Players Guide

• Local gaming studio Blazing Lizard made its long-awaited (by me anyway) release Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball available for download on Xbox Live. The release, of course, doesn't live up to its name, largely because the name is so damn awesome. Even the addition of robots and zombies can't help approximate the grade-school humiliation-fest that was gym dodgeball. But honestly, when you have company and no way to entertain them, isn't spending $10 worth being able to say, "Hey, who wants to play dodgeball as ninjas and pirates?" By the time they realize it's not as fun as all that, they'll have started drinking.

• After checking out the "Reset/Play" exhibition at Arthouse (700 Congress), people undoubtedly ask me what "video-game art" means. The curators have smartly collected a bit of everything: games that play themselves, deconstructed consoles, playable games seemingly ready for distribution, and more standard visual art using the imagery of video games as a jumping-off point. Highlight? Either watching the world of Marble Madness turned into a war zone in Michael Bell-Smith's video installation or playing the brilliant Katamari Damacy with everyone on Congress Avenue watching through the big glass windows.

• Whose DNA is going with Richard Garriott into space to save the human race upon its inevitable extinction? (See "Send Your Cheek Swab to Space," Aug. 8, if that last question makes no sense to you.) Aside from Stephen Colbert, some local musicians (Joe Ely, etc.), a "where is he now?" Olympic gold medalist (Scott Johnson), and an American Gladiator (Matt Morgan), there's … oh yeah, me. Take that, humanity.