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Asian Origins Of Gaming Exhibited

Posted by simoniker on from the back-in-the-day dept.

thrashor writes "A major upcoming exhibit of the Asia Society in New York City explores the Asian origins of games - including many of the favorite board games in the English speaking world. The exhibition looks at how games have been as important as trade and religion in transmitting cultural ideas. Backgammon, dice games, chess, and of course (my favorite), Go/Weiqi/Baduk are explored, among many others." The exhibition preview mentions: "Illustrating the importance of games in early societies, mastery of weiqi was considered by Chinese people to be one of four essential cultural accomplishments along with music, calligraphy and painting."

36 comments

  1. Younger kids by Sepper · · Score: 4, Funny

    You forgot to name Final Fantas... What, you mean it's 'board games'? What are those?

    --
    I live in Soviet Canuckistan you insensitive clod!
    1. Re:Younger kids by AvantLegion · · Score: 1
      >> You forgot to name Final Fantas...

      Heh, no they didn't. It's not an exhibit for Asian Origins of Bad Gaming.

  2. Asia does not equal Orient by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Some of the best of these games mentioned actually came from the Middle East. I hate how China/Japan always get credit for the greatest inventions of history, and the Middle East gets labeled goat herders or something.

    1. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Some of the best of these games mentioned actually came from the Middle East. I hate how China/Japan always get credit for the greatest inventions of history.

      Those of us who have bothered to RTFA are aware that it refers to Persia about as often as China. I hate Slashdot posters who write kneejerk posts based on their personal prejudices without bothering to find out whether their complaints actually have any basis in reality.

    2. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by foidulus · · Score: 1

      Heh, very few historians actually count Japan as a major cultural/economic/military power until the 20th centuy, so their influence on the ancient world was minimal....

    3. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia

      Southwest Asia

      It can also be called the Middle East, although that term is occasionally used to also refer to countries in North Africa. Southwest Asia can be further divided into:
      Anatolia, which includes the nation of Turkey
      The island nation of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea.
      The Levant or Near East, which includes Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
      The Arabian peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen and occasionally Kuwait.
      The Caucasus region, including the nations of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
      The Iranian Plateau, containing Iran and parts of other nations.

      Also see Gulf States, for a different grouping involving several of the above countries.

    4. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by nova20 · · Score: 1

      I think you missed his point.

      Think of it like this... when I say "look at that asian kid", do you look for a middle eastern guy? No! You look for a Chinese/Japanese/etc. guy.

      The point is, when someone says "asian", our minds instantly think about south*east* asia.

      -nova20

    5. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by arose · · Score: 1

      My mind knows geographics.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    6. Re:Asia does not equal Orient by mgs1000 · · Score: 1
      The point is, when someone says "asian", our minds instantly think about south*east* asia.

      Since when have China and Japan have been considered to be in southeast Asia? :)

  3. dice by chaosmage42 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "...early Indian sculptures depict the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati competing at dice..."

    "God does not play dice" (Einstein)

    More seriously, did they invent the die? Or just the game of dice? Inventing the die would be very impressive.

    --

    done
  4. freechess.org by bretharder · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not completely off topic...
    If you're looking for a competitive game of chess try www.freechess.org.

    1. Re:freechess.org by arose · · Score: 2, Informative
      And unlike in most stories that mention Chess Go isn't offtopic either...
      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
  5. Asians and games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Last year I was dating this really cute Japanese chick from the comp sci department. She was a very shy girl during the day but, man, at night she was a maniac for sex games! I couldn't believe some of the freaky shit we did! Oh God how i miss her...

  6. Power Up Book by blueZhift · · Score: 3, Informative

    A nice companion to the material in the exhibit might be the upcoming book from BradyGames, Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life . This book, coming out in September, examines not only the history, but also the reasons for the success of Japanese video games. I'll definitely be adding this one to my collection!

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
  7. One, Three to Go... by tktk · · Score: 0, Troll

    Well, I'm as cultured as I'll ever be when it comes to gaming. Now, onto music, painting, & calligraphy.

  8. PANTASHEE STAR ONRINE BAJJON TOOO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    La la la.... la luh la laaaaa.

  9. Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by 2TecTom · · Score: 4, Informative

    With all due respect to Backgammon, Chess and Id, the best game I've ever played is Go. It's easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master. As well, it's deep enough to force a player to actual think all most all of the time. With it's handicap system, even beginners can offer masters a challenging game enjoyable to both.

    American Go Association
    http://www.usgo.org/index.asp

    International Go Federation
    http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/igf/index.htm

    The Interactive Way To Go
    (excellent tutorial)
    http://playgo.to/interactive/

    Tips for Learning Go
    http://go.kestrel.nu/

    Interestingly enough, it remains the one game that cannot be won by brute force number crunching. Even an average player can beat the best Go programs. As such, I conisder it to be a useful tool in the search for meaningingful computing.

    Go is a whole new challenge
    http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/html/go.html\

    If you don't Go, you'll never get anywhere! ;~)

    --
    Words to men, as air to birds.
    1. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by 2TecTom · · Score: 1

      Of course, that should be, "As such, I consider it to be ..."

      --
      Words to men, as air to birds.
    2. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by zonker · · Score: 0

      got any good links to a free go game?

      --

      Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

    3. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by thrashor · · Score: 4, Informative

      Sure... try playing go at kgs or at the Dragon Go Server. You can also play go on Yahoo games. If you want to play go against your computer, try gnugo.

      --
      i just want to play go
    4. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      What is it with all the people advertising Go on Slashdot?

      Do they pay you guys or something?

      Maybe I should start a club of people that plugs Monopoly every time a board game or chess story comes up.

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    5. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by arose · · Score: 1

      This isn't a Chess story, so Go is fine here. I don't like to see Go plugs in Chess stories either.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    6. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Advertising? More like informing. What's with all the peeps who dis others on Slashdot?

      Do they pay you guys or something?

      Maybe I should start a club of people who insult others every time any subject comes up.

    7. Re:Go ... perhaps the best game ever. by 2TecTom · · Score: 1

      and, "think all most all of the time. With it's handicap", should be, "think almost all of the time. With its handicap".

      Sorry, sometimes I'm seriously syntactically challenged. ;~)

      --
      Words to men, as air to birds.
  10. Go Vs. Chess by bretharder · · Score: 1

    Why do all the Go sites try to devalue chess?

    1. Re:Go Vs. Chess by arose · · Score: 1

      Why do all the Chess lovers frown upon Tic-Tac-Toe? :-D To mods: Funny, not flaimbait. I don't really thing that Go/Chess = Chess/TTT.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    2. Re:Go Vs. Chess by bretharder · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I don't frown on tic tac toe; and I don't know of any chess sites that try to devalue it either.
      It just seems odd that every Go site that I've visited has something against Chess.

    3. Re:Go Vs. Chess by arose · · Score: 1

      Many Go players think that Chess steels all the publicity (how many Go stories have you seen on /.?) and potential Go players.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    4. Re:Go Vs. Chess by hunterx11 · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Maybe they just haven't played Fractal Tic-Tac-Toe

      Next on the agenda is 4D Tic-Tac-Toe.

      --
      English is easier said than done.
    5. Re:Go Vs. Chess by hunterx11 · · Score: 1

      That's because we don't live in Japan where they take Go seriously. What's that? More Japanese people play Shogi than Go? Whoops. I bet they play more Xiangqi in China, too.

      --
      English is easier said than done.
    6. Re:Go Vs. Chess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess its frustating for go lovers, that everbody knows chess, but noone knows go. They do not think that go is just another chess like game, but a game with its own merit and the potential to be better than chess. In fact they feel insulted to have to be compared to chess.

      I have played go and i have played chess. I think its more difficult and time consuming to learn playing go adequately, but mastery could be another thing entirely.

      In Other Words:
      Play go
      Play chess
      Have fun

      Coward flees and hides...

    7. Re:Go Vs. Chess by VendingMenace · · Score: 2, Informative

      The do, in fact, play more Xiangqi than GO (or any other board game) in China. In China, Xiangqi is kinda like our checkers -- in that it is often the first strategic (i guess it is really tactical, but whatever) board game that children learn.

      In fact, i think i have read somewhere that Xiangqi is the most played board game in the world. But that is bound to happen to whatever is the most populare thing in China. :)

    8. Re:Go Vs. Chess by VendingMenace · · Score: 1

      Why does Bush attack Kerry, and visa versa?

      Because alot of times we think that we can become the more populare by dropping down someone (or thing) above us a notch or two. Sadly, that seems to be human nature -- to some extent. So when people see that chess is more populare than GO, they think by bashing chess, they can make GO more populare.

      It is sad that this is the case, but please do not judge the message by the messanger (i know it is hard). No matter how poorly GO is presented, it remains a fun game to play. AND a go board and a chess board can even live in harmony next to eachother on the same shelf (ain't it amazing?).

  11. Offtopic? by bretharder · · Score: 1

    Did the post above mine not argue that chess players frown on tic tac toe?
    Did the first post in this thread have several links to Go websites that devalue chess?

    1. Re:Offtopic? by br0ck · · Score: 1

      My fault--attempting to undo. I clearly remember modding this as interesting, but just got the notification that my offtopic mod was unfair. I must have scroll-moused to the wrong mod or something.

  12. Open Source/Free Asian games and their rules by hiroshi912681 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here's some links I collected for my Japanese 101 classmates:
    Hanafuda Card Game (Windows)
    Hanafuda plugin for Flowersol (multiplatform)
    Go Trainer (Windows)
    Go SGF Editors (multiplatform)
    Online Go IGS Clients (multiplatform) Ask people for a teaching game after learning rules, practising
    The Interactive Way to Go Easy to follow online tutorial (requires Java)
    Go An introduction Outlines basic rules in easy to understand comic
    American Go Association The info hub of American Go players
    Shogi Variants (Windows) Japanese Chess, Shogi
    Ricoh Shogi's Page Rules of Shogi (harder to learn rules than Go, IMHO)
    Online Mahjong on Yahoo! Games Requires Yahoo! account, web-based
    Rules of Mahjong this isn't the Shanghai Mahjong you know! Real Mahjong is like poker, not a tile matching game.