Guys, it’s great to catch up. For anyone new to Play+, how would you describe it? Why is this an exciting range for Ravensburger?
Alexander Loehr, International Category Director, Infant/Toddler, Ravensburger: It’s exciting for us because it’s the first time we’re showing this range internationally. The range takes a holistic approach to early childhood development and spans a wide mix of products, materials and technologies – 30 items across books and toys.

A big range. And one you developed the range alongside child experts. How did that collaboration work?
Alexander: We took time to research and speak to experts – like paediatricians and nursery professionals – in different countries. We also interviewed parents in the UK. The insights gathered formed the foundation of what the needs of a child are and what our priorities should be when it came to product.

We then started developing the line with those responses firmly in mind. Throughout the process it’s been a consumer-first approach, which you’d presume is normal, but the toy industry can often work based on traditional ideas. We wanted to start entirely from scratch, grounding every aspect of the range in the insights gleaned from research. In this way, we have created a line that not only addresses the needs of children in those very early years, but also integrates practical features that parents called for too.

I’m really proud of what the team has achieved… We created everything in-house – from design to illustrations. This process will add to the knowledge base for Ravensburger and offer experience that will be instrumental in future product developments.

Absolutely. You mentioned that you’re now taking the range to international markets. Do different territories require different things from a collection like this?
Alexander: In this age group, the zero to three-year-olds, there’s a natural development of children across stages… That is triggered in very similar ways, regardless of where you are in the world. Things like fine motor skills or shape sorting are universal concepts. One area where we have historically seen some differences is in the books, particularly the illustrations. The German audience has often had a slightly different taste to other countries, and it was interesting to compare the responses from parents in our research.

Christine Meier, Team Lead Editorial, Infant & Toddler Books, Ravensburger: Yes, on the artwork side, we’ve seen some changes. It used to be the case that Germany had its own very defined tastes, but more recently we’re seeing Germany align more with the UK than it has done in previous years. For us, it meant we can have a uniformed look in the illustrations across the Play+ range. Outside of the illustration side, concepts like sliders, flaps, touch and feel are all well-known systems in books for young children internationally.

Alexander: The biggest compliment we got was when we were told the illustration style would also be suitable for the UK. As Christine said, usually German illustrations are very different in style!

In what way?
Alexander: We would speak about more ‘flat design’. For example, in the UK, our experience is that the audience prefers animals that are simplified, with their eyes exaggerated and bigger – and looking at you in a more engaging way. But in Germany, book illustrations are more traditional in the depiction of things and in the colours chosen.

Interesting. And how do you approach innovating in a sector like pre-school books? I’d imagine it’s an area grounded in tradition.
Christine: We have the benefit of drawing upon a lot of experience in this area. Ravensburger is the number one board book publisher in the Germany. In our experience, we realise that not all game or play concepts translate to their best in the context of a book. Take a memory game for example… If you put a memory game element into the context of a book, you might find it works better as a pure memory game.

In the development process for Play+ we always tried to think about what makes sense and adds play value in the best possible way – and we’ve got some great concepts. Not all game or play concepts translate well to the context of a book.

Alexander: The ‘toyification’ of books was very important for us, even at the concept stage. It has to work as a plaything for a very young child, and also have the storytelling and education pull for that child when they get a little older. In this way, it’s like they’re rediscovering the book.

Were there any key design challenges around this range?
Alexander: This age group was new for the company, so we’ve had to build a design language from scratch for Ravensburger. It had to make sense in the context of the company’s legacy and history, as well as suiting our global ambitions for the range.

On that, you’ve had several recent success stories – like Disney Lorcana – that are well and truly global hits. Is there a healthy tension between retaining the tradition and sensibilities of the German company, and your current global outlook and ambitions?
Alexander: Whether you’re a traditional German company or a traditional British company or a traditional US company, everyone is going through a massive transformation at the moment. For me, this international exposure is inspiring. We believe these global launches and different points of view make us stronger and more relevant. We’re also seeing a huge cultural transition in Germany as well – and there are changes happening – but we see collaboration with our global teams as the fun part of our work.

It’s also a strength to have such a strong base in Germany. Having these long-standing traditions means we’re open to trying new things. There’s a sense of stability that allows us to focus on what we want to do and put fresh innovations through a tried and tested system that ensures we have a strong product. It’s a healthy balance.

Guys, this has been great. To wrap up, is there one item in the range that you feel highlights what makes Play+ special?
Alexander: That’s a tricky one there are just too many to choose from! The Flip & Pop books are great – featuring a silicone edge for teething. They’re good for parents on the go, with untearable pages and are easily washable. They’re very convenient and come in handy when parents are under pressure to pack the baby bag and get on the move. You’ve got something like that, right the way through to our 4-in-1 Colour and Shape Sorter Chameleon toy which is packed with play features and boasts layered complexity to grow with the child.

Great picks. Thanks again and good luck with Play+ moving forward.

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Asmodee Group has detailed the first thesis project supported by its Asmodee Research division, exploring the impact of playing board games on cognitive functional development.

Last year, Asmodee Research launched an appeal for candidates for whom it could finance a thesis based on board games. That will  now  come  to  fruition  in  a  three-year  project  led by Léa  Martinez from the University of Poitiers’ Research Centre on Condition and Learning.

The project will focus on three key aspects:

– Examining  the  effects  of  playing  board  games  on  executive  functions,  initially among  adults  before  expanding  to  apply  a  developmental  approach  to  adolescents  in the second phase.
– Determining  the  psychological  factors  that  underline  the  relationship  between board  games,  executive  functions  and  educational  achievement.
– Exploring whether digital board games have the same impact as analogue ones, by comparing the influence of specific games with their digitally adapted counterparts.

The  overall  aim  of  the  thesis  project  is  to  provide  recommendations  of  board  games which are provably beneficial not only to the players’ personal experiences, but also to their cognitive development and daily learning.

“These  past  few  months  have proved the impact and the social role of board games, beyond just being fun,” said Stéphane Carville, CEO of the Asmodee Group.

“They have enabled us all to play together, in the comfort and safety of our homes, providing some relief, adventure and pleasure. We are  convinced  that  playing  games  harbours  greater  potential  and  can  play  a  truly educational and  developmental role in  our  society.

“Through Asmodee  Research,  we intend  to  demonstrate that and  are  delighted  to  support this  first  thesis  which  we  hope will prove useful.”

Head of Asmodee Research, Mikaël Le Bourhis, added: “Two years ago, at the launch of the  programme,  we  made  promises  and  announced  our  ambitions.  This  first  thesis represents a tangible expression of our commitment to fulfil our engagements.”

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Barbie and a team of neuroscientists from Cardiff University conducted a study that has found that doll play activates brain regions that allow children to develop empathy and social information processing skills, even when playing by themselves.

Over the past 18 months, senior lecturer Dr. Sarah Gerson and colleagues at Cardiff University’s Centre for Human Developmental Science have used neuroimaging technology to provide the first indications of the benefits of doll play at a brain level.

Through monitoring the brain activity of 33 children between the ages of 4 and 8 as they played with a range of Barbie dolls, the team found that the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), a region of the brain associated with social information processing such as empathy, was activated even when the child was playing on their own. These benefits of solo doll play were shown to be equal for both boys and girls.

“This is a completely new finding,” said Dr. Gerson.

“We use this area of the brain when we think about other people, especially when we think about another person’s thoughts or feelings. Dolls encourage them to create their own little imaginary worlds, as opposed to say, problem-solving or building games. They encourage children to think about other people and how they might interact with each other.

“The fact that we saw the pSTS to be active in our study shows that playing with dolls is helping them rehearse some of the social skills they will need in later life. Because this brain region has been shown to play a similar role in supporting empathy and social processing across six continents, these findings are likely to be country agnostic”.

To gather the data for the study, the children’s play was split into different sections so the Cardiff team could capture the brain activity relating to each other kind of play separately: playing with the dolls on their own; playing with the dolls together with another person (the research assistant); playing with the tablet game on their own and playing with the tablet game along with another person (the research assistant).

The dolls used included a diverse range of Barbie dolls and play sets, with all Barbie dolls and sets returned to starting positions before each child began their test to ensure consistency of experience. Tablet play was carried out using games that allow children to engage with open and creative play (rather than a rule or goal-based games) to provide a similar play experience to doll play.

The findings of the study show that when children played alone with dolls, they showed the same levels of activation of the pSTS as they do when playing with others. Another finding of the study is that when children were left to play tablet games on their own, there was far less activation of the pSTS, even though the games involved a considerable creative element.

To understand the relevancy of these neuroscience findings, Barbie independently commissioned a global survey that asked more than 15,000 parents of children in 22 countries. Results of this showed 91 percent of parents ranked empathy as a key social skill they would like their child to develop, but only 26 percent were aware that doll play could help their child develop these skills.

“As leaders in the dolls category, we’ve always known that doll play has a positive impact on kids, but up until now, we have not had neuroscientific data that demonstrates these benefits,” said Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel.

“The findings of this research highlights that playing with dolls, such as Barbie, offers positive benefits in preparing children for the future through nurturing social skills like empathy. As we continue to inspire the limitless potential in every child, we are proud to offer dolls that encourage skills we know are highly valued by parents and are determinants in children’s future emotional, academic, and social success.”

Barbie will be supporting these findings with an online hub, Barbie.com/BenefitsOfDollPlay, featuring resources for parents, caregivers, and children, to assist them in enhancing and applying their social processing skills.

Dr. Sarah Gerson and the Cardiff University team along with Mattel, have committed to further neuroscience studies in 2021.

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Evan Kline is the CEO at Tokyn, a brand new app that looks to ‘reconnect the world through play around the table’.

Acting almost as a Tinder for board games, Tokyn is a meet-up app that allows board game fans to find other people in their area to play games with, log titles in their collections and even help rulebook-averse players connect with those who can happily teach them the rules.

We caught up with Evan to learn more about the origins of the app, and find out why he believes Tokyn could be something of a game-changer for inventors and design directors.

First up, pre-Tokyn, what was your history in the board game space?
I grew up playing board games like a lot of folks. My family (four kids) was perhaps a little more intense that most; we had a copy of Monopoly that, whenever you won a game, you signed and dated it with a sharpie! We all took it very seriously and were quite competitive – it got a little toxic at times! By the time I left home that board was black with sharpied signatures and the back was almost covered up.

I discovered Catan and a great game called Citadels in college which introduced me to the hobby tabletop world. Fast-forward to my late twenties; I decided to venture into designing games. I connected with an indie publisher – Twin City Games – who was creating their first game. I worked with them to bring to life Dino-Dunk, a dexterity game geared toward the hobby market. I was the lead playtester and designed a few of the dinosaur powers.

In my day job, I ran the trade-show section of a marketing department and used those skills to help Twin City tour the largest tabletop shows in the US. Dino Dunk received great reviews from critics and audiences and I spent the next three years connecting with folks in the industry; rubbing shoulders with the designers and publishers of all my favourite games.

So moving onto Tokyn; talk us through the app and what it does?
Tokyn is an app that makes it easy to discover and play board games. Music has Spotify, movies and TV shows have Netflix, PC games have Steam; Tokyn makes it easy to enjoy tabletop game content in the same way.

We’re doing recommendations just like Spotify or Netflix, but the interesting thing about board games, unlike these other entertainment industries, is that board games are inherently communal; you can’t play most board games by yourself in the same way you can listen to music or watch a movie. So core to Tokyn is connecting players with each other, so you’re never stuck with a game you can’t play.

There are a lot of micro things we automate to make finding other people as easy as pressing a button. As an example, if you have a game you want to play, you can indicate that with one touch, and Tokyn tells you whenever other people in your city play that game and have an open spot that you can join.

And then, obviously, the reverse is true: if you host a game on Tokyn, every other person around you who is interested in playing gets notified. There are hundreds of examples like that of interactions we automate behind the scenes, and all that together becomes pretty powerful and exciting if you like playing tabletop games.

Where did the idea come from?
The concept came from my years spent in the industry. I intentionally became a fly on the wall and realised that – in many ways – the tabletop industry is a decade behind other industries. I thought there was room to build a company that was different than what most people try and do, which is become a designer or create a publishing company.

Before Tokyn, myself and my co-founders actually founded a totally different company in the tabletop world. We asked our customers “what’s your biggest pain point?” We received over 1,000 responses in under 24 hours – board game hobbyists are a passionate bunch! – and 85% said “I have trouble connecting with other people to play games as often as I want to.”

So we listened to the market, shut down our old company, changed the name to Tokyn and directed 100% of our efforts toward solving that number one problem and building the best tabletop meet-up experience ever.

Outside of players looking for people to connect and play games with, are there ways that design directors within games companies can engage with the platform?
Absolutely. One of the problems in the analogue games world is this: collecting meaningful data is hard. What we offer is insight into how your customers actually use your product.

From the beginning, we’ve actively worked with design directors and publishers in our own product development. Having insight into how your customers use your product is an easy way to level up your development.

For example, does your game take up the whole game night? Is it played as a “filler” game between other heavier games? Is it played alongside a series of party games? The answers to these questions can inform your future product line. If your game is played as a “filler” game, perhaps you should develop a heavier game that your customers always play right after your current product.

If it’s played as one party game amongst other party games, perhaps you come out with a few more party games. How many party games get played on a game night on average? That can inform just how many games you should have in that product line.

Does your audience like playing the same game over and over or are they always rotating games on game night? How long do your customers keep playing your game? Do your customers play multiple games in your catalogue?

The answers to all these questions can be quite powerful. I get really excited about this part of what we do since I started on the game design and publishing side.

One other exciting piece is from a marketing perspective. We are identifying hidden influencers. Hidden influencers are people scattered in every city that might not be outspoken, they might not have a big social media following, but they have a network of people who listen to them and look to them specifically for what the next game they should buy is.

For example, one of our users is a woman who always keeps six copies of Exploding Kittens in her bag to give out to people at game nights because she loves the game so much. We can see not only how many people she plays Exploding Kittens with, but how many people start playing it on their own after playing it with her. Basically, we have the ability to see who are “ground zero” for the spread of every game across cities and countries.

What I love is that we are creating a system that generates value for both parties – the game creators can reward their biggest fans, who in turn are better supported to continue the spread of their favourite products.

I’ll say one final thing on this! We are coming out with collecting win/loss records on the platform after a game is played. Right now, it’s user inputted with some check and balances for accuracy, but we have some exciting AR technology on the horizon that will automate game scoring.

It seems simple, but video games have done a great job paving the way for multiplayer rating systems, which means we have a global rating system for every board game, ever, as long as people are playing it. Having access to a tool to foster a competitive scene for your game can go a long way in building your tribe and increase the longevity of your products.

It sounds like a very exciting tool for companies to get to grips with. Do you see there being ways for game designers and inventors to also utilise the app?
How easy is it to find playtesters to test the next iteration of your game? How long does it take to set that session up? If either of these is difficult for you, than the answer is yes.

It’s easy to add the game you’re designing or inventing to the app and we’ve already had a number of designers start using Tokyn to find players for playtest sessions. While I’m sure it’s still appreciated, we’ve found designers have to spend less money on bribing testers with pizza and beer when they connect with folks on Tokyn!

Tokyn is starting life focusing on the tabletop space, but do you see it being utilised by players and companies in the mass-market game space?
Our vision is to reconnect the world through play around the table. Mass market games definitely fit into that. As long as a company or inventor is facilitating in-person human connections through play of their product, we want to be an asset and a tool for you.

While I don’t have as much insight into larger mass-market companies like Hasbro, I suspect understanding their customer base and how their products are used is just as difficult as it is in the hobby industry. If anyone is in the mass-market space and is reading this, I’d be happy to chat on how you can utilise us.

Looking ahead, what are the next steps for Tokyn – if you can say what they are with all the uncertainty around the pandemic?
That’s the number one question right now. No matter what, the next steps are always to listen to the market and solve the biggest problem our customers have. People spending time with other people is never going away, and neither are board games.

What most people don’t realise is we have older records of board games than we have of written language. It’s not a passing craze any more than learning to read is. All that is to say, our vision for the world hasn’t changed.

In the short term, we have made the decision to suspend our service. We are paying close attention to both COVID-19 and what our customers are comfortable with. Though the world is starting to open up, I believe we are still a way away from relaunching.

Instead, we are asking people to let us know if you want Tokyn to come to your city next. We have an aggressive launch schedule for when we feel we can ethically enable people meeting up again, but we aren’t launching everywhere at once.

So if you want to easily connect with others to play tabletop games in your city and want us to come to you first, download the app or go to our website. I should add, we’re also using this season to partner with publishers and companies who see the value we bring to the industry.

And with the industry always evolving, how do you see Tokyn helping to shape what the games space looks like moving forward?
I think the tabletop industry is going to face some unique challenges in the coming years. One of my jobs is to predict the future and position Tokyn to be ready for it – an easy task, right?

A lot of the spaces we are used to gathering for gaming experiences are going away. Game stores in particular will be hit hard and many won’t make it. Look at Spiel in Essen, UK Games Expo, Gen Con, along with every other convention; they’ve all been cancelled, and it may be quite a while before gathering thousands of people from all over the world into an enclosed building will be considered okay by most people.

It’s funny, our vision statement has always been to reconnect the world through play around the table. Initially, it was because we believe in-person connection is vital to humanity flourishing. “Connecting” digitally on social media, texting and all the other ways does not fulfil our core needs as humans – which we’ve all felt acutely in quarantine!

“Reconnection” was all about this movement away from digital connection to offline connection. But now we have double the responsibility to help people reconnect as the world goes back to normal and ventures out from quarantine. And for us, that looks like doing what we are best at, which is creating safe, small gatherings all over your city at your favourite pubs, cafes or homes.

Thank you again for this Evan – we look forward to seeing what’s next for Tokyn!

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One of my favourite moments in the seminal British comedy Blackadder comes in the third series. Edmund Blackadder, conniving servant to the idiot Prince Regent, must hurriedly learn to work a canon in a duel. His fearsome opponent, the bellowing Duke of Wellington, wastes no time setting up to fire: “Stoke. Muzzle. Wrench. Crank the storm barrel. Pull tee bar…”

Blackadder meanwhile is reading an accompanying pamphlet: “Congratulations on choosing the Armstrong Whitworth four-pounder cannonnette…” he begins, “…please read the instructions carefully and it should give years of trouble-free maiming…” Scarcely past this pompous introduction, Blackadder is almost immediately shot by the overbearing Duke. But what’s this got to do with your rules? The answer is everything…

When people buy board games, they don’t do so planning to go through a miserable admin process before getting to the fun. In fact, I often wonder about this: if people knew the frustration they were about to experience, would they even take the lid off the box? It’s quotes like this on amazon that make me think perhaps not…

“Even the “fast-start” rules were largely incomprehensible.
It’s going straight to the car boot pile.”

“So hard and slow to get going. I wish I could give no stars.
What a load of rubbish. Just awful.”

Almost everyone I speak to on the subject tells me that they hate learning new games. Often, they admit to feeling embarrassed that they don’t understand a lot of rules. They dislike the dreadful writing. They don’t like doing unfamiliar things… They hate the ensuing confusion, they don’t want a flaming row and they’re reluctant to go first for fear of looking foolish.

For these reasons, I remain passionate about writing better game instructions. In my opinion, well-written rules are a touchstone of a better game. They lead to more fun and greater word-of-mouth marketing. That’s because – unlike the logical nature of rules – reading them can have a subtle impact on emotion. I’ll give you an example of why I say that…

Bad Rules Spoil the Fun
Have you ever found yourself in a bad mood and taken ages to bring yourself out of it? Most people know exactly how that feels. Similarly, most people know how it feels to be annoyed with a person over one little thing, and be quite unable to let it go…

What do you think happens, then, when people play a good game that starts with bad rules? In my experience, people are often unable to separate the two. That means even those that eventually enjoy playing a game that starts badly are slow to say it was good. And while that may not sound like a problem, it really is. Bad rules detract from good games.

Clear Rules Help Word of Mouth
Imagine you’re giving serious thought to buying one of two games. You ask your friend which they prefer. They tell you they’re both good but, in one of them, the rules took ages to understand. Which way would you go?

Obviously, word-of-mouth sales depend on other people recommending games. If you have a great game and bad rules, I believe your game will sell – if you’re lucky – like an okay game. So, if you believe your game is great, then you need great rules… Simple as that.

By the way: If you’re a new inventor, you might be thinking, “But no one’s selling my game yet…” Well, there’s bad news: when a person to whom you pitch your game shows it to a colleague, they do have to sell your game! So the better your instructions, the easier the sell. In any case, it’s no longer literally “word-of-mouth” that sells…

Decent Rules Prevent One Star Reviews
Closely related to not selling more of your game through word of mouth is its terrible, logical end: the amazon one-star review. This is the curse of many products’ online reputation. Just look at the scathing reviews I’ve strewn through the article:

“It caused a LOT of arguments and angry
rule-checking! Cannot recommend.”

“Way too confusing with badly written set of rules.”

While I’ve paraphrased all the quotes here to spare people’s blushes, their tone is identical to the original. These one-star product reviews must be absolutely crippling sales.

Get to the Fun Quickly
The more simple and concise rules are, the quicker people can get on with your game. This is something about which I feel strongly: when people buy games, fun is what they’re spending money on. And at the point when people go to play, they’ve already paid for the fun. The longer it takes them to experience it, the worse it is for your game, for your brand… And for them.

At the other end of the process are those still pitching ideas to publishers. While publishers don’t pay for the fun, they nevertheless still want to get to it pretty-damn quickly… You DON’T want decision-makers realising the wisdom of that quote from business guru Tom Peters: “If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention!”

Prevent Stress
Stress? Sounds like namby-pamby nonsense, right? Well, it might sound that way, but according to an online survey by RealNetworks, Inc., 64% of respondents say they play board games to unwind and relax. 53% of them specifically say they play to relieve stress… Can you imagine, then, how those people regard and review games with poor instructions?

Sadly, I can’t find a significant survey on how often board games are abandoned before completion. Perhaps you’ve had the experience, though, of seeing people embarrassedly give up on a game before they’ve even got going? If you don’t think it happens, here’s a wake-up call… Another paraphrased quote from an online review:

“Gave up. You need a diploma to work out how to play it…”

Let’s assume, though, that this isn’t the most-common problem. Let’s assume that many people who struggle with instructions do, at least, take a swing, stab or shot at playing the game. To what extent do you think slapdash grammar enhances a brand? My god, the money some companies spend on launching and marketing new products. And yet…

Boost Credibility
Ever had an email from a Nigerian Prince? One that offers you a tremendous sum of money for a simple favour? If not, perhaps you first need warning about phishing scams! These aim to extract financial information from trusting, everyday rubes… Hard for me though it is to believe that you’ve not experienced such a thing, let me say this: if you ever get an email from a Nigerian Prince, you have not, in fact, got an email from a Nigerian Prince… Delete it immediately.

The reason I mention it is that many scam emails are absolutely rife with terrible grammar and spelling mistakes. Some people assume it’s because scammers are either stupid or lazy. In fact, though, the mistakes are likely to be deliberate. As securitymetrics.com puts it, that’s because scam artists and hackers “…prey on the uneducated believing them to be less observant and thus, easier targets.”

In other words, if you’re too stupid to realise all that terrible grammar makes no sense at all, you’re probably stupid enough to fall for the rest of their shenanigans. To everyone else, it looks dodgy, lacks credibility, and gets incredibly short shrift. This doesn’t just apply to scammers, though. The internet-service comparison site, Website Planet, tells us that businesses with bad grammar and spelling mistakes “…lose almost double the number of potential customers than those with typo-free sites.”

So while your instructions being riddled with spelling errors and bad grammar doesn’t necessarily mean customers think you’re a scam artist, there’s not much doubt they’ll think less of you, your brand and your game. And if you’re an inventor hoping to sell your game to a publisher, of course, then grammar and clarity are as important in your communications as they would be on a C.V.

Create Space
Why would this help? A couple of reasons… If your instructions are hard to read because the font size is too small, then you’re contributing to a poor play experience. But, for publishers, there’s also a more commercial reason: if you want to include advertising in the rules, then – of course – it’s much easier to do if there’s a significant amount of white space available. That may not sound like the be all and end all, but I have here a rules pamphlet that demonstrates the point. It’s a long strip of paper with seven folds in it. That means it has eight double-sided portions. In other words, 16 panels…

There are absolutely no advertisements for the other games in the brand’s range – and it’s quite clear they couldn’t fit them on. I can see, though, several ways to edit the rules and free up at least one panel – probably two. Why wouldn’t a brand do that? Why would anyone say: “Keep the long sentences, difficult words and repetition! Just drop the adverts…”

In conclusion, I’ll call to service a trite-but-true analogy… No chain is stronger than its weakest link. And in many games, the instructions are the weakest link by far. If you think they don’t matter, I’ll sign off with the best one-star review I’ve seen:

“This game is the worst thing I’ve ever experienced
– and I’ve had gastroenteritis.”

Deej Johnson is a writer, and co-author of The Snakes & Ladders of Creative Thinking: How to Have More Ideas for Board Games, Improve Them & Get Them Ready to Pitch. Contact Deej directly via deejwordwhizz@gmail.com 

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Game designers will be able to pitch concepts to Ginger Fox at this year’s Mojo Pitch event.

Forming part of the Play Creators Festival, the three-day Mojo Pitch will take place virtually this year, hosted at a dedicated Mojo Pitch platform from Tuesday September 8th to Thursday September 10th.

The event will welcome toy and game designers (both seasoned professionals and talented amateurs), invention houses and design agencies from across the world as they pitch exciting new toy and game concepts to a range of companies, each on the lookout for new products.

“Having heard great things about the event in recent years it was difficult to ignore for 2020,” said Lewis Allen, Product Development Director at Hacche Retail.

“Creativity and innovation is what Ginger Fox is all about, so we’re really excited to be tapping into the wealth of inventor and design talent the Mojo Pitch event attracts.”

If you’re a designer, inventor or design agency that would like book in a meeting with Ginger Fox and other companies at this year’s Mojo Pitch, email Mojo’s Billy Langsworthy on billy@mojo-nation.com

If you’re a company that would like to join Ginger Fox in meeting with designers and inventors at this year’s virtual event, email Adam Butler at adam@mojo-nation.com.

For more details on the wider Play Creators Festival, head to: www.playcreatorsfestival.com.

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Since Interplay UK is driven by teamwork, it’s only appropriate that we caught up with Product Development Manager Warren Jacobs AND Lead Product Designer Tammy Southgate.

What’s the one achievement for which each of you’d most like to be recognised?
Tam: I’d like to be recognised for being part of some brilliant teams that managed, against all the odds, to get toys to market! And bringing a bit of joy to kids if possible

Warren: To still be involved in the industry. There are lots of talented people out there and by and large it’s a lovely industry to work in, with lovely people in it.

Growing up, which toys or games were your favourites?
Tam: I used to covet anything a little bit strange looking… My most treasured toy which now belongs to my daughter, Flo, is a terrifying looking monkey with a soft body but with plastic hands and face….Most people that see it are terrified!! But I love him! I would make outfits and accessories for him and play for hours.

Also, there was a game called Battling Tops which belonged to my elder brother. That was a big family favourite… It was made by Ideal, and I recently bought an original version for him on ebay. Honestly, it made our Christmas! It was just as good, if not better, than I remember! I mean how often does that happen?

Warren: The first thing comes to mind is the Evel Knievel Stunt Bike! I also had this amazing kitsch hand me down Fonzie doll – with pop-up thumbs – from my next door neighbour… But the thing that I spent most of my time doing as an only child was building very symmetrical space ships from LEGO for my Star Wars figures. I did have this amazing air gun, another hand-me down. It’s sole purpose was to make the loudest bang possible! I can remember it reverberating around the housing estate; I must’ve been really popular.

I like that you built ships from LEGO for Star Wars toys. I didn’t dare blend those worlds! Looking back, are there any toys that you may have undervalued in terms of design?
Warren: I was lucky enough to have a TOMYTRONIC 3D game… Flipping amazing! It felt like the future, as everything did in the 80s. At that time TOMY were also producing some awesome robots… The Dingbot is just incredible. I wasn’t lucky enough to have one but – from a geeky perspective – it’s so simple and elegant. The way it utilises every cent of technology, and it’s super cute too.

You’re very passionate about this – but you didn’t have one?!
Warren: No! I also desperately wanted a Stretch Armstrong; it deserves its classic status. I now have a real soft spot for the Palitoy Tree House, a trailblazer of a play-set.

Tam: My brothers and I had these cool Nintendo hand held games… Game and Watch Multiscreen – catchy name! We had Donkey Kong, a Mickey Mouse game and another called Greenhouse. I still have two  of them on my desk…. They are just a classic retro design… Eighties-tastic!

How did you come to this? How did you get into the industry?
Tam: I studied as a midwife straight after A-levels! But really wanted to do Art/Design, so after three years of training I left and went back to university to study Product Design. I did a placement at a toy consultancy called Pape Woodward and knew then that I wanted to design toys… I think it was inevitable as everything I designed looked like a toy whether it was meant to or not! I was asked to go for an interview for LEGO straight after I graduated and ended up working for them for a few years.

Warren: Oddly enough, when I was at TOMY we used to receive submissions from Pape Woodward! I wonder if I saw any of your sketches? I did a toy project when I was doing my design degree, a tail that waggled when you walked. That was me hooked, I graduated and did anything I could to earn money until a toy job came up, one did at Hasbro, and it was one that suited me down to the ground, I was very lucky indeed.

And in your opinions, what makes a toy great? What do you look for when people pitch?
Tam: I think what makes a toy great is when the full play experience has been considered – not just a clever gimmick or mechanism. Imagining yourself receiving the toy as a kid and running through how you would play with it really helps to figure out in your head whether it really works and has some longevity.

So empathy?
Yes, and what also helps is obviously still having a childlike view of the world… Still getting excited by things and still being able to tune into your inner child. Having said all that, something that just brings joy and makes you smile for whatever reason can be a winner too!

Warren: My opinion has changed massively through having kids. I think I used to underestimate the power of their imaginations. My first role in the industry was about trying to use technologies in novel ways, and while I was always keen on looking at natural user interfaces, I think that does tend to lead to whizz-bang toys for TV ads.

Whizz-bang toys for TV ads? Meaning a clear concept that jumps through the screen?
Exactly. Now I’m much more interested in thinking about the play scenarios of a toy, enabling children to create stories. You can never guess what they’re going to do but you can try and help them have a great starting point.

That’s really interesting. And it shows, perhaps, with things like My Fairy Garden, where imagination’s key…

So, early days, Warren, you were at TOMY… Tam, you were a freelance designer for LEGO. Big hitters! What did you learn working for those brands?
Tam: I met and got to work with some amazing and talented, talented people from all over the world. At the time I was there, LEGO was looking to diversify into lots of different areas. It was such a great place to start a career. They have such strong core values: ones which I have taken with me into subsequent roles.

Which values, specifically?
I think these things have always stayed with me… Imagination, creativity, fun… Learning, caring, quality… And actually, I’ve been very lucky to work at companies and with others where these values are also cherished.

Warren: Like Tam, I’ve been lucky to work with some astonishingly-talented people, at Hasbro, TOMY and now at Interplay. My time at TOMY coincided with my wife Sally and I having children… So working on Infant Preschool toys with young kids of that age at home was just awesome.

It didn’t feel like busman’s holiday, then? There wasn’t a line in the sand?!
Warren: No, not at all! It fed my interest in looking at child cognitive and physical development. I know that’s a common way of looking at things for infants and pre-schoolers, but if you look at them differently and you take their development needs back to base requirements, you can still find insights to help drive innovation.

So now you both now work at Interplay… Warren, can you tell us about that? What’s your ethos? How do you operate?
Warren: Oh boy… I think the foundations of what Interplay stood for, and still do to some extent, pre-date me joining by a long way. It’s a company that always had very strong values… Interplay always wanted to spark a child’s interest in the world around them, and to give the child a learning experience through experimentation. I’ve just tried to up the bar a little, to try and make things a little more toyetic and playful.

My joining also coincided with the company looking at the way the toy market was changing. Since then, and thanks to the PlayMonster acquisition, we have a small development team which, with a decent headwind, hopes to continue this ethos and create some more cool playthings.

Terrific. And Tam, for years, I’ve been using a phrase: “Not this, but this…” It seems that you use the very-similar phrase, “This, but not this…” ! What does it mean? Why say it?
Tam: This, but not this! Yes! That was a running joke when I worked at Worlds Apart, now Moose… It’s just one of those phrases that we used to try and describe what we are thinking but without really having an actual idea of what it was! Throwing out random ideas and then instantly dismissing it! “I mean not this, obviously!” Also there was a really funny Mitchell & Webb sketch years ago… It reminded us of lots of creative meetings we’ve had!! Have you seen it?

I have! Although, at the time, I thought it was like a documentary… Too close to the truth to be funny! I’m curious, then: if you each had to give advice to new inventors, what’s the one thing you’d say?
Tam: I think you just have to really enjoy what you do… If you have enthusiasm for what you do then it shines through. Also, look for inspiration everywhere; don’t rely on existing toys and games to give you inspiration. Look for it everywhere you go… Be interested in the world around you and you will find those little seeds, and some may flourish. BUT… Many will not! And that’s okay too! You have to be okay with putting ideas out there knowing that for whatever reason they might not work. Be prepared to have a very big “bottom drawer” where all the unused or shelved concepts will live!

Warren: I don’t feel qualified to give advice to any inventor regardless of how new they are, I’ve never worked on that side of the fence… They’re all far braver than me!

Well, to that end, then… What – in your experience – makes an exemplary team player in the toy-and-game industry?
Tam: Someone who is honest and happy to share… Someone who is okay with showing their vulnerabilities. Presenting a thought or idea to others because it may help spark something else in with the team. The phrase, “Look… This is probably rubbish, but I’m going to say it anyway!” is used on a daily basis because we feel it’s important not to self filter when you’re in the early creative stage.

Warren: As Tam says, openness and honesty are very important. It helps not to take yourself too seriously, being able to laugh at yourself helps… As does being able to roll with the punches. I also think you have to accept your limitations, of which I have many, so that you can get help where it’s needed.

You know, I’d like a little word cloud in here of all the values-driven words you use. I know a few people that could learn from that! And in terms of limitations, creatively speaking, what do you think is the most destructive thing? What is creativity Kryptonite?
Tam: Over analysing! Also, comparing yourself to others, perfectionism… I know this from bitter experience!

Warren: I’d add to that, “Not letting yourself go”; not having fun with it.

Interesting. I get the sense that you’re both very down to Earth; very values driven. Thanks for making time for this, by the way; I never said! I appreciate it. So, last thoughts: if you each wrote your autobiographies, what would you call them?
Warren: Can you Guess What it is Yet? – because I’m not the best artist in the world! Often getting my ideas across is a bit like a game of Pictionary for everyone else involved.

Tam: “Sorry! I’m a Shambles!” I don’t think that needs an explanation?!

Well… There’s no answer to that! I’m hardly going to say, “No! No explanation needed!”
Tam: The other thought I have is “Imposter!”

Really?
Tam: Yes, because most of the time I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing… I can’t believe that I’m doing what I’m doing, and at some point I will be found out!

Wow! Okay. That’s interesting. There seems to a lot of this about and – you know – sometimes when people say that, like now, I’m amazed because I think, “But you’re so humble, and values driven, and unassuming, with a terrific track record…” So I find that fascinating. Then again, when some people say they have impostor syndrome I think, “Well, of course YOU do! You actually are just a bullshitter!” But that isn’t your vibe at all; on the contrary… Fascinating. Okay! Last question: What’s the most interesting thing in your office or on your desk?
Tam: So I have some nice desk paraphernalia… It’s so difficult to choose the most interesting… I love my newly acquired ‘singing’ bowl! I have a Buddhist quote on my wall which simply says: “The trouble is, you think you have time.” It’s terrifying and liberating at the same time! It helps to put things in perspective a little. I also really like my vinyl figure of Jeff Bridges from the The Big Lebowski drinking a white Russian!

Well! The Big Lebowski’s attitude seems very zen so there seems to be a theme! Warren, you find yourself in strange circumstances at the moment, do you not?
Warren: Yes! During lockdown I’ve been lucky enough to use my wife’s shed. It’s full of weird-and-wonderful games and mechanisms. She tells me not to look so I definitely can’t share any of her favourite toys. However, I discovered that she’s stolen one of my toys, a Japanese micro-kitten from the noughties… It licks a bottle of milk when you hold it up to its mouth!

J’accuse, Sally Jacobs! Listen, I appreciate how busy you both are; thank you so much for making time. Great stuff… Stay safe!

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As the profound impact of COVID-19 continues to disrupt supply and production chains worldwide, many design teams are being forced to reconsider their product lifecycles against the needs and wants of their post-pandemic consumer. Do they scale back on production and wait for the dust to settle? Or do they continue to work two years ahead?

What remains certain is that it’s never been more important to be developing products that line up with what people genuinely need. So, as the ripple effects of the pandemic continue, many creatives are looking ahead and turning a challenging situation into an opportunity to learn how to make things even better for their customers. Even if that means rewriting the rulebook and doing things differently.

At Trend Bible, we work with some of the world’s most innovative and creative people in the industry. We get to share and observe best practice and see what enables a team to make commercial success of a trend. Our job as their trend partner is to ensure they are equipped with the right information about their future landscape to keep on making great decisions. It helps them grow as individuals and develop in their profession. It keeps them at the top of their game, making fearless but well-informed decisions.

We’ve spoken to many senior designers recently about how they’ll ensure their teams are best placed to adapt, innovate and thrive in a more agile, fluid future, and we want to help you do the same.

Here are five ways design directors and managers can prepare to move from crisis to recovery, to prepare for their post-pandemic consumer:

1. Reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on your company strategy
Take a pause to make sure you’re clear on if – and how – the company strategy has changed. Check in with your senior executive team on what their expectations are and consider how your team will be expected to reduce risk for the business. How have the goal posts moved on when you’ll produce product, how much you’ll produce, and where? This could all impact what actually gets designed.

2. Get access to current and future consumer insights
Has your insight team conducted any research during the pandemic and does this have meaning for your design process? You should be re-evaluating the consumer trends you are using for 2020 and 2021 to include a ‘pandemic lens’ and re-appropriate them to reflect new post-pandemic attitudes and tastes. Be sure to fully communicate the role that design must play to entice a post-pandemic customer.

3. Assess the appetite for risk inside your company, post-pandemic
Understand the appetite for new product within the business and amongst your audience – what percentage of your range will need to be ‘safe’ and what percentage needs to bring ‘newness?’ Is there a sense that the business only wants to commit to products that have worked previously? What do you consider the risk to be to the business as a result and who do you need to communicate this to?

4. Make a business case for how your company might need to reconsider range structure and timings
Do you work in seasonal product drops and will this service your audience well in a post-pandemic world? Understand if and how your product development cycle shifts – your designers may need to work towards a different critical path.

5. Stay close to your team and communicate often
Establish how each person within your team is coping. Are you clear on the challenges each person faces and what might get in the way of them doing their best at work? Ensure you have the right tools and resources in place to support and direct them to if they are struggling.

This article originally appeared on the Trend Bible Blog.

Joanna Feeley is the founder and CEO of futures agency Trend Bible. The team at Trend Bible have created a ‘Self-Development Toolkit for your Creative Livelihood’ which you and your team can access here.

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Modern Games, a new games company specialising in merging physical and digital play, has acquired the tabletop stacking game Beasts of Balance.

The award-winning Beasts of Balance was created and launched by Sensible Object, but the studio was acquired last year by Niantic and become Niantic London.

According to TechCrunch, Modern Games is relaunching Beasts of Balance as well as bringing a new game to market in the form of Seven Sails, a tactical war game about pirates.

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When you buy a product – specifically a complex product, like a car or hi-end gadget – you are interested in all the features and benefits. You start to explore them, fiddle with them and hopefully admire them.

As an industrial designer, it’s what I trained to do; to create products which were both visually and technically exciting, useful and ones that you wanted to own. When I started to design toys, games and puzzles around 25 years ago, I applied the same principles. But I realised I was doing it all wrong.

I soon understood that the most important thing in a toy or game is not so much the bits in the box or the plastic thing-a-me -jig, but the experience. It’s not that I didn’t understand experiences, but up to that point, it was the product doing all the heavy lifting. With many toys – and to larger extent, games – the experience is what the players bring to that moment. As a designer, I realised that some of the most important parts were actually the gaps; the white space that invites players in for them to fill those voids with their own stories, humour, action etc.

It’s a subtle process; it’s not like a script where we leave a gap stating ‘player improvises here’. Toy play-sets should offer opportunities for kids to discover stories for themselves and games should create worlds that players are invited to populate. But within all that, you can’t leave it all to chance.

Finding the gaps is often a process of addition and subtraction and often comes through playtesting. Will those breadcrumbs you built in work? Will they simple scatter, with players frustrated as to why they are not having fun? Will children quickly get bored with their new toy as there is nothing new for them to discover or imagine?

I have just finished The Imagineering Story series on Disney Plus and it was a joyful experience. If you’ve ever been to a Disney park, you will bring your own stories to the show as they reveal the backstage magic and planning. But what really comes across is where they leave the gaps for park visitors to discover and make their own. How they prototype and test, test, test their ideas to fine-tune the experience.

It really resonated with me and hence why I thought I’d pen this article. For those of us lucky enough to work in the toy business, we can all in some small way be an Imagineer. A mixture of art, science, design and magic.

The best approach I would take is to try and think of your toy or game as a reveal. It’s needs layers, it needs gaps that lead from one to the next. The next time I visit a Disney park (which I hope is not far in the future), I will certainly look again to see if I can see the gaps woven into their experiences, waiting for me to step into.

Richard Heayes is the founder of PlayLenz and Heayes Design. He can be contacted at Richard@heayesdesign.com

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