At first encounter, Michael, at 6’ 5” tall…plus significant upward-trending hair, can seem like a daunting presence, but he’s truly an even-keeled gentle giant. Michael’s middle name, Newton was not in honor of the famous Fig Newton cookies, but the even more famous Sir Isaac Newton, genius mathematician and natural philosopher who is widely credited (correctly) for postulating the first theory of gravity and often credited (incorrectly) for inventing calculus.
Michael’s massive brain power (he was the team captain for Oxon Hill High School’s “It’s Academic” scholarly TV team) is now employed in service of finding, testing and teaching an enormous variety of games for your enjoyment.
Michael is a true gaming omnivore, with interests in card gaming, role-playing games, miniatures gaming and countless board games. What follows is a brief Q&A session to give you a glimpse inside his head:
Bel Air Games: Michael, what’s the first gaming memory you have?
MNM: “I remember Memory, that’s not a philosophical statement. I’m talking about the pattern-matching board game. Mostly, I remember how bad I was at it.”
Bel Air Games: Okay, what was the first game you played well?
MNM: “I was good at Dominion, a Renaissance-themed deck building game. The theme and the game play meshed well, making it easier for me to become a good player.”
Bel Air Games: When did you first encounter role-playing games?
MNM: “My high school banned card games, including Magic: The Gathering, from lunch tables. In the spirit of the famed Star Wars rebellion, my friends and I turned to White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade to fill the interminable boredom of a half-hour with nothing to do.”
Bel Air Games: Did your group go full-out LARP, with make-up and costumes for Vampire?
MNM: “No, we were too scared of peer rejection. I’ve never actually LARP’ed at all, though peer rejection is no longer much of an issue.”
Bel Air Games: What games do you currently play fairly regularly?
MNM: “Most recently, a lot of Star Trek Attack Wing and the Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures game. I routinely play Tsuro and Love Letter, given the opportunity. I’ve been sharpening my Magic skills lately and drooling over the massive lot of Decipher Star Wars CCG cards we’re sorting and pricing.”
Bel Air Games: What upcoming games are you looking forward to trying out?
MNM: “I’m looking forward to trying out Fantasy Flight’s Eldritch Horror, also Fantasy Flight’s Witcher board game. Chaosmos caught my eye, so many pieces and different modes of play, it looks well-designed. The upcoming Magic sets have made me really nostalgic, I’m looking forward to playing Magic more often.”
Bel Air Games: What’s your favorite word?
MNM: “Espantoon.”
Bel Air Games: Unexpected…what does that mean?
MNM: “It’s the name of a wooden police baton with a leather strap so you can twirl it jauntily.”
Bel Air Games: What’s your least favorite word?
MNM: “Delayed.”
Bel Air Games: Given the history of gaming releases, that’s perfectly understandable. Thanks!
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