date Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 1:08 PM
subject [2010 pitch] nD – the ******* [indie] Dream *******************
mailed-by gmail.com
12/1/10
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codename nD – the ******* Dream
the ultra-cheap social-game-app-store handheld indie game system for kids 5-12.
Problem:
******** will lose their 5-12 market with the *** due to health concerns, and system expense.
this also has the effect of opening up a hole in branding at this age- 5 years from now kids might not know “********.”
Problem:
social game companies like ***** are gaining marketshare.
Problem:
******** does not have an open app-store device, because of reputation and quality concerns.
this also has the effect of shutting out and alienating quality independent developers *cough*
Solution:
make a nearly-disposable handheld with surplus components for partnership with ******** (or any other mass toy distribution method)
a ***mhz ARM handheld with 2.4″ 320×240 LCD screen and wifi capabilities can be mass-manufactured in large batches for less than $10 per unit.
essentially a ***-2, fueled by an app store- all novelty, all profit, no risk.
no carts, just internal flash memory. hard-wired SD cards.
systems come with mini-USB cable, no other ports.
must plug it into USB to charge. app store opens immediately upon plugging it in.
this is an indie developer Dream System!
the bar is not too high, the technology is just right, the market is huge, the games are purely core or casual.
Strategy:
Q: how to get developers worldwide to flock en-masse to a system overnight?
Q: how to create a large open app store overnight at very little risk to consumers/company reputation?
******** has a partnership with ********- and ********* has made branded games in the past. (******, **********)
create a large app-store market overnight by widely distributing devices with ***** Meals.
could potentially sell 10 million units a DAY.
minimize risk by charging a $10 premium for systems, and give away a $10 token card for the app store with every ****** Meal.
kids get the token card with the ***** Meal, and immediately are willing to buy the $10 system, covering manufacturing costs.
this also gets them to immediately plug the device in to redeem the points, giving them exposure to the app store and getting them to sign up!
this $10 will be extinguished immediately on first-party premium titles, some ******** themed, some ************* themed.
currency for the app store can be done through partnerships. for instance, redemption codes inside cereal boxes.
token cards given away with movie tickets – kids see the new **** ****** movie, and receive a code to download the **** ****** game.
point cards can also be given away with toys, or bought separately, or purchased through the web store itself.
points can also be earned by playing games with friends- promoting word of mouth advertising.
this gives kids a special currency just for them, making the world a bit more magical.
system is designed like a **** controller.
looks like a toy, not a scary high-tech laptop.
very small form factor, *** micro sized, appropriate for kids hands.
kids do not have to know they like video games, they don’t have to directly ask their parents to make a $150 purchase.
it gets the system in their hands without them deciding to want it enough to put it on a christmas list.
opens up a huge market of new gamers, and gives kids a chance to participate in something even if their parents cannot afford a $150 toy.
there is no risk in carrying the device around, to school, etc.
no fear of losing it, breaking it, having it stolen.
can simply purchase a new device, plug it in, download all purchased games and save files.
User Generated Content:
we’re going to do everything we can to make it very simple to make games for this device.
we’ll release kid-friendly level editors so kids can share user-made content.
we’ll have a super-easy-to-use tool set for making 2D action or role-playing games.
twelve-year-olds will be able to make full, deep games with this tool set.
just about anyone will be able to express themselves with original games, and get paid for it.
we will see a new wave of game-developer celebrities.
we’ll have the world’s first 12 year old app-store millionaire.
user-generated content means users will surprise us.
bad surprises: we’ll take appropriate measures to protect minors from offensive content.
good surprises: like with the ***** i*****, we don’t know what kinds of applications users will develop.
the game console could become a textbook: maybe an educator will make a brief role-playing game about the writing of the constitution?
if everyone has one of our console, it can become anything — a software-developer-oriented swiss army gadget.
The Social Game:
playing games . . . is a game.
our social network plays like a game — it looks like a super kid-friendly Online A***** C******* or P******. it doesn’t look like a bunch of menus.
we get a hundred million of these devices out there, and suddenly our social game component is bigger than *********, bigger than *****
and our audience is the right market- kids, not housewifes, though they can play it too, it’s for everybody
players score points as they play games.
plug in, and you can load your points into your online community.
players can use points to purchase items to customize their character, their online home, or the city where their home is.
players can also use points earned from many games to unlock currency inside other games.
maybe you’ve earned 5,000 points in a platform-jumping game — you could be able to convert it to 500 gold in a specific role-playing game.
players use points from games to buy things in the social community world, so they don’t need to use real money to buy things in the community.
however, they use real-world money to buy the games with which they earn points.
the games are fun — possibly more fun than customizing their online community.
in this way, customizing the online community at first feels like more of a perk or a reward.
competing social games are games that require real-world money to be played in full.
our games are all small, full, fully playable games.
playing and enjoying games simply results in enhanced social interaction through virtual commerce.
by keeping our games and our social elements entirely separate, players (or their parensts) won’t feel cheated into spending.
you’re paying for games, plain and simple. the promise of being able to participate more in the social elements is a borderline subconscious motivator to purchase and play more games.
signing up for the social network is painless.
each console has its own access code to the network.
on first sign-in, the player chooses a name and an avatar.
the console itself is required to be plugged into a PC in order for the player to access that console’s online community account.
your friends that you connect your device to show up in your town
you collectively earn points together to buy special prizes, trophies, new levels for your games on your device
players can only be friends with people they know in real life.
at the top of the console’s dashboard menu is a choice labeled “check-in”.
click “check-in” to see a list of other consoles in the area which are also in check-in mode.
click on the name of the person you wish to check-in with.
if they approve your check-in, the process is completed.
when you plug into your PC later, the users you checked in have now appeared in your online community.
you’ve also earned points for each check-in, and multipliers for multiple check-ins.
you must check in with their console in person once a week or their house will disappear from your city.
you can check in with users once a day, at maximum.
the social network community also serves as a funnel into another, larger game experience.
users can cash in points to invest in the building of a giant robot with other players in their community circle.
these robots can then battle other communities’ robots for the chance to win trophies and landmarks to place in their towns.
what we’ve got is a game within a game within a game — surrounded by games. that’s a lot of games.
Conclusion:
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also, i will package “bob’s game” with it, with the best ending possible. heck, i’ll rename it to “r*****’s game.”
