Posts Tagged ‘Nolan Bushnell’

Atari founder Nolan Bushnell guides Anti-AgingGames

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Building upon the theme of Gaming for Good, it would appear as though another be-better-through-gaming firm has recently entered the market, this time Anti-AgingGames, that seeks to provide scientifically based brain fitness games, specifically targeted at those 35 years of age and up.

Sure, memory trainers are a dime-a-dozen, but Anti-AgingGames believes that they’ve perfected the secret to staying razor sharp over time via additional components including concentration and focus exercises, as well as the key components of relaxation and stress reduction, both of which have been scientifically researched and found to promote healthy brain functions. The subscription based service also provides a number of daily tips on how to reduce early memory loss. This sage wisdom is brought to Anti-AgingGames from over 17.000 medical studies that indicate simple lifestyle changes can improve over all, long term, memory retention.

“The scientific community is making great strides in understanding what happens to our brains as we age. The good news is the adult brain does not stop developing, as had long been believed, and scientists are identifying a wide range of things — like regular exercise, socializing and engaging in mentally-stimulating activities — that can potentially maintain and even improve brain performance as we age,” says co-founder Elizabeth Amini in a statement. “Anti-AgingGames.com provides tools and information that can help reduce the risk of early memory loss and enable people to live full and productive lives.”

While Amini arrives at Anti-AgingGames via the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the other half of Anti-AgingGames is where the games industry experience comes to the table. Across the table from Amini is established games maker, and son of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Brent Bushnell.

While Bushnell SR. wasn’t specifically “hands on” with the project, he, together with leading world-class neurobehavioral scientists, provided oversight and guidance. Games were/are specifically designed so that players can enjoy them in short intervals (social games?). And what would a good game be without a carrot and stick? Anti-AgingGames vows to release new content on a regular basis, allowing for ongoing training, as well as landmarks for users to monitor their progress over time.

“It has been disappointing to watch videogames become increasingly violent and complicated over the years and lacking in fun, socially engaging and educational features. I have long believed that video and computer games could be highly effective, fun educational tools, and I am pleased to see more activity on that front,” says Nolan Bushnell in a statement.

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LA Games Conference features stellar lineup, April 28-29

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Kicking off tomorrow, the LA Games Conference features an outstanding collection of speakers and panelists from across today’s gaming landscape.  The conference is slated to have over 250 senior decision makers from games, media, entertainment and tech companies all under one roof.

lagc_logo_2009Held at the historic Roosevelt Hotel, in Los Angeles, California, this year’s conference features a number of presentations and talks by a number of industry leaders.  Featured keynote speakers include:

Nolan Bushnell – founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, CEO of uWink and Chairman, NeoEdge.

We’ve previously highlighted Bushnell’s innovative concept and use of microtransactions in the traditional ‘diner’ setting.  Bushnell is expected to talk about his thoughts on game consoles like the Nintendo wii and the new and emerging landscape of gaming (presumably with a heavy focus on microtransactions).

“Distribution of Games and Digital Media – A Glimpse of the Future”

Mike Yuen – Senior Director, Game Services, Qualcomm

Yuen is expected to give his thoughts on what drives the move towards digitally distributed content.  He’ll also be discussing Qualcomm’s investment in the new wireless 3G game console in developing countries, called Zeebo.  This new console targets middle class gamers in emerging markets including Brazil, Russia, India and China.  This console plays only downloadable games, combating the piracy of disc based games.

“Casual is the New Black – If You Want to Avoid the Red”

David Roberts, CEO, PopCap Games

Quickly becoming one of my personal favorite gaming destinations, PopCap Games’ CEO David Roberts plans on discussing the future where innovations in casual games help create the environment for tomorrow’s hardcore game experiences.  Roberts will lay out the PopCap vision of bringing games to the other 80% of the market that even the broadest appealing casual games have yet to reach.

“Finding Money in Games”

Mitch Lasky, General Partner, Benchmark Capital

Given the current economic situation, Lasky’s talk on the latest investment trends and opportunities in games and digital media, might just be the one not to miss.  A 20+ mobile gaming, new media, and interactive entertainment business veteran, Lasky has served as EVP of Mobile and Online at EA before joining Benchmark Capital.

Other top panelists and Moderators include:

John Kavanagh, SVP, Interactive / Head of Games, Paramount Pictures

Gareth Davis, Platform Manager, Facebook

Spencer Hunt, VP, Game Production & Digital Development, Sony Pictures TV Int’l

Kuk Yi, Managing Director, Best Buy Capital

Bill Young, Western Region Sales Director, Electronic Arts

Jason Oberfest, SVP of Business Development, MySpace

Robert Norton, Managing Director, North America, King.com

Jana Friedman, SVP of Worldwide Advertising Sales, Double Fusion

David Reitman, VP, Content & Ent. Practice, Switch and Data

Kate Connally, Vice President, AddictingGames/MTV Networks

Bill Kispert, VP, Interactive, NBC Interactive

Jesse Redniss, Vice President, USA Network Digital

Ned Sherman, CEO and Publisher, Digital Media Wire

Eric Goldberg, Managing Director, Crossover Technologies

Nick Williams, Director, Media &, Entertainment Insights, OTX Research

Jay Baage, VP of Content, Digital Media Wire

Anu Shukla, Founder and CEO, Offerpal Media

Scott Scherer, VP of Product Management, Hands-on Mobile

Michael Rubinelli, SVP of Game Development, Genius Products

George Kurtyka, 3P Account Manager, Nokia

Nash Parker, Director, Emerging Technology & Media, Alcatel-Lucent

Braden Moulton, Senior Manager, Partner Development, Massive (Microsoft)

Nichole Goodyear, CEO & Co-Founder, Brickfish

Michael Chang, CEO & Co-Founder, Greystripe

Vijay Rao, VP, Director of Open Planning, Optimedia US

Ted Cohen, Managing Partner, TAG Strategic

Kyle Laughlin, Senior Director, Yahoo! Games

Bob Ferrari, VP, Publishing & Bus. Dev., Sanrio Digital

Michael Cai, Vice President, Video Games, Interpret

Kyu Lee, President, Gamevil

Mike Vorhaus, President, Magid Advisors

Dave Long, CEO/Co-Founder, Exponential Entertainment, Inc.

Matt Palmer, EVP & GM, Stardoll Network

Jim Drewry, Executive Director of Marketing, Turbine

Michael Rosenberg, COO, Future Ads (Owner and Operator, Gamevance.com)

Teemu Huuhtanen, President, N.A., Sulake Inc. (Habbo)

Matthew Bellows, VP, Consumer Strategy, Vivox

Ryan Barkan, Senior Director, Advertising & Video Games, Primary Wave Music

Mark Friedler, Partner, Worlds and Games LLC

Greg Short, Executive Chairman, EEDAR

Tim Chang, Principal, Norwest Venture Partners

Bjorn Book-Larsson, COO & CTO, K2 Network

John Canning, Principal, MediaSherpa

Dennis Fong, CEO & Founder, Raptr

Alex Hackford, Head of A&R, Sony Computer Entertainment America

John Hayase, Exec. Director of Development, Sony Online Entertainment

Steve Hoffman, CEO, RocketOn, Inc.

James Hursthouse, Bus. Development Director, Japan/Korea, BigWorld PTY

Dave Laux, Global Executive, InterActive Media

Nicole Lazzaro, President, XEODesign, Inc.

Calvin Ng, CEO & CSO, iLemon

Ken Rutkowski, President/Host, KenRadio

Tommy Tallarico, President, Tommy Tallarico Studios, Inc.

Dan Yue, Co-Founder & CEO, Playdom

David Zemke, Director of Marketing, Glu Mobile

Ethan Titelman, VP Media & Ent. Group, Penn, Schoen & Berland (PSB)

Jon Snoddy, Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer, Big Stage Entertainment

Ron Williams, CEO, The Zeev Exchange (Zeevex)

Stay on top of the LA Games Confernece at www.lagamesconference.com

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Microtransactions and the food service industry

Monday, November 24th, 2008

uWink serves up diner entertainment, advertising, and gaming, all while waiting for an order to be delivered.

The NY Jets beat the (previously) undefeated Tennessee Titans this weekend, and I spent a good 4+hours in an American sports bar watching the game with fellow Jets fans.  After a quick glance around at all the tables, necks craining this way and that to see the game, I thought to myself (and I knew it was myself, as I recognized the voice), “Why not have individual monitors at each table?  Why not give people the choice to watch what game they want to watch while at their table?”

A quick search this morning brought up a VERY interesting concept and company doing just that…and more!  UWink.com is a self described entertainment and hospitality software company.  They think they’re on to something quite unique, and they’re not alone.  The recently won Hospitality Technology Magazine’s 2008 award for overall technological innovation.

The technology is seemingly simply enough: uWink restaurants have individual touch screen monitors placed at each table, where customers can order food and drinks, view movie trailers, take surveys and quizzes, and, yep, you guessed it: Play Games.  The software allows for the delivery not only of your cheeseburger (yes, you can haz), but targeting advertising, and monetization of customer game play via microtransactions.  Diners pre-purchase game credits and can have them included in the bill.

uWink’s software allows customers to select from over 70 single and multiplayers games, all at tabletop level.  Now, thanks to a partnership with Volanté Systems, uWink is branching out beyond it’s own doors, and can offer the same technology, prepackaged to any restaurant (presumably with a LAN network).  This integrated point-of-sale and backoffice system is open source, features peer-to-peer technology, and handles credit/debit processing.  In other words, literally, a plug and play microtransaction monetization module for restaurants everywhere.  According to uWink, their systems have resulted in larger than average checks and margins, labor savings, increased customer loyalty, increased transaction speed and accuracy, and reduced lines.

Just WHO had this brilliant idea?  To me, this is just the icing on the cake: Nolan Bushnell.  If you play games, are over the age of 25, and ever owned an Atari and/or forced the parental units to take you to Chuck E. Cheese’s, you should know the name Nolan Bushnell.  He’s co-founder of the original Atari enterprise, and the man behind millions and millions of quarters and animated dancing mice.  For the past 30 years Nolan has been pumping out successful business ventures, and something tells me he’s well on the verge of a revolution with uWink.

While Nolan and co.  are enjoying running a restaurant chain, they see the future of the company in licensing out the technology to other restaurant owners and operators both nationally and internationally (uWink is available in 11 languages).  Given Nolan’s track record, I’d bet on the man behind Pong to do it all over again.

uWink currently has two restaurants in the Greater Los Angeles Metro area:

6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

and

6100 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Woodland Hills, CA

Along with one Mountain View, CA (Wanna bet that Larry Page has been there?)

401 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA

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