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I started jotting down ideas for this post during breakfast this morning on my Galaxy Nexus. I picked up on those thoughts and began outlining and writing on my MacBook when I got into the office, and I’m sure I’ll add more than a few revisions via my iPad tonight while sitting in front of the TV.

I’ve written brainstorm briefs that started in the back of a cab and finished in an aisle seat at thirty-thousand feet, read hundreds of Gamasutra exclusives and Sports Guy mailbags from internet dead zones during weekend getaways, and even penned my wedding vows from a barstool at Morton’s.

In all of these varied examples, across many different screens, the one constant has been the “canvas”, so to speak. That canvas is Evernote.

While all the PLAYED guys were cheering on the Curiosity’s landing on Mars, the PLAYED gals were admittedly more interested in NASA’s Mohawk Guy; nonetheless, we still did our own searching…but for the latest and greatest in gaming, of course.

This month we break down the hype surrounding Ouya, a highly anticipated Android-powered console with a resounding Kickstarter campaign of over $8,000,000. Speaking of monetary achievements, we revisit gaming’s emerging content models and their evolving definitions of success.

Also inside is a look at how musicians’ involvement in the gaming industry now extends well past a simple soundtrack, and a quick dive into Kiip’s new app that allows users to get real-world rewards, like free Vitamin Water, and coupons for everyday tasks; taking gamification to the next (analog) level. Lastly, we wrap up this issue with our latest list of gaming gear that we’ve either ordered, pre-ordered, or Kickstartered (if that’s a verb), but can’t wait to get our hands on, regardless.

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This week we have five things to get you feeling like everything is aglow: a programmable t-shirt, a light beam that stalks, brainwaves that levitate you, mood-tweets of the London Eye, and a glow-in-the-dark billboard.

About two weeks ago I spent the entire weekend moving into a new apartment (and haven’t stopped talking about it since). After hours of stressful furniture building and closet cleaning, packing and unpacking, I arrived at the mecca of organization, The Container Store. As I walked in, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that in just a short while my new digs would be worthy of their own page in Martha Stewart Living. With aisle after aisle of highly-specific products each screaming “you can’t live without me!” it’s easy to imagine your life being fundamentally improved by owning absolutely everything The Container Store has to offer. A mere two hours later, I was home with an embarrassing number of “space-savers”, but finding things to fill my color-coded folders and swanky-looking boxes was more difficult than I expected. I had been caught up in a buying frenzy, and failed to consider how my arsenal of mobile devices had changed the very nature of my belongings.

 

The other day I stumbled across this Microsoft IE9 campaign, another curious example of reverse psychology marketing. Which got me to thinking about how so many brands crave our love. They earnestly seek to win the masses over with memorable campaigns, helpful apps and flashy giveaways. While the coddling is nice, the approaches can naturally become predictable and undifferentiated. So it’s refreshing that Microsoft is focusing energy on embracing hatred instead. If people actively exert the energy to hate you, can’t that only mean there is the potential for love?

Louie C.K. recently claimed “If somebody loved hating my show, that’d be great.” While it’s much trickier for brands to lure us into this polarizing state, here’s how recent media has perfected this art form.