Boss Run - Online gaming meets NIKE+
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>View discussions about this entry País: Germany
Organization: BootUp
Sport - Running
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2007
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Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - I will use the NIKE+ technology to infuse online gaming with a healthy dose of real life exercise.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - Massive multiplayer online gaming is a booming pasttime for young people and a rapidly growing market. Yet many gamer kids seem to fully exchange achievements in the real world and building strength, agility and social relations for virtual muscle and second life relationships on-line. I would like to use the NIKE+ technology to change that. Kids will be equipped with NIKE+ gadgets and then be able to feed training results into their favorite virtual worlds, where the miles they ran and the times they beat will buy them better equipment and faster movement, i.e. special mounts and boots for their virtual characters. I will use the existing structure of on-line "guilds" and "partys" to turn this into a social event also.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - Gamers tend to view sports as obnoxious and boring. They miss out not only on a more healthy lifestyle, but also on a lot of fun and a way to build friendships and be part of community life. The team spirit that´s there on-line in guilds and partys is seldomly transferred into real-life relations. There a few "Boss Runs" (a concentrated effort by a group of players to beat a major foe) in real life.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - NIKE/Apple would have to sponsor their NIKE+ technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike+iPod) and team up with one or more of the leading online games to implement the technical side of things. This is doable, and all parties involved would benefit from the additional marketing value gained for their brands and, eventually, a broadened customer base. Online gaming associations have to be brought on board to get the word out and help with organizing a contest to elect the first few to try out this new program. Gamers equipped with NIKE+ could get help from running coaches and start using their achievements as runners in the real world to bild character - online. Since my idea as of now is nothing but an idea, we´ll have to quickly skip to how I plan to grow this.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - I am a gamer, a professional game editor, a journalist and a runner. I have access to networks of people who might benefit from this program, I know people how can implement it, I can spread the word and generate attention. I will contact NIKE as well as the major companies behind online gaming and get them in touch with the largest gamer associations. I will use my contacts with the press and internet media as well as gaming trade shows and the industry to then generate more interest. An initial contest sponsored by NIKE and one or more or the major online games could spark things off. I will call on professional gamers and runners to take part in a marketing campaign to hit young media outlets. In a second step, groups and individuals taking part in the Boss Run program have to network and tie in with local community and sports events, where successful "Boss Run Teams" win us more attention.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Fusing the fun of on-line gaming and the cool of athletes in order to get gamer kids running.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - I intend for my innovation to help kids who love on-line gaming not to become obese and isolated, but turn their virtual successes into some real and positive experience.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - None yet.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - Getting gamers to try sporty things. Making concerned parents and teachers see how gaming in this program is actually not bad. In general, making the positive image of sport outshine the negative image of gaming and making the lure of colorful gaming worlds outshine the trauma of PE lessons.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - The whole project hinges on support from NIKE+ and the online gaming industry. Otherwise, this can be done with very little money or even on a volunteer basis.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. No budget and no finances yet.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? - The recent overwhelming success of movement based video gaming (Nintendo Wii and DS technologies) vs. other consoles proves that merging online and offline activities is a coming market and beats the same old gaming concepts any time. If you then take into account the alarming reports on childhood obesity and social isolation, there seems to a real and huge demand for developments like these, which may also win new groups, like girls and older people, for sports and gaming alike.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - I don´t aim for sustainability in the strict sense, this would have to be a sponsored effort as concerns the techonology. The people who will make this come alive, on the other hand, will hardly need any money.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - I am both a gamer, a game producer and a runner. After being active on changemakers for a while and seeing the great projects people are coming up with all over the world, I tried and made up my mind how I could put my experience to the best possible use and come up with something that is fun, innovative and yet achievable.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - Born in Kiel, Germany 1979. Studied U.S. Literature and Culture in Berlin and Washington, D.C. Work as freenlance author, journalist and editor.
Contact Information:
Jasper Nicolaisen
Author/journalist/editor/assistant BootUp (University) Discussions about this entry |
Hi Cameron,
thanks for the biz suggestions. I can see how this is a potentially great idea that needs some entrepeneurage added. You're probably right about those kids not needing any more sponsoring with the gear they already have, even though a WoW account comes pretty cheap these days and they give awy the game for free. Anyway, buidling a community around this idea and then opening it up for the companies involved is probably the way to go. Some incetive-y giveaways might still happen. Maybe it's a better idea to concentrate on organizing the events and even getting some trainers on board - running and gaming trainers, that is. Thanks for seeing the potential here.
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Hi Jasper-
great entry! I would still love to see a sustainable strategy to keep boss run running. ha! Why would the equipment need to be sponsored? Kids who have a ps3 can afford a ipod (or have one already) and the toggle for the shoes isn't so expensive. I would suggest that instead of getting Nike to sponsor you that you sell them on a special marketing opportunity for their Nike + (or another provider) to plug into some sort of website game interface! oooh. think bigger buddy.
I do think this idea is great though -- to have a way like in second life that people can get stuff they want for the game through actions outside of it in the 'real' world. And kids active, especially sedentary gamers, has to be a big priority for all of us.
Creative. think a bit how you could improve the financial parts of the entry. they are the only weak bits.
Heather Cameron
Free University Berlin
University Challenge