Chapter 037 - 1999.01.12

  • This is a story of an idea that started in the analog world -

    • back in the late 90s -

      • and then kept morphing -

        • as digital technology evolved.

  • I found this old starting place project image.

  • It had this chapters date.

  • Slants was a three (1) in one (1) toy-game-collectible concept:

    • 1) a stress relief toy

    • 2) a playground game

    • 3) a collectibles set of items

  • It never found a producer group.

  • In the early 2000s -

    • slants morphed into globehoppers.

  • We even got the interest of Hasbro for a bit.

  • Globehoppers added a barcode to the pieces.

  • Using GPS technology -

    • scanning would virtualize the analog piece -

      • and give it a birth location stamp.

  • Then the piece would be ready to hop around the globe -

    • within a virtual hopper against hopper online gaming venue.

  • I won a contest and $1000 for this concept at the time.

  • But Hasbro was doing a similar type of electronic game -

    • with a virus theme -

      • and though they saw Globehoppers had some improvements -

        • they passed.

  • Fast forward another decade...

  • Globehoppers morphs into Webhoppers -

    • and the whole concept becomes more about -

      • a new way to do storytelling -

        • 'automatic story generation'.

  • Webhoppers was all about following the emergent stories -

    • of 'your' hopper creations -

      • as they move about the real world.

  • Where with even competition challenge -

    • a new chapter would be added to a hoppers story.

  • The collectibles concept becomes virtual too -

    • where players are now challenged to -

      • 'win' a hopper:

        • born in various:

          • continents

          • countries

          • states-provinces-regions

          • cities

        • presently positioned in these same places

        • traveled thru these same places

  • Webhoppers included that incredibly important -

    • revenue model.

  • Each hopper's story included:

    • creator person

    • sponsor 3rd party -

      • with links to sponsor -

        • products

        • services

        • experiences

  • Webhoppers included automatic:

    • language translation

    • pre-approved 'positive-only' chat messaging

  • The latter would allow real-time or other -

    • back-n-forth comm -

      • between gaming opponents -

        • but prevent bullying -

          • or other negative comm.

  • So many things to do with webhoppers -

    • on 'your' schedule.

  • Even challenges need NOT be played out in real time.

  • Predefined process sequencing -

    • being the key that allows everything to happen -

      • when the player finds the time -

        • to interact with the game and story.

  • Within the last year or so -

    • Webhoppers was given the new name -

      • Talepets

  • Like ALL discoveries and creations -

    • Talepets is immediately available for commercialization.

  • [more coming - if asked]