Summer Game 2019: The Count

Fri, 09/06/2019 - 11:15am by andrewjmac

Well, Summer Gamers, it's September and that means that Summer Game 2019 is OVER [cue cry of anguish]. Perhaps you've found yourself rushing to your phone or computer each morning looking to LOG, only to be left unable to and axing yourself "Why?".  Maybe visions of badges have been dancing in your head, but you then wake at reveille from your reverie, reviling the month that's revealed.  Well, sorry about that.  Summer Game has to end sometime.  Otherwise it would just be called Game.

And to make it worse (or better, if you have any actual sense), the cool weather arrived early this year, even before the final badges were dropped.  It turns out that was LUCKY for us here at SGHQ, because that has made the temperatures perfectly hospitable for our visiting statistician who still longs for the cool days of his youth in the Carpathian Mountains.  He arrived in his countmobile and got to work on Monday (he doesn't celebrate Labor Day, apparently, though whether it is due to his aristocratic blood or a distaste for hot dogs, we don't know) and with a satisfied "MWAHAHA" of finality he has today delivered the final tally (finally).

So how did it all GO?  Was Summer Game 2019 a SUCCESS?  Truthfully, that is a question we must each ask of ourselves in the long dark hours of the night...OR WE COULD JUST DO THE MATH.  We here at SGHQ are pleased, our statistician seems pleased (though who can tell, he never actually stops laughing), and we hope YOU, dear gamer, are pleased as well.  But in case you feel doubts, here are the numbers:

Players
9,491 players scored points in Summer Game 2019! That's a 16.5% increase over last year for yet another all-time high!

Badges
Players earned 203,883 Summer Game 2019 badges this summer, up a WHOPPING 26.3% from last year! SGHQ created a total of 232 badges that were possible to earn, so that means that each badge was earned an average of 878 TIMES!! This year's top three badges were the Spot TheRide badge (5,420 earns), the Log Jammer badge (4,405 earns), and the Super Summer Reader badge (4,243 earns)--incidentally, these were also the top 3 badges for Summer Game 2018, though Log Jammer and Spot TheRide swapped positions!!

Codes
Players redeemed 976,579 codes in Summer Game 2019! That's an increase of 22.8% over last year, so not to get technical, but, like, HOLY COW! This year we gave you 1,267 codes that could be redeemed, which means that each code was typed in an average of 770 times!  CODETASTIC!!

Read/Watched/Listened
Exactly how much logging went on in Ann Arbor this summer?  Well they apparently don't call it Tree Town for nothing, because players logged 49,682 times this year!!  The most common things logged were Harry Potter, the New York Times, and YouTube, so that just shows you how much we branch out in our media consuming is around here!  We're going to go out on a limb and say this might be the best logging summer ever!

Points
And, as always, we'll end with the biggest number, the one that exhilarated our statistician: this year's total points earned came in at a simply STUPENDOUS 181,500,686 POINTS!! That's a FRANKLY UNBELIEVABLE increase of 50.8% over last year!!  As always, SGHQ is both AMAZED by and A LITTLE BIT WORRIED about you all!

The sad thing is that you've got all those points and NOTHING to do with them, right?  I mean, the Summer Game is done and...what?...WHAT'S THAT?  YOU SAY THE SUMMER GAME SHOP IS STILL OPEN?!  And it is still loaded with COFFEE and TEA and ORBS and TRUCKS and SCARFS and PINS and ALL SORTS OF THINGS!!  If you are still sitting on those points, head on over there and get yourself some STUFF!

But apart from the spending, Summer Game 2019 is truly over.  BUT THAT'S OKAY. It was a GREAT year!  CODES were FOUND!  BADGES were EARNED! PUNS were PUNNED! And hopefully FUN WAS HAD!!  Once we've paid our statistician his fee (always in pennies, more to count that way), we will begin our long winter rest and start working on jokes and badges and codes and new ideas for SUMMER GAME 2020!  We'll SEE you then (see what we did there, with the 2020, come on, we've been doing this all year).  Until then, all we can say is THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #12: MORE in STORE!

Fri, 08/30/2019 - 12:00pm by nicole

It's FINALLY the FINAL BADGE DROP of Summer Game 2019!

We all knew it would come, but the end is finally here! Our travels are coming to a close - but we've got PLENTY MORE in store before we say farewell for another year! Today marks the much-anticipated MASTER BADGE DROP!

Do YOU have incurable FOMO? Have YOU been keeping up with your badges all summer long, unable to bear missing out on a single pun? Then Master Badges are for you!! It's a badge you earn - no, it's a badge you've ALREADY EARNED - for finishing an entire badge series on the Badge List, and it comes with AN ENORMOUS POINT BONUS!

(Warning: Summer Gamemakers are not able to cure FOMO or suggest cures for FOMO or suggest cures for any other medical ailments or stubbed toes or strange rashes. Please consult your primary care physician.)

Badge Drop #12

The game ends at MIDNIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT - you'll have to get your code-hunting and catalog-diving done by then!

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY of the game, which means that tomorrow is ALSO one of the biggest events of the Summer Game, the GAME OVER GALA!  So stop by the Downtown Library tomorrow between 3 and 5 pm for badge coloring, a free photo booth, delicious cookies, and THE FINAL BUILDING-WIDE CODE-HUNT OF THE SUMMER!

OF COURSE there is more, literally, IN THE STORE! Check out what prizes are left to be purchased in the SUMMER GAME SHOP! Remember that the Shop will stay open until midnight on September 9th, so if you want to spend the next week deciding which AWESOME PRIZES you want to buy, then spend a little time today logging, exploring, catalog-hunting, rating, reviewing, reviewing other people's reviews--

Yikes! SO much still to do, but SO little Summer Game left!

Though it's time to say goodbye, don't forget to keep in touch! Come and visit PLAY.AADL.ORG to check up on rare tidbits of future Summer Game news!

And before we flip the GAME OVER switch tomorrow, we'd like to send you off on your post-summer travels with something from the bottom of our hearts...BON VOYAGE and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

It's the FINAL SHOP DROP! Including... SURPRISE CHOCOLATE!

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 6:49pm by eli

This is it, players! The Final CLASSIC SHOP DROP of SUMMER GAME 2019! Featuring an assortment of DELIGHTFUL products, all announced in advance... and a BIG SURPRISE! Yes, deep in the recesses of the SUMMER GAME PRIZE VAULT we found a tub... a heavy tub, filled with MYSTERY and LUXURIOUSLY smelling of the roasted beans of the CACAO. Sure, this chocolate is a year old... so we TOOK ONE FOR THE TEAM and tasted it. AND IT WAS GOOD. This Chocolate is 100% safe, 100% edible and 100% DELICIOUS! Limit one per household, please, this is all we have and we know that EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!

But, that's not all! Beach Balls! Field Notes! Ultrapremium Messenger Bags! Cray Cray Crayons! The return of the enigmatic BEVERAGE WRENCH! With this drop, everything that's in the shop is now in there, so GET SHOPPING!

Especially if you want one of this year's Logo or Summer Game Baseball Shirts. To allow time for manufacturing, the cutoff for ordering either shirt is THIS SUNDAY, August 25th at Midnight. After that, the shirts will no longer be available to order, so if you want one, order one THIS WEEKEND!

And don't miss the excitement at next Saturday's GAME OVER GALA, at the Downtown Library from 3-5 PM on 8/31! Featuring both LIVE and SILENT AUCTIONS for rare Summer Game prizes and art... you won't want to miss this special event! The Auction begins at 4 PM and you'll need to register as a bidder, so arrive in time to get bidding! 

Summer Game is ROLLING towards the Master Badge drop and the LAST DAY for points... so make the most of these waning days of Summer, and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #11: Sad Riddance

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

~cue acoustic guitar~

Another turning point, a player stuck in the road,

Hints grab you by the wrist, directs you where to go.

So make the best of a badge and don't ask why,

It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

Summer's end is predictable, but in the end it's right.

We hope you had the time of your life.

So take the points you made and prizes in your mind,

Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time.

Fish pins of memories and Logo Tees in style,

For what it's worth it was worth all the while.

Summer's end is predictable, but in the end it's right.

We hope you had the time of your li- WAIT.

We have one more week of summer? One more week before the infamous MASTER BADGES drop? 

Oh.

Well forget all this DRAMA and prepare for some BADGES! SUMMER ain’t OVER til it’s OVER, ya FEEL??? 

Badge Drop #11

Savor these last few badges WHILE YOU HAVE TIME LEFT…

Soon we will say goodbye, but for now THANKS FOR PLAYING! 

More VINTAGE BUTTONS! Plus, IMPORTANT SHOP DEADLINES!

Fri, 08/16/2019 - 6:52pm by eli

Good evening SG Faithful! We've got the last two of our classic, retro, entomological / herpetological buttons for you tonight: that's the AAPL Shirted Ladybug and the AAPL Reading Rattler buttons! And then, a week from tonight is the last SHOP DROP of Summer Game 2019, featuring 6 classic items! You can see details in this blog post from earlier this summer. But while we've got you, we wanted to remind you of some IMPORTANT DATES!

• Wednesday, August 21: Last Day to Order Bluetooth Speaker
• Friday, August 23: Final Shop Drop of 2019
• Sunday, August 25: Last Day to order AADL Logo T or AADL Baseball T!
• Saturday, August 31: Last Day to earn SG 2019 points, and don't miss the Game Over Gala and Points Auction!
• Monday, September 9: Last Day to order from the Summer Game Shop!
• Thursday, October 31: Last Day to pick up 2019 Summer Game Shop Orders!

That's the scoop y'all, have fun through the home stretch and don't let these deadlines sneak up on you! See you next week for the last Shop Drop and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #10: Nine, Eight...

Fri, 08/16/2019 - 12:00pm by SaraP

We’ve been counting down to Badge Drop #10 and here it is!!!! ALMOST!!! First, a little ditty in honor of the 10th drop of SG 2019 (which we composed while counting the minutes):

One for the Funny (not dollars or cents)
Two for the Show (at all our events)
Three to make Ready (so loosen your joints)
Four to Go (like go get the points!)
Five for the Minutes (I hope you’re not stuck)
Six to get Prizes (like mini book trucks)
Seven hits Limits (well really it’s four)
Eight to choose Sizes (of t-shirts galore)
Nine to not Stop (but do if you must)
Ten for the Drop (IT’S RIGHT NOW OR BUST)

BADGE DROP #10: 

Keep on counting, dear friends, because there is SO MUCH TO COUNT. Badges, points, branches, players, books due back tomorrow, the number of pencil sharpeners you’ve lost since back-to-school shopping this time last year...eh, let’s just stick with points and stuff. Oh, and the number of times that we, at SG mission control, have COUNTED ON YOU, sweet players, to play the game! THANKS FOR PLAYING!

SHOP DROP: 2 more vintage buttons, plus some AUCTION DETAILS!

Fri, 08/09/2019 - 6:42pm by eli

HELLO SUMMER GAME FAITHFUL! We're in the home stretch, with just a skosh over 3 weeks left in Summer Game 2019! So tonight, we've got 2 more vintage buttons from the Summer Reading Game days of Yore, and we'll have two more next Friday, followed by our last Shop Drop on 8/23. You can see details about that in this post from a few weeks ago. But for tonight, for you hardcore button collectors, we've got two of our absolute favorites: #10 AAPL Reading Frog, and #12 AAPL Happy Axolotl!

Then, be sure you're planning to attend the GAME OVER GALA on August 31st, where we'll have both Silent Auctions for some rare Summer Game Shop items, and a LIVE ART AUCTION for real art we just CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF! We'll start the auction around 4 PM, so make sure you arrive in time to get registered as a bidder and get your bidder card! We'll tell you at that point how many points you have to spend, so don't go into POINTS DEBT! During the auction, you just raise your Bidder Card to say that you are willing to pay the amount the Auctioneer is seeking for that item. Remember that that act is binding; you can't change your mind after you bid! We'll explain it all in person, but this is sure to be FUN and FASCINATING, so come young and old to bid on great stuff at the Gala!

We'll see you there, and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Badge Drop #9: Dropped to the Nines!

Fri, 08/09/2019 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

Dearest Summer Gamer Player, 

The Summer Game Headquarters Council request the honor of your presence at the NINTH badge drop of the Summer Game taking place on the NINTH of August in the year Two Thousand and NINEteen. 

It is requested that all guests be dressed to the NINES while we drop to the NINES, though sweatpants is both acceptable and preferred. 

You may RSVP up to NINE or zero minutes before, after, or during the Summer Game. RSVP not required. 

Formal Badge Drop of more than NINE badges to follow down below.

BADGE DROP #9: 

With grateful hearts, we would like to express our many THANKS to you FOR PLAYING. 

Respectfully yours, 

Summer Game Headquarters Council

Classic Shop Drop! Plus, FISH ELECTION RESULTS!

Fri, 08/02/2019 - 7:00pm by eli

Greetings, Players! Assuming any of you want anything to do with the Summer Game Shop, or Emoji, after attempting the insane UNIQUE ODE badge, we've got 6 items dropping into the Classic Shop today! CHECK IT:

But THAT'S NOT ALL! Today also marks the release of the LONG-AWAITED FISH PIN SET! You can now add this delightful item to your cart and welcome the AADL FISH SQUAD to your home! (Squids not included.) And SPEAKING OF FISH, we all know you've been on veritable FINS AND SPINES waiting to hear the results of last week's FISH ELECTION! So, read on, and find out!

Badge Drop #8: Better Eight Than Never!

Fri, 08/02/2019 - 12:08pm by nicole

Waiting is the WORST.

That long and booooring space between LAST Friday and THIS Friday always seems so HUGE. Seven days of ANTICIPATION. 168 hours of NAIL-BITING. 10,080 minutes of EAGER EXPECTATION! It's a long wait for you....but just THINK about all those patient BADGES that have been waiting for WEEKS!

They've been patient (like a Summer Game Player at 11:59am) but now these badges are ready to be RELEASED. Some of them have been patiently waiting all summer long. Champing at the bit. Revving their engines. READY TO SHINE!

STOP! WAIT!

What’s that sound?

Badge Drop #8:

It’s the sound of a bunch of badges that are SICK OF STALLING! They’re HERE to dazzle you with deli sandwiches and shock you with scandals and fictionalize your fish! 

This is also the Week of the Reviewer. It's time to look back on all those books you read, all those shows you watched, all that stuff you....STUFFED, and TELL US ALL ABOUT IT! 

And if plain old reviewing isn't enough for you, you can always get super meta and REVIEW REVIEWS in the Points-O-Matic Review Reviewer Mode!  

Phew! That's a lot to do. So let's review:

Step 1: Play.

Step 2: Wait.

Step 3: Play SOME MORE!

Thanks for playing!!