I’m dying for the highly anticipated Diablo III to come out — we’re ONE WEEK AWAY!  On May 15th, millions of people will be in the best moods ever; sitting at their computers with a well stocked desk full of food and beverages.

But — you can earn EXCLUSIVE in-game “Sigils” until May 18th if you participate with the “Mark of Valor” campaign from Blizzard Entertainment.  Sigils are icons on your banners, and once the game releases, they will never be obtainable again.

For those of you newer to the Diablo experience, banners are the way you show off your achievement and progression.  They’re customizable and establish your individuality within the game.

There are FIVE unique Sigils that correspond to each class: Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Wizard and Witch Doctor.

HOW TO GET EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME SIGILS in 10 easy steps:

1. Head over to http://reveal.diablo3.com/en_US ;

2. Click the button “CLAIM YOUR SIGIL” to the right of your screen ;

3.  The Class of the day will pop up.  However, ALL FIVE CLASSES are available to choose from… wait until step #5 below.  (Originally, when this campaign started, every week featured a different class… and as people interacted with the site, more information or assets would be unlocked — developer interviews, class wallpapers, etc.  Now that the progress bar is at 100% — all the Classes are available for The Mark of Valor promotion until May 18th — three days after Diablo III’s release) ;

4. Click “CREATE BANNER” to the right of your screen ;

5.  As mentioned in #4, all five Classes are available so you will now choose which one you’d like to start with ;

6.  ”Create Your Mark of Valor” page will appear.  It asks you to do three things in creating your campaign banner:

• Select a Background:  Upload directly from computer, webcam, or Facebook albums (note: you can crop and position your photo in the interface once it’s uploaded ;
• Customize Your Banner:  Choose colors, positioning and patterns ;
• Customize Your Sigil:  These are not Sigils.  These are little icons that are in addition to the Sigil you will be rewarded with in-game by participating in this campaign.  These are only to make the banner making process fun in uploading your picture.

7.  Once you’re finished, click “Next” on the bottom right of your screen ;

8. To complete your participation and get your exclusive in-game Sigil, you must now:

• Create a nickname for yourself
• Enter your Battle.net Account Email (If you don’t have one click here)
• Check off the two (hard to see) dark circles that say you agree to stuff

9. Post to Facebook if you want ;

10. You’re done!  You should receive an email confirmation from Blizzard saying you will get your exclusive Sigil!

If you want all five – WASH RINSE REPEAT until May 18th.  If you get confused or have additional questions here’s the link to the official FAQ: http://reveal.diablo3.com/en_US/faq

Here are my photos, I did all five.  You can even give them thumbs up and possibly become the “Hero of the Day“!

See me in the “Mark of Valor” Demon Hunter Gallery!

Archery Training

See me in the “Mark of Valor” Witch Doctor Gallery!

On Set for horror movie Bled as “Kerra”

See me in the “Mark of Valor” Barbarian Gallery!

On Set for Foam Weapon League Battle #3 as “Commander Mauler“

See me in the “Mark of Valor” Monk Gallery! 

Grey Wolf SpiritHood is channeling my inner Monk (get one for 15% off when entering code 8BITY)

See me in the “Mark of Valor” Wizard Gallery!

On Set for Italian Horror feature The Seer as “Claire Seu”

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Featured and Additional Images Via:  Michele Morrow, Mark of Valor and Blizzard Entertainment / Diablo III

We all have something primitive lurking within us.  Tell me… how would you describe your Inner Spirit Animal?  Feel free to answer in the comments below:

Adaptation » Peace » Clarity

Balance » Solitude » Strength

Brave » Curious » Gentle

Confident » Aware » Respectful

Fierce » Powerful » Protective

Guardian » Caretaker » Strength

Intelligent » Free-Spirited » Leader

Loyal » Social » Teacher

Mysterious » Shapeshifter » Beauty

Silent » Mindful » Independent

Trickster » Humor » Cunning

Trickster » Articulate » Lucky

Wisdom » Power » Introspection

Wisdom » Truth » Clairvoyance

Each one of these trait combinations relate to a different Spirit Animal represented throughSpiritHoods, the manufacturier of a unique line of handmade, animal-inspired faux fur accessories.  Their focus is to create a bond with our wild natures while helping endangered animals in the process.

Whether you love video games, fashion, adventure, animals, music, festivals, nightlife, the outdoors or are simply wild at heart – they’re fun to wear and express yourself.  They have a REALLY ADORABLE kid’s line, plus matching sets for “Mom & Me“.  Also, when you purchase a SpiritHood with the PRO BLUE logo, they donate 10% of net profits to a non-profit organization dedicated to helping that particular Spirit animal.

For Level Up readers, you’ll get a 15% discount at checkout if you purchase a SpiritHood online when entering the code:  8BITY

As Gamers, we’ve seen Spirithoods popping up at Gaming related conventions everywhere, all the way from PAX toWondercon.  And after seeing them first hand at Blizzcon and E3 –  I HAD TO HAVE ONE.  While undergoing surgery in December, my boyfriend surprised me with the Grey Wolf.  I gotta say, from a healing perspective, this thing has helped me in ways I’ll never be able to fully describe.  Every time I where mine, it elicits a positive reaction from complete strangers, and that my friends, gives me +18 Charisma and +10 Emotional Resilience.

Even if you live in a warmer climate, it’s all about expressing individuality… and furry ears   I live in California and just got the Grizzly Bear Spirithood.  This is me – all “Instagrammy” – after getting it in the mail, along with my new Lady Sylvanas from the World of Warcraft TCG (we all know my love for Sylvanas):

But even if you’re not a Gamer, Spirithoods have been spotted at fashion shows, music festivals and art openings:

Magic in Las Vegas

Coachella 2012

A team of four cool dudes created the SpiritHoods concept as we currently know it:  Alexander Mendeluk, Ashley Haber, Marley Marotta and Chase Hamilton.  I recently got a chance to talk with SpiritHoods co-founder Alexander Mendeluk AKA “Squirrely” — turns out he’s an avid Gamer!! He’s also an actor from Twilight, NBC’s Grimm and a new horror movie called The Terror Experiment.  Horror genre and video games – can’t go wrong!

In our interview below, find out the true meaning of the SpiritHoods logo, Squirrely’s love for World of Warcraft and Gamer headphone technology inside a new line of ‘Hoods:

Alexander Mendeluk AKA “Squirrely”

Hey Squirrley!  What is your first video game memory?

Late ’80s Mario, level one, on the floor bargaining with my parents not to force me to bed until I kicked Big Bowser’s ass!

Ah yes, I think we all remember those days!  Being that you started with Super Mario Bros., what have been the most important games in your life and how have they influenced who you are today?

The real game changer was EverQuest.  I was so entranced with that game for years after I quit… I would have dreams about it… and I remember over the years always trying to get back to that original feeling through different MMOs.  Then World of Warcraft came out – that was the game that brought me back… it’s absolutely brilliant.  I’m a true nerd at heart.  For those outside of the Gaming world, it’s all about imagination and story telling. When you watch a good movie, you’re transported to a different world to be able to escape.  And a good video game takes entertainment to a whole new level.  It allows people to BECOME someone else — anything they want to be.  Most importantly, it keeps our imaginations alive and allows us to be kids.  I’ll never forget that first feeling of knowing that there was a whole new world out there for me to explore.

Agreed.  Whole-heartedly.  Are there any games that you’re particularly looking forward to?

I’m really looking forward to the new World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion.

Me tooooo.  I’m dying to add the Panda Spirithood to my collection for that very reason:

Video Game YouTuber “TradeChat” in Panda SpiritHood

Okay, so… there’s a burning and exciting question within the Gaming community regarding the SpiritHoods logo. Obviously your symbol of the phoenix is historical – I’ve personally seen renditions of it in Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, Arabic and Native American mythologies.  But with your Gamer history, did you intend to pay homage to The Legend of Zelda’s Triforce and the Hyrule Family Crest?

Our logo is the phoenix and we were inspired by many different sources, like this ring:

We own our trademark and the design, it’s simply a coincidence that they look similar.  But I do love The Legend of Zelda series and I would like to think now, on a personal level, that we’ve paid homage to the games.  However, that wasn’t the original intent.

E3 is around the corner!  I hope to see you guys there.  Any fun plans lined up for SpiritHoods?

Well I’m always looking to top our Vindictus collaboration… last year hundreds of people were fighting and ripping at each other to grab one of the special limited edition ‘Hoods.

We also have an awesome collaboration with Guardians of Luna which will be giving back to our ProBlue.  We are always looking for amazing ways to incorporate SpiritHoods into the Gamer’s experience.  You’ll see us running around E3 for sure.

For Gamers that want to have fun with their families, I’m in love with SpiritHoodsKids - the new “Doodle Hood” is too cute!  What a great way for kids to express their creativity.  But you also recently released Muppet SpiritHoods — can we expect to see another collaboration from you and Disney in the future?

We will be releasing a “Classic Disney Collection” for kids and perhaps a few for adults, but I can’t let the cat out the bag on what characters we will see. I love the nostalgia of the classic Disney characters so we are really excited to see this come to life.

We have a lot in common, Squirrely:  both Gamers, both from the Pacific Northwest and both actors – specifically in the horror genre!  You’ve been in Twilight, New Moon, NBC’s Grimm, and your new movie, The Terror Experiment, just released on Blu-ray and DVD.   Huge congrats!   How do you like being an actor in the realm of horror/fantasy?

I actually grew up on sets, as my father is a director.  I was very fortunate to of traveled and experienced a world of story telling and imagination in many different countries.  While in film school at the Art Institute of Portland, I had to take an acting class as part of my directing curriculum and I truly fell in love with the craft.  I began with commercial work, and then Twilight came to town.  I remember auditioning and not knowing what Twilight was, then I realized how big of a deal it was.  I was called in to audition for Catherine Hardwicke for the role of Emmett, Edwards brother.   I couldn’t sleep or work from anticipation, it’s crazy how quickly your life can change.  When I moved to LA, I worked on NBC’s Grimm.  I picked up both my directing and acting hats when making The Terror Experiment with my father.  It was awesome to be working together as a team; I shot second unit and also played the role of Ryan.

I love the paranormal fantasy world.  When I think of the bottom line, that’s what it’s all about, story telling and entertainment. Every genre and film has a purpose, not all are meant to be the next Oscar winner and that’s why I like B movie genres. You can laugh, you can be scared, you can take it seriously or not. But I like films that don’t take themselves too seriously – or if they do that’s part of the humor in it all.

Squirrely the Koala

Great story, great perspective.  It’s true about how quickly your life can change.  So, what can we expect to see from SpiritHoods in the future?

Wow, that’s a loaded question.  A lot!  But this fall is definitely going to be a whole new SpiritHoods. We have really taken the time and creative energy to further define our products and branch out.  You will see the classic SpiritHoods line revamped, along with built in headphone technology – so you can take you calls, play your Games or listen to music all in your ‘Hood. You will also see new styles outside of your traditional SpiritHoods – we are all very excited!

We’re excited, too! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Squirrely.  Anyone who makes furry hats, plays video games and loves horror movies wins all the points in my book.

Grey Wolf SpiritHood with my kitty/marsupial Samus Aran

What SpiritHood are YOU?

If you get one, make sure to send me a photo or post it here and on the Official SpiritHoods Facebook Page!

Read My “Item Of The Day” Post on HelloGiggles!

Have you ever had something you just can’t live without?  For me, it’s my SpiritHood.  Not only does it make me super happy while wearing it, but it elicits a positive response from everyone I encounter.  It has fuzzy ears and long pockets, it doubles as a shawl and I can fit my lipstick in it’s super secret zipper pocket.  I currently have the Grey Wolf and the Grizzly Bear, but I’m dying for the new Koala!

SpiritHoods is the manufacturier of a unique line of handmade, animal inspired, faux fur accessories.  Their focus is to create a bond with our wild natures, whether you love fashion, adventure, animals, music, festivals, nightlife, the outdoors or are simply wild at heart.  They have a REALLY ADORABLE kid’s line, plus matching sets for “Mom & Me“.  Also, when you purchase a SpiritHood with the PRO BLUE logo, they donate 10% of net profits to a non-profit organization dedicated to helping that particular Spirit animal.

I got a chance to talk to SpiritHoods Co-Founder, Alexander Mendeluk, about what we can expect from SpiritHoods in the future:

“Wow that’s a loaded question.  A lot!  But this fall is definitely going to be a whole new SpiritHoods.  We have really taken the time and creative energy to further define our products and even branch out a bit. You will see your classic SpiritHoods line revamped, along with built in headphone technology – so you can take you calls, play your games or listen to music all in your hood. You will also see new styles outside of your traditional Spirithoods, we are all very excited.”

We’re excited too!  For our readers, you get a 15% discount at checkout if you purchase a SpiritHood online when entering this code:  8BITY

So, what SpiritHood are YOU ?!

Look for my complete interview with Co-Founder Alexander Mendeluk this friday on my regular column Level Up!

Clip from my reel courtesy of Basement Jack, Brink DVD, Black Gate Entertainment, and Island Gateway Films.

CHILLER SCHEDULE (May 1st showings at 9pm and 1am):
http://www.chillertv.com/schedule

BASEMENT JACK ON NETFLIX:
https://signup.netflix.com/movie/Basement_Jack/70125261

BASEMENT JACK ON AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Basement-Jack-Eric-Peter-Kaiser/dp/B002I41KX2

A special thank you to my guild Neverender (especially Moozes) for being the best group of (don’t be a) dicks ever, as well as everyone in the WoW community who took the time to help me heal.

XO to Blizzplanet who held a contest once the Healing Sylvanas Screenshots were underway:
http://www.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/heal-lady-sylvanas-contest-wyvern-gr…

(Congrats to Darniil, who won, and chose the Lady Sylvanas action figure!)

Background Music for Healing Sylvanas Screenshots by The Planet Pluto:

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/483388

LINK IT UP:

Fan me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/michelemorrowladysylvanas

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/michelemorrow

Read a special feature of my blog “Level Up” on HelloGiggles.com:
http://www.hellogiggles.com/michele-morrow

SpiritHoods Brand Ambassador:
Get a 15% discount at checkout when you use my code: 8BITY
http://www.spirithoods.com

Read this week’s “Level Up” featured on HelloGiggles.com!

Level Up’s monthly segment is back! Every last Friday, I will feature one Digital Starlette by profiling her importance in video game history.

This wasn’t intentional, but it seems I’m subconsciously following Nintendo’s chronological order of female leads:  1985 brought us the ultimate damsel-in-distress, Princess Peach (Toadstool), while 1986 delivered our surprise alien bounty-hunter, Samus Aran.

So next we’ll look at 1987, when we first meet the seemingly uncomplicated Princess Zelda (as seen here in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess).

But let’s talk about the origins of Princess Zelda and why I’m crowning her Level Up’s April Digital Starlette.

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, is the chosen guardian for the Triforce of Wisdom.  Along with the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage, these three pieces form a magical relic said to grant a wish to whoever touches it.  Should it fall into the wrong hands – like the series’ main antagonist Ganon – the Kingdom of Hyrule stands to be in great danger.  It is up to Link, with the help of Zelda, to keep the Triforce away from evil.

It’s set up to be an epic storyline, however, with fifteen Zelda titles in 25 years, the timeline got pretty crazy – with Nintendo leaping back and forth from the future to the past, even changing key character traits in the beloved Zelda (notably DS game, Wind Waker, portrayed her as a pirate).  Until December of 2011, diehard fans were entrenched in the mystery of the series’ lineage – heated nerdrages flooded forums.  According to the Zelda wikia:

“Much of the ambiguity of the chronology of the Legend of Zelda series is due to the fact that the games take place over a span of centuries or even millennia, featuring many different incarnations of Link and Princess Zelda.”

However, it’s been recently confirmed that Zelda is actually more than one person!  Unlike the boys from South Park who are eternally bound to 4th grade, Zelda is several women — all descendants of the original Zelda.

To clear up confusion and equally celebrate Zelda’s 25th anniversary, Nintendo published a book called Hyrule Historia (Dec. 2011), which reveals the “official” timeline of the Zelda universe.

For instance, the original Legend of Zelda in 1987 is actually the second to last installment… yet the 2011 release, Skyward Sword, is the very first game in the timeline.  There are three different storylines to follow afterOcarina of Time… and there is a really beautiful diagram in the book.

But, it still feels a bit to me like this:

The varying incarnations of Zelda, however, are what sets her apart from the rest of the pack.  Her first incarnation was the reborn mortal of “Goddess Hylia” – the deity responsible for the care of the Triforce.  This fact sets up the storyline that each descendant in Zelda’s bloodline is capable of magical powers and sagely activity.

The only thing that bothers me about Zelda is that she wasn’t a playable character in the series until The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo DS, 2009)… and even then, as a player, you’re only able to control her after she possesses and takes the form of a “Phantom Guardian”.

But, maybe we can let her off the hook a little because in the many legacies of Zelda, she got to be both a ninja AND a pirate!  Here are pictures of Zelda as her alter-egos Sheik (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 1998) and Tetra (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in 2003), respectively:

Appearance-wise, Princess Zelda always changes it up.  When wearing “Royal” attire, however, she is typically featured in light colors and always donning the Royal Hyrule Family Crest, which features the Triforce:

One of the most important things to consider when talking about female video game characters is the role they play and their relationship with men in the game.  Although constantly kidnapped, Zelda has shown many magical abilities that has helped Link in his adventures.  A couple of Zelda’s incarnations have been referred to as “tomboys” and we’ve never seen her baring much skin.  She isn’t hyper-sexualized like many of her female peers, and stands as a strong role model for young girls.

Zelda was also quite the fighter in The Legend of Zelda cartoon series in late 80′s — she demonstrated several more qualities of a warrior than that of a princess.  In Super Smash Bros., Zelda was playable as both Princess Zelda and her alter-ego Sheik.

Regardless of the confusing chronology, Princess Zelda has some of the most devoted fans on the planet.  Maybe its her air of mystery… or simply the fact that her first game, The Legend of Zelda, changed video games forever — a non-linear RPG, combined with puzzles, quests and a totally open world.  It was the first of it’s kind.

So, congrats Princess Zelda for being Level Up’s April Digital Starlette.

And just for some nostalgia…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyMKWJ5e1kg

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Featured Image Via: NintendoDojo

Additional Images Via: SuperSmashBros Wikia, ZeldaWiki, VipDictionary, SmashBros.com

Read this week’s “Level Up” featured on HelloGiggles.com!

If you’re a nerd and don’t know the brilliance of Jane McGonigal, here are a few of her “Epic Wins”:

1.  Oprah named Jane one of the “20 Most Inspiring Women in the World”

2. New York Times Best-Selling Author for Reality Is Broken

3. “Top 20 Breakthrough Ideas of the Year” by Harvard Business Review

4.  ”10 Breakthrough Ideas In Science” by The New York Times

5.  Ranked #16 All-Time Most Engaging TED talk out of 835 all-time TED talks (as of 2010) .. and that’s one ahead of Bill Gates, who’s ranked at #17.

And, oh yeah… she’s a VIDEO GAME GAME DESIGNER with a PhD from Berkley!

Talk about women working to do good…

“[Jane] has created and deployed award-winning games and secret missions in more than 30 countries on six continents, for partners such as the American Heart Association, the International Olympics Committee, the World Bank Institute and the New York Public Library. She specializes in games that challenge players to tackle real-world problems, such as poverty, hunger and climate change, through planetary-scale collaboration.”

Although McGonigal had been a Game Designer for several years, in the summer of 2009, she suffered a traumatic brain injury.  While writing her book, Reality Is Broken, she banged her head on an open cabinet.  It was an accident.  Suddenly, she couldn’t remember simple things.  When she hadn’t recovered after a month, she found herself in the vicious cycle of pain, anxiety and depression.  The only way to recover from ANYTHING is to break the cycle.  So, naturally, McGonigal turned recovery into a game:  SuperBetter.

I demoed SuperBetter this week and wanted to share with you – my readers – how vastly important I believe this game is.

We’ve all dealt with some variety of injury, illness, disease, anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.  These are usually the “Challenges” that hold us back in life.  I personally sustained a traumatic neck injury four years ago from a stunt accident gone wrong.  I wore a neck brace for over a year.  I went from a career of booking leads in horror movies to enduring life on a banished couch.  I couldn’t move.  I went blind for ten minutes.  And the worst part?  No one had answers.  The doctors put me on a really heavy anxiety medication.  Soon after, I gained thirty pounds and had dramatic mood swings.  Wanna know how I broke the cycle?  Video games.

McGonigal discovered three amazing similarities between recovery and multi-player gaming:

Recovery:

1.  Stay optimistic, set goals, and focus on any positive progress you make.

2.  Get support from friends and family. You can’t do it alone.

3.  Learn to read your symptoms like a ‘temperature gauge’.  How you feel tells you when to do more, do less, or take breaks, so you can gradually work your way up to more demanding activity.

Multi-Player Gaming:

1.  You have clear goals; you track your progress.

2.  You’re connecting with people you like.

3.  You tackle increasingly difficult challenges, but only when you’re ready for them.

Jane McGonigal says, “It immediately occurred to me that these three strategies sound exactly like what you do when you’re playing a good multi-player game.  The only thing missing from the recovery strategies, really, was the meaning – the exciting story, the heroic purpose, the sense of being a part of something bigger. SuperBetter is a superhero-themed game that turns getting better into a multi-player adventure.  It’s designed to help anyone recovering from an injury, or coping with a chronic condition, to get better, sooner – with more fun and less pain and misery along the way.”

SuperBetter launched their FREE public beta just over a month ago – on March 9th, 2012 – and it’s already a hit.

Account creation can be done so via Facebook or through private email.  SuperBetter is available through iTunes and I’ve heard rumors that there is an Android App on its way.

SuperBetter’s Recovery Game is all about the foundation of “Resilience”.  There are four kinds: Physical, Mental, Emotional and Social. The first thing you will encounter is a truly helpful tutorial.  Each type of Resilience will have you complete one easy task – tasks that you can accomplish quite easily.  Every time you accomplish a task, you rack up points for that category. For example, “Emotional Resilience” will ask you to either look out an open window for a few moments or Google your favorite baby animal.  Once you’ve done this, you will have gained +5 Emotional Resilience points and get a very brief video from Jane McGonigal explaining the scientific value of what you just accomplished.

After you’ve gone through the quick four-step tutorial, it will be time to choose your “Challenge”.  Challenges fall under two umbrellas: “Illness or Injury” (cancer, surgery, anxiety, etc)  or  “Health Goal” (losing weight, quitting smoking, running a marathon, etc).

I chose “Physical Injury”.  SuperBetter gave me a “PowerPack”.  Awesome!

“POWERPACK / POWER UPS”:  A “PowerPack” is a set of four pre-designed “Power Ups” (complete with cool little icons) that will help you achieve your health or wellness goals.  For instance, my PowerPack included “Realistic Optimism”, “Master Minder”, “Physical Resilience in 5 Minutes” and “Emotional Resilience in 5 Minutes”.  (For Mid-Core Gamers and above out there wondering… yes, you can change your PowerPack or add more at any time.)

“QUESTS”:  The home page is fresh and friendly, giving you everyday “Quests” to help you break your cycle.  It starts off very easy, so don’t worry.  One of my first “Quests” was to text a friend and say thank you for something.  I got +5 Emotional Resilience!

“BAD GUYS”:  You also have to take on “Bad Guys”.  Bad Guys come in four forms: “Traps”, “Mental Blockers”, “Symptoms” and “Triggers”.  You can choose your own personal Bad Guys and track your progress with how deal with them daily.

“SOCIAL”:  One of my favorite features of SuperBetter is its social element.  This is not a typical social platform, however. You can absolutely choose to stay private.  But the game allows you to chose “Allies” – just a few people you’d like to include (family, close friends) while you play and Recover.   One of the most frustrating issues I’ve personally encountered during Recovery was having to explain the difficulties of my Physical Injury to my loved ones.  As a result, I didn’t want to burden them.  I strongly believe that not having positive and encouraging social experiences during my initial Recovery lead to stagnation.

For those of you curious about the medical accuracy of this game, this is the SuperBetter statement (there are also several medical videos and reading you can access on their website):

“SuperBetter was invented by a game designer, and created with guidance from doctors, psychologists, scientists and medical researchers. Every aspect of the game is designed to harness the power of positive emotions and social connection for better health.”

I’ve been using SuperBetter for a little more than a week and can already see it’s benefits.  I feel like I’m accomplishing something everyday.  I feel more positive about my Recovery.  I like that I can track my progress in a really fun and captivating way.  It’s as simple as that.

I highly recommend you get this game.

And… if you haven’t seen Jane McGonigal’s speech about Gaming, it’s… perfect:

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Featured Image Via: SuperBetter Facebook

Additional Images Via: JaneMcGonigal.com, SuperBetter and Forbes

Welcome to… MY FIRST YouTube video. O.o
THIS IS JUST A TEST to see if it’s somethin’ I wanna do… I’m not all fancy yet with logos / music / camera / etc… but if you guys want me to continue, I’ll get fancy.

Vote TradeChat for Maxim Gamer Girl:
http://maximgamergirl.com/TradeChat

LINKS:

Fan me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/michelemorrowladysylvanas

Follow me on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/michelemorrow

Spirithoods:
Get a 15% discount at checkout when you use my code: 8BITY
http://www.spirithoods.com

Read a special feature of my blog “Level Up” on HelloGiggles.com:
http://www.hellogiggles.com/michele-morrow

=mm=

Read this week’s “Level Up” featured on HelloGiggles.com!

There are at least ten million people on planet Earth that speak a secret language.  The language… of Warcraft.

It’s not often you find another person who speaks this language in “real life”.  And if you do, it gets real pretty fast.

I told you about “Game Slang“, but that was just a beginners glossary.  Every game shares a universal language, each specific game will carry it’s own lingo, and many games pay homage to one another in the form of memes.  But no MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) has been more successful than World of Warcraft with creating their own language.  It’s near impossible to explain this vast phraseology to anyone who hasn’t played the game.  Until now.  I’m no Rosetta Stone or psychologist, but I will attempt a Warcraft translation.

In one of the most rare encounters ever caught on tape, two Warcraft players met in an unlikely circumstance:  a speed dating TV show called ”The World Series Of Dating” on the BBC.  Let’s watch these two potential love birds melt into their own happy little world… much to the announcers’ confusion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMio1UsgraU

Many of you may be thinking the same way as the announcers… “What was that all about?”

Let me translate:

These two were totally excited to hear that the other played World of Warcraft and were immediately interested:

Girl:

Oh my God, we’re two players!

Nervous Marcus:

Oh no way… oh my God.  This is mental.

Girl:

What’d you play?  Oh, you’ve properly excited me now!

“Properly excited”, eh?!  Sounds like “Nervous Marcus” just turned into “Awesome Marcus”!  As any serious Gamer would do, Awesome Marcus had to find out just how “fluent” this Girl was in his language:

Awesome Marcus:

“Are you, like… 85?”

Girl:

“Obviously.”

Awesome Marcus:

“Yea… Do you Raid?”

Loaded question there, Awesome Marcus!  ”85″ refers to the highest level obtainable in the game.  ”Raiding” is one of the ways a level “85″ character can play the game.  Every so subtly, like his Gnome Rogue, Awesome Marcus wanted to know if this adorable Girl was up to his standards of play.

Competitive Raiding takes a great deal of skill and requires a serious understanding of language in order to properly communicate.  This form of gameplay involves:

1)  25 knowledgeable and consistent people…

2)  who are all online…

3)  at the same time…

4)  from all over the world…

5)  to defeat a digital bad guy…

6)  over a Skype-type phone system.

AKA very complex.

Here’s what’s really funny about this video:  ”Awesome Marcus” becomes “Even More Awesome Marcus”:

Even More Awesome Marcus:

While I was in college, not to be… well, this actually sounds big-headed, but I was actually in one of the top Guilds… do you know “Method”?

Girl:

Yea… You were in “METHOD”?!

Never in the history of the world this has ever happened before – a guy IMPRESSED a girl by totally NAME DROPPINGa top ranked World of Warcraft Guild.

Hilarious.  A virtual *High-Five* to Marcus for dissolving his nerves and finding his stride.  And bigger props to that adorable Girl who hopefully won’t find an “Undercover Elitist” on her hands   But that’s another story for another day.  Best of luck to the two of them!

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Featured Image Via: CafePress

Read this week’s “Level Up” featured on HelloGiggles.com!

*** ATTENTION:  THIS WEEK’S LEVEL UP CAUSED ETSY TO REMOVE THE “HUCKUMS” STORE FROM THEIR WEBSITE ONE HOUR AFTER THIS BLOG WAS FEATURED ON HELLOGIGGLES.  THE OWNER WAS NOT ABLE TO COLLECT ANY OF THE MANY PROFITS THAT TRAFFICKED FROM THIS POST.  HUCKUMS CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE IN THE INTERIM WHILE BUILDING A MARKETPLACE WEBSITE.  PLEASE SUPPORT HIM BY “LIKING” THE OFFICIAL HUCKUMS FACEBOOK PAGE.  PIÑATAS ARE STILL FOR SALE $6 FOR ONE $25 FOR 5 (KIRBY LINK PARODY IS $8).  I HAVE SLIGHTLY ALTERED MY SOME OF MY ORIGINAL WORDINGS ON THIS POST TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS HE HAS DEALT WITH.  I WILL NO LONGER BE DOING A “CRAFTY GAMERS” SEGMENT FOR LEVEL UP ***

“Get your Huck on with personal-sized piñata destroyers.  These little guys enjoy being thrown and admired.”

I’ve always loved piñatas.  There’s nothing like blindfolding a person, putting a bat in their hands and spinning them around three times.  Amirite?

Sadly, there’s always someone at the party left disappointed – they didn’t get a shot with the bat or they didn’t get any candy. /sadface

We now have a solution!!

Huckums allow everyone their own personal video game inspired piñatas:

Super Mario Bros. Parody of the 1-Up Mushroom

Creator and designer Michael Jhay Jacinto grew up with a love for video games.  Jacinto says, “I’ve created Huckums to fuel my imagination.  Trying so desperately to not grow up.”

I’m with ya, dude.

So, it’s easy.  Look at the logo (IT’S A UNICORN “H” – I LOVE THESE PEOPLE).  Just open the hatch, stuff it with candy and Huck it against a wall to burst a rainbow of sugary treats!

Super Mario Bros. Parody of the 1-Up Mushroom Hatch

According to the Huckum website:

“Huckums are 4.5 inches in diameter and ready to catch some candy!

This awesome paper mache ball is less than 1 pound (unfilled) and has multiple purposes.

Fill it up with candy and let it fly. Mini Huckums can also be used to throw at an even bigger piñata.

Each mini Huckum has an easy to open and close flap on the back that can be used for candy or whatever special goody you want.”

Kirby Link Parody Huckum – It’s A Perfect Handful

Jacinto has always been inspired by video game battles.  The play-style fits precisely into the Huckum piñata concept:   MINI-BATTLES WITH CANDY!!!

 Multi-colored Byrd Parody and Hungry Green Parody

Poké Ball Parody Huckum Destroyers

I contacted Jacinto and asked him about Huckum availability.  They’re constantly selling out of these things but are also constantly making them.  They recently moved over to Etsy in February 2012 while they revamp their website.  If any order is “sold out”, simply contact Huckums and they will fulfill your order.  Currently, the individual price for each Huckum is approximately $6.00, but is discounted when you order a set of five (around $25.00, depending on your order).

I was very happy to discover that Huckums will create personalized orders!  The possibilities are endless.  They’re currently working on Mario, Peach and Luigi Huckums, a Zombie collection, and Ms. Pac-Man with all her ghosts – among other “secret” projects.  This is an awesome gift for the video game lover in your life.  I’ve asked Huckums to make Resident Evil Umbrellas as well as Horde and Alliance inspired emblems from World of Warcraft.  You name it, they can make it.

Super Mario Bros. Question Mark Block Parody

My sister sent me a Pac-Man Huckum for my birthday last week, filled with Nerd Ropes and 3-pack Sweet Tarts.  I didn’t have the heart to hurl him against the wall…

Pac-Man Parody Huckum

… but I’d definitely smash some Alliance.  #HordeForLife

WHAT KIND OF HUCKUM WOULD YOU WANT??

Have any questions? Contact Huckums.

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Featured and Additional Images Via: Huckums

Read this week’s “Level Up” featured on HelloGiggles.com!

Level Up’s monthly segment is back! Every last Friday, I will feature one Digital Starlette by profiling her importance in video game history.

March is my birthday month, so I’m pulling out the arm cannon.  Donning a helmet, enormous space armor and heavy artillery, everyone assumed Samus Aran was a dude.  However, in the biggest plot twist to ever hit first generation console Gamers, the completion of Nintendo’s Metroid revealed a transformation that surprised and inspired people everywhere:  this badass galactic bounty hunter was actually a woman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaPXrSXZ_Ng

Okay, can we talk -real quick- about the fact that beating Metroid, was ended with a simple: “Great !!” ?? Can you imagine beating a game today without a cinematic cut-scene?  How times have changed…

I know this looks super archaic to new generation Gamers, but Samus Aran is – in my opinion – the most important female in video game history.

So let’s talk about the origins of Samus Aran and why I’m naming her Level Up’s “Ms. March”.

Pronounced “SAM-us AIR-un”, this young girl was raised on a mining planet when it was invaded by Space Pirates led by a dragon-alien named Ridley (yes, I said dragon-alien).  Ridley wiped out Samus’ planet, killing her parents and everyone she loved.  Now an orphan, Samus was raised by bird-type creatures called the Chozo.  The Chozo trained her to become a tremendous warrior, gifting her with an ancient artifact called the ”Power Suit” that intertwined itself with her mind, body and Chozo infused DNA.

The Power Suit allowed her to do things like collapse into a “Morph Ball” to travel through smaller passages, complete with a multipurpose arm cannon.  She tried to join the “Galactic Federation Police”, but she was too awesome for them.  Samus left to become a freelance Bounty Hunter – employed independently by the Galatic Federation.  Samus was called upon to fight these life stealing Metroids and restore peace to space.  I’d love to see a battle between Samus Aran and Boba Fett, wouldn’t you?

Until 1986, almost all video games dominating the scene were vehicle controlled (like Space Invaders) or featured male protagonists (like Super Mario Bros.).  The only mainstream chick out there kicking ass was Ms. Pac-Man (and if you read Level Up’s Ms. January, you’ll discover that she wasn’t even a female to begin with!)  However, Metroid took their female heroine to the next level.

Developer Yoshio Sakamoto said that Metroid’s environment was heavily influenced by Ridley Scott’s film, Alien.  The creators were midway through the game when someone suggested that Samus Aran be based after Ellen Ripley – Sigourney Weaver’s iconic role, as the first Sci-Fi / Horror Final Girl.  This is worth recognizing, as it was one of the first mainstream attempts by game developers to seep cinematic feminism into gameplay.

One of the most important things to consider in talking about female video game characters is the role they play and their relationship with men in the game.  Most of the time, Samus Aran has defended the universe.  Typically silent and emotionless, Samus does find love with a Metroid Hatchling during the series.  Remembering how she was orphaned after her planet was obliterated, Samus saves the Hatchling only to have it stolen by Ridley.  Although Samus fights to save her first “child”, her enemies kill it in an epic battle that Samus, of course, eventually wins.

As far as men are concerned, in the more recent installment, Metroid: Other M, Samus is suddenly and categorically taking orders from Commander Adam Malkovich.  It’s clear that Samus is in love with Adam.  I have no qualms about love stories.  However, this particular portrayal of Samus Aran goes against everything she stood for.  I can appreciate the story line about the Metroid Hatchling, her maternal instincts and her own past haunting her.  However, I feel like Samus was enfeebled.   And maybe this is okay?  Maybe Samus can have love; waiting for the day in which she no longer endures significant pain?  Maybe there’s nothing wrong with this… I just personally wasn’t that into it.  This was not the franchise I’ve come to know.  

According to an interview with IGN, “Sakamoto noted that during the course of the Metroid series, developers constantly try to express Samus’s femininity without turning her into a sex object.”  Here are pictures of the “Power Suit” and the “Zero Suit”.  Do you think Samus has become objectified?

Regardless of what Metroid developers have in store for Samus Aran, I think she’s rad.  She continues to be one of the most popular and well remembered females to grace our monitors, paving way for ALL other digital starlettes.  I will never forget the first time I saw that a girl could be a badass game protagonist too.  Her introduction was a life changer for me.  And, because she was orphaned, I even named my adopted kitten after her.

So, congrats Samus Aran for being Level Up’s “Ms. March”.

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