Writing Slashing and burning Editing my essay on convergence – or the way that our interests and hobbies flow across different types of media and formats – and I woke up to a great example.

This morning, a friend (who I know through a website about boardgames and through his podcast about boardgames) posted a Facebook post about a DVD about a boardgame. Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story is an interesting (albeit at times over-long) documentary about the Monopoly (US) National championships and World championships. Actually, it’s more about the players, but that’s where the interest lies. Fraser and I watched it late last year.

Then one of the guys who is featured on the documentary replied to the Facebook post to promote his new book about Monopoly strategy. (Apparently, it features “secret game strategies and tactics previously known and practiced by only a handful of top competitive Monopoly tournament players and coaches“).

Whilst I am sceptical about how interesting the book would be to me personally, you have to love someone who bills himself as “the noted attorney, author, professional Monopoly player and movie star.” – I will have to invent my own awesome tagline, I think. And maybe print it on business cards which I could give to unsuspecting people.

ANYWAY. I digress, as usual. In this most excellent example, we have boardgames, a podcast, a documentary, a DVD (with extras), books and discussion. Of the docco, the DVD and the books. And ecommerce. And a quote from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which you may or may not have noticed me subtly sneak in there.

Shame my essay is still 700 words over the limit, really. I’m guessing you can see why.