pocketgame

July 22, 2011

Egg-A-Thon: Our Finished Pocket Game

(download)

If you've followed us right from the beginning of our Pocket Game story you may be excited (and even surprised?!) to learn that the end of our journey is in sight. As we speak the final 'Egg-A-Thon' boxes are rolling off our production line, giving a new and playful life to old cereal boxes across the country.

Egg-A-Thon beat Flick Racer in our public test/vote last year, having been selected over dozens of other entries by our panel of judges. Working with winning inventor Sally we've dotted the 'i's and crossed the 't's of her design (through some intensive play testing!) to produce the final, colourful, version pictured here.

The final chapter of the story though will once again be written by you guys - Matterbox subscribers and those of you who followed our link to apply for a box before. We've written basic rules for the games but we want you to add to those: to come up with uses for the new orange cone pieces, to tweak the gameplay or to come up with completely new ways of playing.

We'll be sending out tens of thousands of the games at the end of next week; if you're one of the lucky recipients then be sure to head to the Spots or Stripes Facebook pages to share your rule ideas for the chance to win a Cadbury hamper!

Filed under // cadbury egg-a-thon matterbox pocket game

Posted by jdaykin

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May 23, 2011

Our film - the Story of Pocketgame

We've put together a little film of the pocketgame story, where we talk to Sally, James, some of our judges and some recipients too. We hope you enjoy it, please do pass it on.

We'll soon have details on how you can get your hands on a final version of the winning game too.

Posted by John V Willshire

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April 21, 2011

Right then... who wants a pocketgame..?

Would you like a chance to get your hands on a final version of Egg-a-thon?

Well, we're giving the first 5,000 away to people who say "me, please, oh ME ME ME" on the Spots & Stripes facebook pages...

UPDATE - you actually have to fill in the proper form on the Facebook page... Sorry for misdirecting you in my enthusiasm...

...if you're a Stripe, go here - http://www.facebook.com/cadburystripes

...and if you're a Spot, go here - http://www.facebook.com/cadburyspots

I'd be quick about it, if I were you...

Posted by John V Willshire

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April 21, 2011

Egg-a-thon's Easter greetings... do you see what we've done there?

Hello there, Pocketgame lovers

It seemed most fitting that we update you with the progress of our winning pocketgame, Egg-a-thon, on this most eggy of weekends. It's all very eggciting, but we think we're in an eggcellent place...

No, I'm sorry, I'll stop it with the egg puns.

As the French would say, une oeuf is une oeuf...

....

...yes, I know.

But really, that's an end to it.

Let me distract you with a recap...

You'll remember back in January we were delighted to announce that Sally Manning had won the pocketgame competition.

We'd sent 12,000 people a lovely Matterbox with two prototypes of the games chosen by the public as the best from all the 10 shortlisted by a crack team of judges.

There was Egg-a-thon, by Sally, and Flick Racer by James Wallis:

Not, not only did these people choose Egg-a-thon as the winner, but we were lucky enough that they wanted to tell us all about it...

....we were inundated with ideas and suggestions from the people who playtested both games on how they could be improved.

So one evening last month, a gang of us from Cadbury & PHD, and of course Sally herself, got together over pizza and lemonade to test out lots of different rule variations...

...use of different objects, strategies, rulesets and so on.

(download)

We played and played and played... as Spots and Stripes teams of course. As a Spot, I don't really want to say who won...

...ahem, anyway, moving swiftly on...

We also looked at how we'd improve the look, feel and durability of the game for the final version.

Whilst we were firm in our resolve to maintain the strict sustainable / recycled ethos around the manufacture of pocketgames, we also wanted to make something with longevity, something that people can keep playing, and keep, for a long time.

We think we've come up with something that's pretty perfect, which you'll see in coming weeks.

We've also started evolving the look... trying to match some of the fun of Sally's original design with the style and design of the prototype.

I probably shouldn't post this, as I drew it with felt tips in five minutes flat the morning after, but it's in the spirit of what we're looking to achieve; playful and character driven without being too childish...

I know, laugh away. My eighteen month year old son could do better. I'm lowering your expectations, clearly, so when you see the finished one, you'll think 'wow...'

Finally, we're throwing some 'wildcards' into the box too. I'm not going to spoil the surprise of what they are just yet, I'll save that for another day.

But put it this way, if you're lucky enough to get a final version, it's something that'll let you experiment with a little game design of your own.

So, I have to say, all in all we're pretty excited. And all this before we've seen a final version. There's one question you're probably asking though...

How do I get my hands on a final version of Egg-a-thon???

Well, keep an eye on this site today, and the Spots or Stripes facebook pages (depending on which side you're on)

Be prepared to act fast... :)

Posted from Camden Town, United Kingdom

Posted by John V Willshire

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February 11, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen... our pocketgame winner is....

So then, here we are... the votes have been counted, the tension is mounting...

...who is the winner of the inaugural Cadbury Spots V Stripes Pocketgame Memorial Ashes Rowse Cup?

(ok, that's not actually the name, but it sounds good, doesn't it?)

Is it James Wallis, designer of finger-to-the-pavement racing extravaganza Flick Racer?

Or is it Sally Manning, inventor of the utterly eggcellent Egg-a-thon?

Crumbs, the tension's getting to me... and I know already.

Which means I should probably tell you...

...that...

...the winner...

...is.......

....SALLY MANNING WITH EGG-A-THON!!!!

(Cue trumpets, fanfares, marching bands)

A massive congratulations to Sally, and a big old 'nearly, chap' punch on the arm to James. There was huge love for both games in the comments we had back from everyone, and of course we were delighted with both of them. But there has to be a winner, and it's Egg-a-thon. How eggciting!

(I will miss the egg puns, I must say)

Anyway, on behalf on everyone at Cadbury, Matterbox, Eyeka and PHD who've worked on Pocketgame over the last six months, I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who's taken part, written and said nice things about us, played the games and told us what they think, came along to judge the shortlist, or even just read these ramblings every so often at lunch.

What's next?

Well, we're heading back into the 'making things' state; investigations have already begun into exactly what form we make Egg-a-thon in (and the possibilities are very exciting, let me tell you). And we may even look to make more of Flick Racer in some form too, if you are very lucky people.

So keep 'em peeled for more updates.

But until then, three cheers for Sally Manning, Pocketgame Champion 2010!!

Posted from Camden Town, United Kingdom

Posted by John V Willshire

Comments [4]

February 8, 2011

Spot vs. Stripes vs. Bloggers?

Hello Pocketgamers!

Happy 2011 – we hope the transition up a digit on the old Gregorian day chart hasn’t adversely effected anyone too much. And we’ve all avoided the trials of (statistically speaking) the most depressing day of the year (17^th January fact fans!) and we’re pushing headlong through February - Spring, blooming flowers and blooming bunnies. (literally, blooming bunnies – all over the place, thousands of 'em!)

But February also brings a rather exciting new chapter for Spots Vs. Stripes – all a bit hush-hush for the moment; but an important part of this project is going to be you Pocketgame fans. We’re looking to hear from you keen bloggers! Be it game design, play, history, production – or chocolate lovers, afficionados, or just the competitive sort. We want you to get involved in the next project, and there’s plenty up for grabs – from copious amounts of chocolate, to some VERY desirable prizes. There will be a London based event as part of this, so you'll have to be able to get down here for that part of the proceedings, so shout if your a Londoner - but anybody can apply.

Post your own blog link, or nominate a favourite or a friend – either

- post a link on the comments section below

- tweet it @cam_guin

- email cadburypocketgame@gmail.com

Just make sure there’s a contact section so we can get in touch with you!

Chris (@cam_guin)

Posted by Christopher Price

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February 4, 2011

Pocketgame... your feedback

Well hello there. As you'll remember, the voting for pocketgame was extended slightly, into the middle of January. All that snow and the Christmas post didn't really help us get all the boxes out on time.

But yes, the voting is closed... we'll be announcing who it is... next week. Yes I know, we're such teases.

But until then, we took all the hundreds and hundreds of comments you sent us about the games, and ran them through Wordle... the more times the word is mentioned, then the bigger it is in the Wordle.

And you seem to have had a lot of fun...

Posted by John V Willshire

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December 24, 2010

Winter variations and a Merry Christmas

Hello there, pocketgamers

Hasn't all this snowy weather been exciting? Well, I say exciting... besides all the travel hiccups, it's done two things to the great put-pocketgames-in-a-matterbox-and-send-them-to-people experiment. Firstly, it's made the boxes arrive a little late in places... they've been taking up to and over two weeks, it seems.

Hopefully everyone should have theirs by now, but if not, please contact us and we'll sort it out.

Secondly, it's made it very hard to playtest Flick Racer properly, as a few of you have mentioned in the voting feedback...

...so James, Flick Racer inventor, has come up with a few indoor variations you can try inside where it's snug and warm...

* On the floor of the office or at home, use bits of coloured Sellotape (it is Christmas after all) to mark out a track. Don't waste a whole roll--use small strips to make slalom-style gates that each car has to pass through.
* Or outline a course with string. Again, use tape to stick it down in places.
* Or unroll 2-3 metres of paper from a big roll of wrapping paper and draw your track on the plain side of that. This works best to give a racing surface on rugs or carpeted floors.
* For an alternate, more challenging game, make a sequence of narrow tunnels using Christmas cards and see who can be first to flick their counters through them and across a finish-line.
* Or use the furniture that's already there. Have a floor-race around a table's legs. Put down a couple of books or boxes to make interesting obstacles. Improvise!

* If you're in a cafe or restaurant, use salt from the salt-cellar to draw a track on the table while you wait for your order to arrive. If this annoys your server, tell them they should have been quicker with the food.

Anyway, Merry Christmas from all of us on the Spots V Stripes Pocketgame team, and from our fantastic two finalists James & Sally...

...have a wonderful festive season, everyone, and we'll see you in the new year to announce our winner.

Ho ho ho... and all that :)

Posted by John V Willshire

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December 15, 2010

The Matterboxes Are Landing...

There's great excitement at Spots V Stripes HQ... we've seen lots of Matterboxes arriving through people's doors, and the first thing a lot of folk seem to do is photograph them...

...here's just a few that we've seen so far:

...from @neiltheneil

...from @andrew_hoffi

...from @hardillb

...from @gemma_t

...from @daftks

Posted by John V Willshire

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December 1, 2010

Here is a box, a gamesical box...

Last night I saw the very first Spots V Stripes Matterbox... it is a wonderful thing:

I especially love the way it opens... it splits across the top, around the letters of 'matter':

It kind of reminds me of the beginning of Camberwick Green

Anyway, the first few will be heading out the door any day now, snow allowing and so on. We think everyone should have them within the week though. It's like Christmas come early... though of course not that early, it's pretty close now. Better get that list posted to Santa, eh?

Posted by John V Willshire

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