“You can discover more about a person in
an hour of play
than in a year of conversation” – Plato |
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This is a letter from the Inventor of GEIST
that tells how she yearned for time interacting with her teenagers
and finally found a way to lure them away from video games!
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Hi, I'm Rose, the inventor of GEIST. I am also a mother, and until recently, a career woman caught up in the traps of modern times. With advanced degrees in Math and Sciences, I’ve had a rewarding career in the IT industry as an independent consultant. However, in recent years, with increasing responsibilities, I’ve worked too many long days. When I got home, I would often find the children doing mindless things - they were either compulsively playing video games, or flipping channels in front of the TV. It bothered me, and I wished I could provide better alternative activities, but all my energy was expended at the office.
One day, the wake-up call came. I learned my father had passed away. I had planned many visits, but never seemed to find the time….then it was too late. I missed my chance to say good-bye. With a closer realization that life's short and precious, I saw my life had to change. I didn’t want to look back and regret not spending enough time with my children. |
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I craved for the family to enjoy our home life together, but the solitary nature of TV, video games and the Internet constantly interfered. I tried to find activities we could all play and have fun together. I brought out a variety of multi-player board games, but they couldn't keep them excited after one play. Many new games seemed to be rehashes of older ones, and trivia and word games left them indifferent – “You either know it or you don't” or “You're older, of course you can beat me”, they said. Overall, they lack complexity, strategy and flexibility offered by modern video games, and can't hook the electronic generation used to challenging and fast-paced games that demand total engagement. My son prefers strategy board games with more depth but so many have themes of war and domination that don't entice my daughter. Where's the intelligent board game that's as exciting as video games and can captivate the entire family? |
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| A former Math teacher, I’ve always been fascinated by logic and how the human mind works. I decided to to put my career on hold and resurrect a youthful dream of creating a new breed of board game. One that could bridge the disparity in game preferences so my family can spend more time together for game playing. I set out to create an interactive board game that can put players in a highly charged and focused state of mind - a game rich in surprises, that provides the adrenaline rush of a race to the finish, that gratifies the urge to take chances and to prove one’s intellect without counting on luck, but on a multitude of tricks and strategies. |
I then wrapped it up with a universally appealing theme. The end result is a nail-biting game I named “GEIST”. GEIST has enthralled my kids and others and has taken on a life of its own. Now, my 13-year old would often come home, race to do his homework and ask if we could play GEIST! My family has since spent many evenings enjoying each other’s company with the game, and I take great pleasure at how much the children can think strategically and competitively. Board games are traditionally thought of as being played only a few times a year, yet, the thrill of GEIST keeps my kids coming back for more!
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Designing GEIST has been my most enjoyable experience. I did not enlist gaming experts, demographics experts nor did I write any fancy simulation programs to study play dynamics. GEIST is a home grown project that used a bunch of kids, between the age of 8 and 85, as testers. They are my inspiration and my contributing experts. Their responses have been consistent: “GEIST is really cool!” And the statistics have been equally consistent: kids and adults alike can’t stand to lose at GEIST! This makes me believe in it with all my heart.
Now I am living my dream of launching my invention and spending more time with my kids. Since electronic gaming has stormed the market, parents often see how anti-social and pervasive this gaming force can be, and suffer the loss of interaction with their kids. Human interaction has been the impetus behind board games throughout times. You can’t gather around the TV or the computer to chat and learn about your loved ones. The shared experience of a board game is ideal for families to connect in the safest and most cherished place - their homes. I am sure you’ll enjoy this new game while re-claiming those fleeting moments still available for the family….... despite the high tech craze! Set out GEIST tonight! And ……..
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