Thanks for the feedback. Great that you are teaching your child to code. For education purposes, I think our first step will be exposing the code that the AI is generating and then next allowing editing it.
It is true we need to be more clear on the game credits.
Currently you can create 20 games with cost of the ball. Then it is $5USD to create 10 games and $6USD per month for unlimited games.
You can remix/improve any of those games for free. The cost of this component is a little unknown to us.
We really are only looking to only cover our AI token costs on game creation. This will likely change if we add text only ability to create games. Right now the realtime/voice part of it is like 80% of our cost.
Personally, those rates seem very reasonable and I wouldn't shy from making that more clear.
1) I love that it isn't strictly locked into a subscription model but could be either pay as you go or pay monthly
Paying monthly would remove my stress of his usage and if it was clearly set up as a 'pause any time' subscription model I'd be even more inclined. Ie. He may be REALLY into it for a month or two and then hard pivots to a new thing so being able to pause easily month-to-month while I wait for his attention to cycle back is a great thing.
2) I think you could also explore saying, 'We know AI is moving fast and their models are always evolving, we're committed to offering credits to our amazing community at fair market rates plus a Ball2 platform fee of 10% which helps us improve Ball2 and add more features. And since we're able to pool the buying power of the whole Ball2 community, we hope to keep the cost of creating as low as possible. Currently those rates are...'
I think you're also set up to offer a really incredible maker community as kids share their games and iterate off one another. If you don't have plans for a basic community forum I'd lean in to that. Would be cool to sponsor monthly challenges or organize mini-hackathons where kids spend a weekend collaborating virtually to come up with new more elaborate games or solve design challenges that employ the balls capabilities etc. -- Also helps keep kids engaged and using credits ;) or looking forward to Ball3!
I could also see you offering school stem kit packs or school PE packs etc.
Start with: “how will I sell it?” This will frame “how do I start?” If you can’t answer how to sell it, then focus on learning and fun. If you are one of the lucky few that has a vision for both sales and hacking, then hack around that sales funnel, from the very start.
I dug into the APIs a few months ago and found it pretty deceptive (on Apple's part) how much of that generated depth map is from the stereo cameras vs the LiDAR sensor. If you cover the cameras or use it in the dark, the quality decreases drastically.
Great article. I have personally have been working this way for years. The author mentions that this has been successful in the last decade, but I think the best example of this approach is much older with Edison and General Electric.
I have been doing this for years. Currently doing it with Sperry Labs (https://www.sperrylabs.com). I have found that when an idea takes off into a successful product, the entire studio ends up going that direction until exit, then you just start over with a new studio. But I have seen successful exits with Brightcove, oobgolf, and AirCare Labs. And successful products with Dynasign, ServiceCapture, Callbot, and Play Impossible Gameball.
We have been playing around with this idea that comparative learning is much more meaningful than rote memorization. Then when the pandemic hit and so many kids were forced to learn from home, we decided to push harder and publish something. Sortzy States is the product of that effort and would love your feedback on it as both a learning tool and a fun game.
When I need to make money: I code and build hardware. But when work is slow and my brain can wonder, I find myself wanting to tell stories with video. The sad part is I am not Casey Neistat.
Here is a video that the whole family worked on for a school project a few weeks ago: https://youtu.be/QHmkRBIzUMs
Play Impossible is an active play company that injects digital magic into games and sports. In early 2017, we are launching the Gameball, a multi sport smart ball with accompanying mobile games. Play Impossible is looking to grow it’s team of talented individuals excited to build a real-world product that motivates kids, and adults, to get up off the couch.
Play Impossible is seeking a talented Android and iOS developer to build mobile apps that will connect with our wireless products. The developer will be responsible for the prototyping, architecture, implementation, and deployment of native applications that are functional, beautiful, and fun. The position will report to our Chief Technology Officer and work closely with our user experience designer, firmware developer, and electrical engineer.
Developers will be allowed to work remotely, but will be required to regularly meet at the Play Impossible research and development offices in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
A new product that won't be shipping until March is Play Impossible Gameball: http://www.playimpossible.com If you sign up for the email list you will be given a discount in the first shipment.
My boys (7, 9, and 11 yrs) have access to an early version and play with it almost daily. It gets them active and has basic math and physics games.
It is true we need to be more clear on the game credits.
Currently you can create 20 games with cost of the ball. Then it is $5USD to create 10 games and $6USD per month for unlimited games.
You can remix/improve any of those games for free. The cost of this component is a little unknown to us.
We really are only looking to only cover our AI token costs on game creation. This will likely change if we add text only ability to create games. Right now the realtime/voice part of it is like 80% of our cost.