 24 triangles (12 on both sides) according to what they got. The pieces are moved over the opponent to the other end of the board according to the numbers shown on the dice, and if you get the same numbers, you roll the dice again. The objective is to remove all of the players\u2019 pieces from the board.\nIn contrast to the Royal Game of Ur, which was available also to ordi\u00adnary people, in Egypt, such games were primarily intended to be played by pharaohs only. Senet is one of ancient Egyptian games that is found on many illustrations found in pharaohs\u2019 tombs. About 1,550 BC, this game became a sort of talisman for the afterlife, because it was believed that successful players were under the protection of gods. Due to this belief and great popularity among rulers, this game started to become widespread also among the people.\nSenet\nOne of the games we know best \u2013 chess \u2013 originated in India, during the Gupta Empire, 1,500 years ago, and his then name – chaturanga – meant \u201cfour military units\u201d \u2013 infantry,\ncavalry, elephants, and rickshaws. As time passed and the military\u2019s composition started to\nchange, these units today include pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks. For Hindus, chess was a tool for studying military strategy, gambling, mathematics, and astronomy. The term \u201cchess\u201d started to be used in Persia in the attack on the opponent king and it translates to\n\u201cking,\u201d and the end of the game \u2013 check mate \u2013 means \u201cthe king is helpless.\u201d After conquering the Iranian Plateau, the Arabs brought chess to Europe, where it got its modern form, as we know it today.\n\n\nIndia is the birthplace of another game that is still played today, Chutes and Ladders, originally known by the name of Vaikuntapaali or Leela. It was conceived as a game teaching of sin and virtues \u2013 climbing the ladders was the significance of good deeds on the path to enlightenment, and the chutes showed how sin inflicts harm on the sinner. The end of the game meant reaching nirvana. Only when it came to America it got its current version as a fun children\u2019s game. The Indian game Pachisi is India\u2019s national game and one of the first to be adapted to the western market.\nPachisi, By Micha L\nIndian rulers raised this game to a higher level \u2013 the courtyard of a palace in the town of Fatehpur Sikri was actually a large board, where 16 slaves dressed in different colors moved instead of pieces. Pachisi is intended for two to\nfour players, and each player gets four pieces. The player throws six shells of sea snails, and the piece moves by as many fields as the shells fall with the opening upside. If only one falls like this, you get ten moves, and if all the openings are down, you get 25. The board\u2019s center \u2013 charkoni \u2013 represents the starting point and the ending point of the game. The player who first moves around the entire board counterclockwise and gets to the finish with all his/her pieces wins. Because of the similar rules, many people compare this game with the game\nSorry!. The game of Weiqi was invented by the Chinese Emperor Yao to enlighten his son. From China, this game came to Japan under its present name \u2013 Go. In Japan it experienced its greatest development \u2013 in the 17th century three Go schools were developed, from which the first professional players came. The first European Go club was founded in Pula, and the first Serbian in Kragujevac in 1970. Kragujevac\u2019s Radnicki is still today a leading one in Serbia. This game is proven to increase spatial intelligence and planning abilities.\n\nMahjong is another game from ancient China, thought to have been conceived by Confucius, about 500 years BC. The main part of this game are the three dragons that are associated with three skills thought by Confucius \u2013 benevolence, honesty, and respect for family. In Japan, today there are more than seven million players and more than nine thousand salons\nspecialized for the game. To be successful in this game you need a good strategy and a lot of\ncalculations. Mahjong is a game for two to four players with a set of 144 tiles fe\u00adaturing\nChinese characters and symbols. Players split and throw the tiles 13 times, and on the 14th draw four melds (sets) and a pair (eye) is formed. The tiles can be simple \u2013 numbered, or honorable \u2013 winds and dragons. You can steal a tile from your opponent and win. Playing mahjong helps with cognitive memory problems and against dementia.\nMahjong, Alex Wong, Getty Images\nAnd from Europe…\nThe game of draughts was created in 1723 in France, and the first world championship took place in 1984. The French, Dutch, and Belgians even founded the World Draughts Federation. This game is played on a board with 100 fields, 50 black and 50 white. Each player has 20 pieces that move across the board diagonally towards the opponent. When the player\u2019s piece comes to the opponent\u2019s piece that has a free field behind it, the player skips it and captures it. All pieces start off as plain and become kings when they reach the field in the last row. The king consists of two regular pieces stacked atop one another and can move diagonally in all directions, by as many fields as the player wants. The objective is to capture all the opposing pieces, or to block their next move.\nOne of the most famous games of today, Risk, was invented by French producer Albert Lamorisse in 1957under a different name and later bought and published under its present name by Parker Brothers Co. in 1959. At the beginning of the game, each player pulls a card\nfrom the deck on which the task is written. The board is actually the map of the world, so the second deck of cards contains names of countries that can be conquered. The objective is to complete the task from the first card, which is secret until the game ends.\nTabletop games in the US\nAs the pilgrims and puritans associated dice with the devil, the first tabletop game came to America only in 1822, and all American games from the beginning of the 19th century were thematically related to religion. Only at the end of that century the first game based on capitalism and materialism came to the American market.\nMonopoly was created in 1903, but it looked completely different from what it looks like today. The first version of this game was created as a protest against the taxes and monopoly system in the United States and a warning of the dangers of greed and promoted introducing higher taxes for the rich. In 1930, the game was sold to Parker Brothers Co. under today\u2019s name \u2013 Monopoly. By 2015, Monopoly had been sold in more than a billion copies, making it the bestselling tabletop game of all time!\nAnother game that is very popular today was created in the US. Yahtzee was bought by E.S. Lowe in the 1950s (one of his professions was the production of games) from an unknown Canadian couple who called the game \u201cThe Yacht Game\u201d because they played it with their friends on their yacht. When Milton Bradley bought E.S. Lowe in 1973, it also inherited the right to manufacture and sell Yahtzee. Hasbro, the current owner of this game, claims that more than 50 million copies of Yahtzee are sold worldwide every year.\nPlay, it\u2019s good for your health!\nTabletop games can be a good choice for Saturday night with family or friends \u2013 adjust your schedules, turn off your mobile phones, and play away. In addition to good fun, these games\nalso have positive effects on your health. Also, tabletop games can be a great choice for relaxing the mood and strengthening relationships among employees, or for involving and\nbreaking the ice among participants at a conference or seminar. Playing tabletop games is a source of good entertainment, as well as laughter, which increases the level of endorphins \u2013 the happiness hormone, which helps relax muscles and blood circulation, lowers blood\npressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system.\nAlso, laughter and fun can increase the level of empathy and connectedness with the people we play with and strengthen family relationships. In addition to this benefit, tabletop games enhance memory at older age and reduce the risk of developing diseases like dementia\nor Alzheimer\u2019s. So, find some free time, get your favorite game out, or try a new one. And we recommend one that appeared only recently \u2013 Revolution.\n\nDID YOU KNOW?\n\u00b7 The oldest dice were found in a tomb in Turkey and are more than 5000 years old.\n\u00b7 The first game intended for children was hopscotch, invented in the Roman Empire around\n500 BC.\n\u00b7 At the beginning of the 1960s, the slogan for Yahtzee was \u201cThe fun game that makes\nthinking fun!\u201d\nNevena Ilic\nThe post Tabletop Games \u2013 Learning Through Fun appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-04-11T10:30:35+02:00", "date_modified": "2018-04-11T10:30:35+02:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/naslovna-37.jpg", "tags": [ "chess", "dice", "go", "history of tabletop games", "mahjong", "monopoly", "pachisi", "revolution", "risk", "royal game of ur", "sorry!", "tabletop games", "yahtzee", "Hot topics", "OMG... Really?!" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/the-brave-little-toaster-on-a-mission-to-rescue-friendship/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/the-brave-little-toaster-on-a-mission-to-rescue-friendship/", "title": "The Brave Little Toaster on a Mission to Rescue Friendship", "content_html": "

Analog cameras and record players have been living their do-over for a some time now.

\n

Jilted in the 1990s, when we enthusiastically gave in to the crystal clear sound of the compact disc and the crystal sharp image of digital photography measured by dozens of megapixels, they \u2013 very slowly, but unstoppably \u2013 have been ascending from our basements and our lives to everyday life driven by nostalgia and desire for touch, traditional ownership, and who knows what other mechanisms.

\n
\n

Tabletop games are another concept that is experiencing its comeback through a phenomenon that is increasingly referred to as the post-digital era. This is not a rejection of technological progress, but instead a pursuit of ways to get more comfortable in a world where tactile and physical experiences are lacking more and more. Not all items have experienced \u201creturns\u201d like books, records, and social games. Perhaps the reason is that these items are not mere things. Many probably remember \u2013 and many will certainly recall now \u2013 Disney\u2019s cartoon The Brave Little Toaster, in which one little brave toaster leads an entourage of discarded home appliances, outdated for their technology, on a mission of rescue from the jaws of recycling. A somewhat more recent animated film titled Toy Story (Pixar) tackles similar topics \u2013 a group of discarded toys are on a mission of reminding their beloved owner of the good old days when they were helping him to grow up. Both stories deal with alienation, rejection, and the need to be useful, to be part of life. Using this concept, in these films inanimate objects become anthropomorphic to accentuate their role in shaping everyday life and our own selves, as well as to obscure the industrial and mercantile aspects of their inception. They are not just \u201cone in a series of identical products\u201d \u2013 through use and belonging, they have acquired a special identity.

\n

\"\"

\n
\n

Owning things in these stories is not one-sided. These objects also own their owner, and this power of ownership is reserved only for tactile, palpable objects. Viewed in this way, the old cottage where the brave little toaster has been forgotten along with his friends becomes a
\nmetaphor for the remote corners of our memories. The cracking of vinyl, fragrant cinnamon and orange biscuits, strings of Christmas tree lights, tabletop games\u2019 boxes on the living room carpet, and a camera loaded with a new roll of film waiting for the key moment were all once the New Year\u2019s Eve standard. These gadgets, retired into the upper shelves of closets or basements, remained completely forgotten for some time.

\n

Virtual environment is probably not going to become a replacement for the physical anytime soon, nor will it be able to engage the players brought together by the game in the same way. Tabletop games require participation and activity of all involved. They encourage joint creativity in disconnecting from everyday life.

\n

Recently, we\u2019ve been remembering them more often. This is evidenced also by the comeback of analog media over the last decade. What prompted them to embark \u2013 like the brave little toaster \u2013 on a mission of reminding us of their existence? Nostalgia is the first answer that could partly explain this new phenomenon of old things making their comebacks. However, the reality is far more complex because these items are not coming back only in their old and well-known forms \u2013 they are being completely reborn.

\n

\"\"

\n

The end of 1980s saw a slight but constant decline in tabletop games sales (board and card games that were grouped together under this name). The response of well-known, big tabletop games manufacturers, like Hasbro or Milton Bradley, to the sluggish market in decline was reflected in the production of new themed variants of popular games such as Monopoly and Risk. Innovation in the games industry first moved into the world of video games played on special consoles, and then into the digital world, with its ever faster internet connections. However, over the last 15 years, the tabletop games market has changed dramatically. Now it\u2019s divided into four categories: mass market games, hobby games, Eurogames, and American-style games.

\n

Tabletop games can fortify friendships because their goal is not only to win but also to spend time in creating the mood together.

\n

The mass market games are all those all-familiar games with their myriad variations (Monopoly, Clue, Risk…). These are the so-called modern classics that can be found in toy stores or supermarkets. The tabletop games market segment defined as hobby games today has the biggest share in the games market, making up nearly half of revenue that the market generates. These are very complex games (role playing, card exchange, miniature games) for die-hard players who are also collect sets or individual components of certain games. European and American games vary greatly in duration and complexity of their components. While European games are more focused on faster pace, strategy, and logic, American games often have many components, and sessions are longer and based on specific themes. The existence of a significant and differentiated market speaks to the still-present desire to play tabletop games in spite of numerous adjective computer games that can also be played with others.

\n

\"\"

\n

However, through high-speed networks, playing computer games has taken on a solitary character. The players don\u2019t share physical space, but instead they make their moves and communicate by means of the computer remotely \u2013 most often not even knowing each other. While playing computer games can satisfy a segment of the need for excitement and play, one important component is missing \u2013 exposure (vulnerability) and non-verbal communication.

\n
\n

Video games \u2013 although dependent on consoles and TV screens \u2013 still involve sharing space and non-verbal communication, and this is also the case with the first computer games played on Spectrum, Atari, and Commodore (remember those game sessions after school?), while computer games that are played online \u2013 whether alone or with people in distant parts of the world \u2013 prohibit this experience. In these games, others are just another component of the game. They can really exist but not necessarily. They can be computers or humans, the difference remaining unnoticed. The magic that completes tabletop games is created when friends gather around the table. Players become active, exchanging jokes and laughing; they become exposed, vulnerable… Perhaps this need for true interpersonal interaction is the precise reason that prompted the comeback of tabletop games. Virtual environment is probably not going to become a replacement for the physical anytime soon, nor will it be able to engage the players brought together by the game in the same way. Tabletop games require participation and activity of all involved. They encourage joint creativity in disconnecting from everyday life. Playing online achieves this in part, but the effect is not complete because it doesn\u2019t make the participants \u201cmore alive\u201d, mostly due to the predefined creative possibilities that are part of improvisation during gameplay.

\n
\n

Exchanging ideas, promoting creativity, strengthening relationships, creating lasting memories, and structuring quality time together are at the core of the need for playing
\ntabletop games.

\n

Digital games limit possible moves, while in tabletop games interaction takes place on multiple levels and is much more complex. It involves the game on the board, as well as what happens outside the game that the game initiates. The players are physically present and their non-verbal communication shows whether they are excited or frustrated, whether they\u2019re enjoying themselves or having fun. Tabletop games can fortify friendships because their goal is not only to win but also to spend time in creating the mood together. If the players meet regularly to play Dixit for example, they will often get to know each other better, and many moves will be retold like fond memories for a long time.

\n

\"\"

\n

The players will often form their own communication codes that will bring them even closer in the real sense of understanding each other better than the rest of the world. The time we spend together shapes our family and social relationships. When we gather around the colorful board, we enter a world that we create together. The board, figures, dice, cards \u2013 they all become inspiration. Winning often becomes secondary, and the main goal is exchanging ideas. Exchanging ideas, promoting creativity, strengthening relationships, creating lasting memories, and structuring quality time together are at the core of the need for playing tabletop games.

\n

The same reasons prompted the creation of the board game Revolution. We at Lush Life, friends from high-school days, when tabletop games were standard for summers at the beach and long winter nights with hot chocolate, wanted to focus our design, architecture, and psychology skills, which we use to change the world for the better and make a living, on creating a game for our families. We wanted to connect even more through the game. After playing it for two years, we discovered that the game not only connects us but also shapes us, expands our views, and provokes our known and hidden talents to develop. So the game was developed by developing us. It was getting new components and its world was expanding, just like ours was. The kids took part in its creation and shaping along our side, so sometimes it\u2019s hard to say where the game begins and where the creation starts. Now many of our gatherings involve playing our Revolution.

\n

\"\"

\n

It represents the Earth\u2019s path around the Sun and a revolution in the way we spend time together. Through it, we realized that cooperative tabletop games, where players have a common goal, can encourage us to be more honest, as well as more open and free in mutual communication. Now, when we are eager to spend time together and have fun, we don\u2019t turn to the screens of our phones, computers, or TVs, but instead we turn to each other because we know that what we\u2019re looking for we won\u2019t get through passive absorption of information. Instead, we get it through playing \u2013 and being truly present.

\n

 

\n

Katarina Nikolic

\n

www.lushlife.world

\n

The post The Brave Little Toaster on a Mission to Rescue Friendship appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "Analog cameras and record players have been living their do-over for a some time now.\nJilted in the 1990s, when we enthusiastically gave in to the crystal clear sound of the compact disc and the crystal sharp image of digital photography measured by dozens of megapixels, they \u2013 very slowly, but unstoppably \u2013 have been ascending from our basements and our lives to everyday life driven by nostalgia and desire for touch, traditional ownership, and who knows what other mechanisms.\n\nTabletop games are another concept that is experiencing its comeback through a phenomenon that is increasingly referred to as the post-digital era. This is not a rejection of technological progress, but instead a pursuit of ways to get more comfortable in a world where tactile and physical experiences are lacking more and more. Not all items have experienced \u201creturns\u201d like books, records, and social games. Perhaps the reason is that these items are not mere things. Many probably remember \u2013 and many will certainly recall now \u2013 Disney\u2019s cartoon The Brave Little Toaster, in which one little brave toaster leads an entourage of discarded home appliances, outdated for their technology, on a mission of rescue from the jaws of recycling. A somewhat more recent animated film titled Toy Story (Pixar) tackles similar topics \u2013 a group of discarded toys are on a mission of reminding their beloved owner of the good old days when they were helping him to grow up. Both stories deal with alienation, rejection, and the need to be useful, to be part of life. Using this concept, in these films inanimate objects become anthropomorphic to accentuate their role in shaping everyday life and our own selves, as well as to obscure the industrial and mercantile aspects of their inception. They are not just \u201cone in a series of identical products\u201d \u2013 through use and belonging, they have acquired a special identity.\n\n\nOwning things in these stories is not one-sided. These objects also own their owner, and this power of ownership is reserved only for tactile, palpable objects. Viewed in this way, the old cottage where the brave little toaster has been forgotten along with his friends becomes a\nmetaphor for the remote corners of our memories. The cracking of vinyl, fragrant cinnamon and orange biscuits, strings of Christmas tree lights, tabletop games\u2019 boxes on the living room carpet, and a camera loaded with a new roll of film waiting for the key moment were all once the New Year\u2019s Eve standard. These gadgets, retired into the upper shelves of closets or basements, remained completely forgotten for some time.\nVirtual environment is probably not going to become a replacement for the physical anytime soon, nor will it be able to engage the players brought together by the game in the same way. Tabletop games require participation and activity of all involved. They encourage joint creativity in disconnecting from everyday life.\nRecently, we\u2019ve been remembering them more often. This is evidenced also by the comeback of analog media over the last decade. What prompted them to embark \u2013 like the brave little toaster \u2013 on a mission of reminding us of their existence? Nostalgia is the first answer that could partly explain this new phenomenon of old things making their comebacks. However, the reality is far more complex because these items are not coming back only in their old and well-known forms \u2013 they are being completely reborn.\n\nThe end of 1980s saw a slight but constant decline in tabletop games sales (board and card games that were grouped together under this name). The response of well-known, big tabletop games manufacturers, like Hasbro or Milton Bradley, to the sluggish market in decline was reflected in the production of new themed variants of popular games such as Monopoly and Risk. Innovation in the games industry first moved into the world of video games played on special consoles, and then into the digital world, with its ever faster internet connections. However, over the last 15 years, the tabletop games market has changed dramatically. Now it\u2019s divided into four categories: mass market games, hobby games, Eurogames, and American-style games.\nTabletop games can fortify friendships because their goal is not only to win but also to spend time in creating the mood together.\nThe mass market games are all those all-familiar games with their myriad variations (Monopoly, Clue, Risk…). These are the so-called modern classics that can be found in toy stores or supermarkets. The tabletop games market segment defined as hobby games today has the biggest share in the games market, making up nearly half of revenue that the market generates. These are very complex games (role playing, card exchange, miniature games) for die-hard players who are also collect sets or individual components of certain games. European and American games vary greatly in duration and complexity of their components. While European games are more focused on faster pace, strategy, and logic, American games often have many components, and sessions are longer and based on specific themes. The existence of a significant and differentiated market speaks to the still-present desire to play tabletop games in spite of numerous adjective computer games that can also be played with others.\n\nHowever, through high-speed networks, playing computer games has taken on a solitary character. The players don\u2019t share physical space, but instead they make their moves and communicate by means of the computer remotely \u2013 most often not even knowing each other. While playing computer games can satisfy a segment of the need for excitement and play, one important component is missing \u2013 exposure (vulnerability) and non-verbal communication.\n\nVideo games \u2013 although dependent on consoles and TV screens \u2013 still involve sharing space and non-verbal communication, and this is also the case with the first computer games played on Spectrum, Atari, and Commodore (remember those game sessions after school?), while computer games that are played online \u2013 whether alone or with people in distant parts of the world \u2013 prohibit this experience. In these games, others are just another component of the game. They can really exist but not necessarily. They can be computers or humans, the difference remaining unnoticed. The magic that completes tabletop games is created when friends gather around the table. Players become active, exchanging jokes and laughing; they become exposed, vulnerable… Perhaps this need for true interpersonal interaction is the precise reason that prompted the comeback of tabletop games. Virtual environment is probably not going to become a replacement for the physical anytime soon, nor will it be able to engage the players brought together by the game in the same way. Tabletop games require participation and activity of all involved. They encourage joint creativity in disconnecting from everyday life. Playing online achieves this in part, but the effect is not complete because it doesn\u2019t make the participants \u201cmore alive\u201d, mostly due to the predefined creative possibilities that are part of improvisation during gameplay.\n\nExchanging ideas, promoting creativity, strengthening relationships, creating lasting memories, and structuring quality time together are at the core of the need for playing\ntabletop games.\nDigital games limit possible moves, while in tabletop games interaction takes place on multiple levels and is much more complex. It involves the game on the board, as well as what happens outside the game that the game initiates. The players are physically present and their non-verbal communication shows whether they are excited or frustrated, whether they\u2019re enjoying themselves or having fun. Tabletop games can fortify friendships because their goal is not only to win but also to spend time in creating the mood together. If the players meet regularly to play Dixit for example, they will often get to know each other better, and many moves will be retold like fond memories for a long time.\n\nThe players will often form their own communication codes that will bring them even closer in the real sense of understanding each other better than the rest of the world. The time we spend together shapes our family and social relationships. When we gather around the colorful board, we enter a world that we create together. The board, figures, dice, cards \u2013 they all become inspiration. Winning often becomes secondary, and the main goal is exchanging ideas. Exchanging ideas, promoting creativity, strengthening relationships, creating lasting memories, and structuring quality time together are at the core of the need for playing tabletop games.\nThe same reasons prompted the creation of the board game Revolution. We at Lush Life, friends from high-school days, when tabletop games were standard for summers at the beach and long winter nights with hot chocolate, wanted to focus our design, architecture, and psychology skills, which we use to change the world for the better and make a living, on creating a game for our families. We wanted to connect even more through the game. After playing it for two years, we discovered that the game not only connects us but also shapes us, expands our views, and provokes our known and hidden talents to develop. So the game was developed by developing us. It was getting new components and its world was expanding, just like ours was. The kids took part in its creation and shaping along our side, so sometimes it\u2019s hard to say where the game begins and where the creation starts. Now many of our gatherings involve playing our Revolution.\n\nIt represents the Earth\u2019s path around the Sun and a revolution in the way we spend time together. Through it, we realized that cooperative tabletop games, where players have a common goal, can encourage us to be more honest, as well as more open and free in mutual communication. Now, when we are eager to spend time together and have fun, we don\u2019t turn to the screens of our phones, computers, or TVs, but instead we turn to each other because we know that what we\u2019re looking for we won\u2019t get through passive absorption of information. Instead, we get it through playing \u2013 and being truly present.\n \nKatarina Nikolic\nwww.lushlife.world\nThe post The Brave Little Toaster on a Mission to Rescue Friendship appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-03-23T13:07:54+01:00", "date_modified": "2018-03-26T12:34:17+02:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/naslovna-33.jpg", "tags": [ "friendship", "life lush", "mission", "monopoly", "revolution", "risk", "tabletop games", "LIFESTYLE", "OMG... Really?!" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/play-and-learn-intoduction-in-26th-issue-of-seebtm-magazine/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/play-and-learn-intoduction-in-26th-issue-of-seebtm-magazine/", "title": "Play and Learn: Intoduction in 26th Issue of SEEbtm Magazine", "content_html": "

Cover Story: Play and Learn

\n

Are people who spent more time in their childhood playing or who still play in their adulthood more creative, adaptable, or sociable? I am convinced that the answer is affirmative, and there are also many studies that support this thesis. Not only that, but the decision-making ability, quick thinking, memory, competitive spirit, and motivation to be even better are
\ndeveloped from an early age, through play.

\n
\"Miona
Miona Milic
\n

These qualities and many others \u2013 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree \u2013 are very important in business, as well as in everyday life. Do we get angry when we lose? Do we have issues with accepting responsibility for our actions? Are we able to logically dissect a major problem into several smaller components so that we can be more efficient at getting to its solution? Are we able to anticipate our competition\u2019s or opponents\u2019 next move? Are we able to abstain from immediate satisfaction in order to get to a bigger reward in the end? Are we able to use what we have \u2013 something seemingly useless \u2013 and make something new and original? And last, but not least: Are we able to have fun?

\n

We learn all this from the earliest age through different games that most likely came to your mind while reading these questions. Playing is a crucial tool for developing intellectual and psychosocial qualities in any child and later, of course, adult person. Here \u2013 above all \u2013 I\u2019m thinking board games, those that are played in person, through interaction with other people. They teach us communication, as well as all types of intelligence (logical, social, self- awareness, visual and spatial, linguistic, musical, physical, and ecological).

\n

Team building games are one example of using playing to develop and strengthen team spirit. But games can be used for all of the above, too, and in practice at work also for improving focus, productivity, relaxedness, and a generally positive attitude towards life and work. This SEEbtm issue centers on awakening that something child like inside us.

\n

So, invite your friends and coworkers and start playing!

\n

And another tip: Do not let your kids win every time when you play with them. Think and you\u2019ll understand what that teaches them. The main task of any parent should be equipping the child for independent and real life and developing the ability to invest effort, make progress, and fight for himself/herself and his/her success.

\n

\u201cTake time to play,
\n it is the secret of staying young\u201d

\n

Miona Milic,
\n Editor-in-Chief

\n

The post Play and Learn: Intoduction in 26th Issue of SEEbtm Magazine appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "Cover Story: Play and Learn\nAre people who spent more time in their childhood playing or who still play in their adulthood more creative, adaptable, or sociable? I am convinced that the answer is affirmative, and there are also many studies that support this thesis. Not only that, but the decision-making ability, quick thinking, memory, competitive spirit, and motivation to be even better are\ndeveloped from an early age, through play.\nMiona Milic\nThese qualities and many others \u2013 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree \u2013 are very important in business, as well as in everyday life. Do we get angry when we lose? Do we have issues with accepting responsibility for our actions? Are we able to logically dissect a major problem into several smaller components so that we can be more efficient at getting to its solution? Are we able to anticipate our competition\u2019s or opponents\u2019 next move? Are we able to abstain from immediate satisfaction in order to get to a bigger reward in the end? Are we able to use what we have \u2013 something seemingly useless \u2013 and make something new and original? And last, but not least: Are we able to have fun?\nWe learn all this from the earliest age through different games that most likely came to your mind while reading these questions. Playing is a crucial tool for developing intellectual and psychosocial qualities in any child and later, of course, adult person. Here \u2013 above all \u2013 I\u2019m thinking board games, those that are played in person, through interaction with other people. They teach us communication, as well as all types of intelligence (logical, social, self- awareness, visual and spatial, linguistic, musical, physical, and ecological).\nTeam building games are one example of using playing to develop and strengthen team spirit. But games can be used for all of the above, too, and in practice at work also for improving focus, productivity, relaxedness, and a generally positive attitude towards life and work. This SEEbtm issue centers on awakening that something child like inside us.\nSo, invite your friends and coworkers and start playing!\nAnd another tip: Do not let your kids win every time when you play with them. Think and you\u2019ll understand what that teaches them. The main task of any parent should be equipping the child for independent and real life and developing the ability to invest effort, make progress, and fight for himself/herself and his/her success.\n\u201cTake time to play,\n it is the secret of staying young\u201d\nMiona Milic,\n Editor-in-Chief\nThe post Play and Learn: Intoduction in 26th Issue of SEEbtm Magazine appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-03-23T09:45:11+01:00", "date_modified": "2018-03-23T09:45:11+01:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/naslovna-32.jpg", "tags": [ "events", "fun", "introdction", "meetings", "play and learn", "tabletop games", "Hot topics", "NEWS" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/play-for-greater-satisfaction-and-productivity/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/play-for-greater-satisfaction-and-productivity/", "title": "Play for Greater Satisfaction and Productivity", "content_html": "

This issue of SEEbtm examines the importance of play for intellectual, social and psychological development and to what extent are early-age play and success in learning \u2013 and later on in work \u2013 related.

\n

In addition to this, we conducted a survey on how much adult people (employees) play and whether playing tabletop games can contribute to productivity and job satisfaction. Gamification is a recently coined term that is often used in the context of implementing games in strategies for engaging participants at events or resolving situations and increasing productivity and focus among employees. Games that are used for this can be of different nature, from video games and simulations to various tabletop games and solving physical and logical obstacles that mostly fall under team building activities.

\n

\"\"

\n

A very broad spectrum of existing games can be used for this purpose, as well as for developing new games that are custom-made for a particular company or event, or for special occasions and specific goals. The game chosen depends, above all, on the desired
\nobjectives, target audience, and viability.

\n

This issue of SEEbtm and our survey focus primarily on tabletop games and their application, presence, and viability in practice, based on the experiences and opinions of regional event planning professionals. Most of the survey respondents (86 %) play tabletop games at home. The most popular ones are Sorry! and Yahtzee (52.6 %), which are followed by Monopoly and Fun Geography. Pictionary and Risk are also quite common, as are various
\ncard games. Around 10 % play chess at home, but draughts, Battleship, Clue, and other games are also far from forgotten (Charts 1 and 2).

\n

\u00b7 86 % play tabletop games at home
\n\u00b7 44 % played games at work
\n\u00b7 40 % played games at events
\n\u00b7 87 % think that playing games can make meetings and employees more productive
\n\u00b7 91 % think that playing games can increase satisfaction at work or events

\n
\n

A significant number of respondents (43.5 %) used games at work, most often icebreakers \u2013 35 % and tabletop games mentioned above among games played at home . Brain teasers at work were played by 20 %, while other games such as Solitaire, Minsk and the like were played by 15 % (Charts 3 and 4). Nearly 40 % of the respondents played games at events, most of them being brain teasers (88.9 %) and icebreakers (44.4 %) \u2013 Charts 5 and 6.

\n

\"\"

\n
\n

\"\"

\n
\n

Overall, based on the survey and the respondents\u2019 responses, a large percentage of people play tabletop games at home \u2013 almost 90 %, while around 40 % use games at work and events. Icebreakers are mostly used for increasing productivity at meetings and at work, while brain teasers are the most frequently used games at events.

\n

\"\"

\n
\n

\"\"

\n

DID YOU KNOW?

\n

There is a cafe in Moscow \u2013 \u201eDidu\u2019\u2019 where guests can play with dough while waiting for their order, or a friend, to arrive. Therefore, walls, ceiling and parts of furniture are decorated
\nwith more than 140,000 figures, small unique pieces made out of dough. The most notable is Mona Lisa, made out of 120 kg of dough that even made it into Guinness World Records
\nbook. This is definitely an original and efficient way to connect with guests through playing, have them involved and leaving their personal mark.

\n

\"\"

\n

If you\u2019ve never done it before, we suggest that you seriously consider introducing games at work and events, first and foremost because 87 % of the respondents think that playing games increases productivity at meetings and among employees, while a staggering 91 % believe that this most definitely increases satisfaction among employees and participants at events. If you\u2019re looking for ways to motivate your employees, increase their loyalty, and optimize your team, as well as ensure your event participants\u2019 satisfaction, the solution is obvious: Let them play games.

\n

TIP

\n

If you want to move your meeting out of the standard office surrounding and, at the same time, play and be physically active, you should visit a Snap bar in Belgragde\u2019s Francuska street. There, you can play a round of table tennis while having drinks or eating. Organize a mini tournament, have some fun, and maybe you\u2019ll come up with a solution to a problem that has been bothering you for a while.

\n

The post Play for Greater Satisfaction and Productivity appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "This issue of SEEbtm examines the importance of play for intellectual, social and psychological development and to what extent are early-age play and success in learning \u2013 and later on in work \u2013 related.\nIn addition to this, we conducted a survey on how much adult people (employees) play and whether playing tabletop games can contribute to productivity and job satisfaction. Gamification is a recently coined term that is often used in the context of implementing games in strategies for engaging participants at events or resolving situations and increasing productivity and focus among employees. Games that are used for this can be of different nature, from video games and simulations to various tabletop games and solving physical and logical obstacles that mostly fall under team building activities.\n\nA very broad spectrum of existing games can be used for this purpose, as well as for developing new games that are custom-made for a particular company or event, or for special occasions and specific goals. The game chosen depends, above all, on the desired\nobjectives, target audience, and viability.\nThis issue of SEEbtm and our survey focus primarily on tabletop games and their application, presence, and viability in practice, based on the experiences and opinions of regional event planning professionals. Most of the survey respondents (86 %) play tabletop games at home. The most popular ones are Sorry! and Yahtzee (52.6 %), which are followed by Monopoly and Fun Geography. Pictionary and Risk are also quite common, as are various\ncard games. Around 10 % play chess at home, but draughts, Battleship, Clue, and other games are also far from forgotten (Charts 1 and 2).\n\u00b7 86 % play tabletop games at home\n\u00b7 44 % played games at work\n\u00b7 40 % played games at events\n\u00b7 87 % think that playing games can make meetings and employees more productive\n\u00b7 91 % think that playing games can increase satisfaction at work or events\n\nA significant number of respondents (43.5 %) used games at work, most often icebreakers \u2013 35 % and tabletop games mentioned above among games played at home . Brain teasers at work were played by 20 %, while other games such as Solitaire, Minsk and the like were played by 15 % (Charts 3 and 4). Nearly 40 % of the respondents played games at events, most of them being brain teasers (88.9 %) and icebreakers (44.4 %) \u2013 Charts 5 and 6.\n\n\n\n\nOverall, based on the survey and the respondents\u2019 responses, a large percentage of people play tabletop games at home \u2013 almost 90 %, while around 40 % use games at work and events. Icebreakers are mostly used for increasing productivity at meetings and at work, while brain teasers are the most frequently used games at events. \n\n\n\nDID YOU KNOW?\nThere is a cafe in Moscow \u2013 \u201eDidu\u2019\u2019 where guests can play with dough while waiting for their order, or a friend, to arrive. Therefore, walls, ceiling and parts of furniture are decorated\nwith more than 140,000 figures, small unique pieces made out of dough. The most notable is Mona Lisa, made out of 120 kg of dough that even made it into Guinness World Records\nbook. This is definitely an original and efficient way to connect with guests through playing, have them involved and leaving their personal mark.\n\nIf you\u2019ve never done it before, we suggest that you seriously consider introducing games at work and events, first and foremost because 87 % of the respondents think that playing games increases productivity at meetings and among employees, while a staggering 91 % believe that this most definitely increases satisfaction among employees and participants at events. If you\u2019re looking for ways to motivate your employees, increase their loyalty, and optimize your team, as well as ensure your event participants\u2019 satisfaction, the solution is obvious: Let them play games.\nTIP\nIf you want to move your meeting out of the standard office surrounding and, at the same time, play and be physically active, you should visit a Snap bar in Belgragde\u2019s Francuska street. There, you can play a round of table tennis while having drinks or eating. Organize a mini tournament, have some fun, and maybe you\u2019ll come up with a solution to a problem that has been bothering you for a while.\nThe post Play for Greater Satisfaction and Productivity appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-03-21T13:18:05+01:00", "date_modified": "2018-04-30T13:48:40+02:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/naslovna-31.jpg", "tags": [ "games", "meetings", "play", "play on meeting", "productivity", "research", "satisfaction", "survey", "tabletop games", "RESEARCH" ] } ] }