Posts Tagged ‘Game’
by: Geoff Ficke
Successful entrepreneurs are people that always see opportunity in any situation. By nature they are positive and constantly seek innovations that address wants and needs that they identify in their contemporary environment. Currently we are in a dark economic period, and this will prove to be a fertile time for the introduction of novel innovations that will reward their creators with significant profit.Â
The worldâ??s most famous, widely played and sold board game is Monopoly. Lizzie Phillips created the first version of the game that was to evolve into modern Monopoly. Her game was meant to promote the single tax theories of Henry George, and the play rules were heavily influenced by his populist philosophy. Ms. Phillips filed several patents on versions of her game around 1904. She enjoyed modest commercial success.Â
The game and its play rules were tweaked through the years. Subsequently, the various forms of Ms. Phillips rudimentary game that were introduced never enjoyed great sales but the game never quite disappeared. Then came the Great Depression.Â
The many causes of the Great Depression have been well chronicled and today most people are aware of at least the broadest reasons for the implosion of the worldâ??s economy. Greed was the cause most often stated at the time to assign blame. Society was highly segmented by wealth, education, geography and class. Charles Darrow recognized opportunity in the misery of so many and crafted his classic version of Monopoly to address the perceived social sins of the times.Â
The play rules and component elements of Monopoly, little changed to this day, reflected the deep divisions in society. Darrowâ??s game, launched in 1935, displayed the whole range of opportunities for failure and success that could occur in a capitalist society. You could go to jail, be taxed, be fined, go bankrupt or land on owned property and have to pay rents to the hated landlord if the dice were unlucky for a player.Â
Likewise, you could â??pass goâ? and collect $200, win dividends, buy property, build houses and hotels, own railroads (the classic metaphor for greedy capitalists) and collect rents if the roll of the dice favored you. Also, you could bankrupt your opponents and this occurred with frightening regularity in real life during the 1930â??s.Â
Clearly Monopoly was a game that resonated during the darkest days of the Depression and still works as a leisure activity to this very day. Darrow attained great wealth from the sales of his version of monopoly. Monopoly was licensed by the British Secret Service through John Waddington Ltd. during World War II. The International Red Cross forwarded Monopoly sets to British war prisoners incarcerated in Nazi camps. These games included hidden packets of real money, maps, communication devices and tools for use in escape attempts.
Parker Brothers secured the rights to Monopoly and succeeded in internationalizing the game by assigning country-specific play features. For instance, in the American game, the most prized real estate deeds to own are Park Place and Boardwalk. In the British version the most prized blocks of real estate to own are the very tweedy Park Lane and Mayfair.Â
The gameâ??s origins, history and ownership are surrounded by significant controversy. Parker Brothers attributes all of the creative, copyrights, play rules and component design of Monopoly to Charles Darrow. This lead to decades of legal wrangling over the true ownership as Lizzie Phillips and others claimed creative ownership of the game. These legal issues were not settled until the 1980â??s.Â
There are a number of lessons for modern inventors to be taken from the profitable, but stormy history of the simple board game of Monopoly.Â
If the game has play rules that anyone can easily understand, play is fluid, play pieces are simple and attractive; then there is potential for commercial success.Â
You must protect your game with copyrights, trademarks and patents where applicable. Not properly protecting these valuable assets lead to much disagreement and expensive, extended legal wrangling in the case of Monopoly.
My consumer product development and marketing consulting company sees more toy and game submissions than almost any other product category. The barriers to entry in this class of trade are reasonable if the inventor is willing and able to bootstrap their offering. We recommend a play focus group to confirm that target players affirm the attractiveness and commercial appeal of the game or toy.
Recently, for a class project, a third grade teacher let us borrow her class of 23 students to play a new sports board game for half a day. We filmed the session. We also had the kids answer a series of simple questions of their play experience. Based on their reactions, we were able to adjust one basic play rule to further simplify and expand the appeal of the game. The change resulted in the final result of the game becoming much more closely contested, therefore exciting.Â
The perfect time to launch a new product is always now. Time is never the friend of the entrepreneur. If you wait for the perfect time, the best market conditions to appear, someone can beat you to market with a product that cannibalizes the best parts of your idea. This happens all too often. Waiting for a better climate is an excuse for inaction and a sure path to mediocrity. Charles Darrowâ??s launch of Monopoly in 1935 at the height of the Great Depression is a wonderful example to study.
Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.
After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.
Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Playing games with your children generally brings to mind images of noisy, boisterous arguments and colourful game pieces being strewn around the kitchen table while peanut butter-and-jellied fingers roll dice or try to count out play money.
The shrieks of laughter or hoots of winning can fill a young household, but are quickly silenced when your children grow tired of these childhood games. Boxes of torn, dog-eared board games with missing pieces are stacked up in the dusty corners of family rooms everywhere, but there is one game that will never be banished in such a way.
The family chess set.
When you play a game of chess, you can put your busy world aside long enough to refuel and relax. It’s a game of strategy and skill, certainly, but it can offer you and your family so much more than that.
A quiet moment; an opportunity to spend a little time with a loved one; the satisfaction of a mental challenge – such are the rare pleasures we all could use more of these days.
How do you know when your children might be old enough to learn to play chess?
Amazingly, children as young as 4 and 5 years old can pick up the basic rules and skills required to play a simple version of the game. If your child enjoys board games, has a moderate attention span, follows instructions well and shows an interest, then it may be the right time to consider pulling out your faithful chess set.
There has been some debate as to whether playing chess actually does make children smarter. Several international studies have been conducted in countries like Belgium and Venezuela which seem to lean towards a positive answer to this question.
However, regardless of the studies and their conclusions, some of the skills and benefits that playing chess teaches are generally accepted to be true; such as:
* Focused, disciplined thinking
* Improved concentration
* Forethought, planning and strategy
* Understanding actions and consequences
* Problem-solving
There are also benefits to your family.
The bonding of parent and child can be strengthened over time spent on a shared game of chess. The child feels pride in being considered an equal partner in an adult game. Playing the game in a quiet environment generally has a calming effect on child and adult alike.
Watching a father and son together, for instance, heads bowed in tandem concentration, is a beautiful sight. A mutual respect emerges; the child may exhibit a maturity the parent may not have noticed before, or a child may understand that challenges can be won with strategy rather than aggression. Soon, a chess set becomes more than a game board, but a state of mind as well.
The pleasures of the game can be outweighed by the happiness of such small, shared moments.
And once grown, looking back at the elegant pieces of a handsome chess set that becomes a family heirloom, a child will recall the fond memories and quiet times spent together… and that, as they say, is priceless.
The author is the owner of Quality-Chess.net, an online site where you can browse for numerous chess related products including wood and metal chess sets. http://www.quality-chess.net
The Mattel Mindflex game is such a uniquely different and refreshing change to the normal same old same old variations of existing games, that many of the current buyers of the Mindflex are those that have seen and have been amazed at it technological ability first hand. Those that do have the opportunity to see the Mind flex games in action are understandable intrigued at the mind interaction that is needed to play at almost a surreal level. It really is one of those toys that come along once in a blue moon that literally stops everyone in their paths with looks of fascination and bewilderment. The game is not cheap, but is it value for money and should it be on your shopping list?
Value
At a release price of nearly $80, the Mindflex game Mattel launched would appear a little on the high side for the normal person looking for a new toy or game. Since the launch however, prices have already began to fall and it is quite common to find a standardized price of about $75 and with a bit of searching you can find a much lower priced bargain out there.
Cutting Edge
Unique and unfamiliar technology often leads to disbelief in whether a new toy or game actually works as the commercials say, or whether it is really just a marketing hyped scam. The Mind flex game does work and by mastering your ability to focus your mind, it works even more effectively.
As with most first generation games that end up setting the benchmark for other manufacturers to build on the success of the first one, such as is probably the case with the Mindflex game, people are already wondering whether it may just be worth buying and keeping away as a valuable future collector’s item?
With so many games and toys released these days offering nothing more really than a different flavor of an existing concept, the Mindflex really stands out from the crowd in its unique ability to be so refreshingly different that everyone needs some form of learning curve to get used to it.
The Mindflex toy was initially introduced at the CES show and the crowds and queues of people of all ages that wanted to try it speaks for itself. People were absolutely riveted by the unique concept, the fascination of how it works and the ability to really control an object and guide it around with the power of your brain. Get this game out when you have a few friends around and it will literally become the center of attention and blow their minds!
Design and Build
The futuristic and icon like styling of the Mindflex console is really appropriate for this mind game concept and fits in with conveying a message of advanced technology and cutting edge design and innovation.
The wireless headset that you are required to wear to send the necessary mind control waves for ball control could be improved in terms of looks and comfort. Maybe this will be a consideration for future versions, but the current headset is more than satisfactory for now.
Your Mattel Mindflex game comes with four balls that you should take care not to lose and a whole variety of small plastic obstacle building accessories for the course design. Some of these plastic parts are hardier than others, but with normal care they should not break or get bent out of shape easily.
Fun Value
With five preset games to choose from, a single player has a whole heap of variety and challenges to keep them occupied for a long time to come. Add to that the three difficulty levels and the challenges increase even further. Those that enjoy playing group games will find that the Mindflex toy really does provide heaps of new fun.
The Mindflex game that Mattel has introduced is applicably enjoyable for adults and children alike. Children often have a hard time concentrating and focusing on any subject for very long before boredom sets in. This mind game is causing teenage kids especially, to spend hours of focused concentration and mind exercise as they try to become better at the game. Teenagers and mind workouts? Surely not!
Evaluation
Putting aside the price of this leading edge game, as lower prices are now becoming widely available, this unique and intriguing mind game proves heaps of very unusual fun for both individuals looking for fresh and demanding challenges or for a real show stopper in group situations. Buy Mindflex if you are looking for the most unique fun and entertaining game that is currently available on the market.
Visit Mattel Mindflex Game for some great price deals on this innovative mind game and for more detailed information, real customer reviews and video demonstrations, visit Mind Flex Game
Total Blockout is an abstract strategy board game for one or more players (currently limited to two players in the computer version). As with many polymino-styled games, this game requires exceptional spatial skills. What makes it unique from other such games is it’s need for its players to develop single-move strategies in line with an overall game plan. Furthermore, constraints have been placed in the selection of pieces available during your turn, requiring extraordinary memorization of pieces used in previous moves. There are many solutions to the puzzle. However, you will soon see just how difficult it is to find just one solution given these pattern constraints.
Total Blockout is new to the gaming industry, with a launch date of December 18, 2008. The developer, SKY Games, is actively pursuing quality endorsements and awards from distinctive associations and societies. Examples include, but are not limited to, Mensa Select, Teachers Choice, National Association of Parenting Publications, Parent’s Choice, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Creative Child magazine and many more.
In time, we hope that Total Blockout will not be just another game, but a true classic, recognized as a household name. You can help SKY Games bring more quality gaming experiences and their related benefits by sharing your positive experience with others. Thank you for visiting our site and hopefully testing your skill with at http://www.totalblockout.com
How to play:
There are 7 groups of 7 pieces each, with each group representing a value of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. Thus, 49 pieces total to complete the board.
The player starts with placing a piece with value 1, then 2, then 3,4,5,6 and finally the largest piece with a value = 7. The cycle repeats itself until the player has nowhere to place a piece.
Piece selection does not change, rather the group is reduced each time by the individual selection made, so memory of pieces left to play the successing rounds is key.
Though this game was designed with entertainment in mind, we came to recognize the multiple benefits this game offers to all who play. Firsts and foremost, the game is adaptable to people of all ages. Children can benefit from the development of spatial attributes, configuring sizes and shapes within borders. Teens can develop early logic and strategic abilities, exercising the mind while common video games offer little, if any, mental growth. Adults can take challenge themselves or compete with others across the globe to learn new approaches to strategy. The elderly can also benefit by regular play, prolonging, if not preventing, the deterioration of memory and other cerebral functions.
Unless you’re a genius and cannot only complete the algorithms for multiple solutions, but have the memory to make your moves within the controlled sequence, you will be both entertained and smarter from the experience. www.totalblockout.com
The higher the total number of squares filled on the gameboard, the higher your score.
Using EXCEL, I designed a concept, complete with a game board, a specified number and color of game pieces, a unique set of rules, creative logic and verification of possible solutions. I named the game “TOTAL BLOCKOUT” and set a goal to have a working demo and online version up and running in less than a year from conception.
Playing Darts is all about fun. You will have to contain a sharp target and the same time an eye for the middle point of the board. Apart from being a tool for game itself, it is a great accessory of any game room or home bar where there are other games equipment too.
A single dartboard can introduce a feel of pub room into the game room even if it is situated at your home. In this context, variable dartboards are available at different places.
Apart from the traditional types of dartboards, there are also electronic boards available that make the game more thrilling and entertaining. A dartboard into your pub room certainly increases your standard and class. However, selecting from that wide range of options is however a bit difficult.
For example, you can easily opt an electronic one or a traditional wooden dartboard. Both of them have some privileges and drawbacks. In this case, you should go through a detailed study of the patterns and styles available in the market.
While there are ample pieces of sets available in the market, if you go through the quality of the Classic Bristle Dart Board – Game Room Dart Set, you will find it better than the others will. They are absolutely perfect for setting at home, as they come in the wooden cabinets.
Besides, not only the darts fit into the cabinet that comes along with the board, but along with it, also fits the darts, chalks and an eraser for erasing the score. The dartboard contains a high quality finish that keeps the board covered and clean. Besides, this polished look brings a professional look and pattern.
Apart from these, the board is quite long lasting as they are made of quality wood. The Classic Bristle Dart Board – Game Room Dart Set contain standard wire spider similar to the pubs and at the same time six brass tournament darts come along with this Classic Bristle Dart Board.
The construction of the board makes it strong and lasting long. In addition to this, the dartboard contains a staple-free bull’s eye that is an indispensable quality of a good dartboard. The tipped darts that come along with the dartboard are made of brass.
Most of the Classic Bristle Dart Board – Game Room Dart Sets are made of African sisal fibers. This particular feature makes it possible to hide the holes created by the darts and make the holes almost invisible. This particular self-heal technique is absent in most of the dartboards available in the market.
The wire numbers of these dart boards are also rotating that generates a longer life to the dartboard. Apart from the darts made of brass, these darts are also available in steel. More than this, the dartboards of this particular brand are uniquely designed to match with the environment of both home and a pub.
Including one dartboard is to enhance the quality of your game room. You can install them easily and at the same time they are absolutely space saving.