PlayOctobo
The Challenges
- Screen Time: According to research, 85% of kids 8 years and under in the US are using mobile devices on a daily basis, and 40% of kids own their own tablet - and the numbers are growing.
- Structured and Unstructured Play: One of the biggest challenges in the children’s software space is appealing to those who prefer unstructured play (LEGO, Minecraft, dollhouses), and those who are looking for clear objectives and guidance (most video games).
- All smart toys today have limited purpose and replay-ability, and there’s a big gap between physical and digital play.
Our Solution
At Thinker-Tinker, we create solutions that can transform screen time into quality, meaningful learning time. Our products seamlessly bring the physical and digital world together. By incorporating our mobile device into our interactive plush, Octobo, we change the traditional idea of what we often call ’screen time.’ Spending time with Octobo is more like playing with a physical friend who just happens to have a tablet inside, rather than staring at a screen for hours. By creating a seamless blend between exploratory play and storybook adventures, the style of play can change from minute to minute with Octobo, and every child can find their way to play with him.
Our product Octobo is the first smart toy platform that embeds the phone or tablet directly into the toy, such that the controller, sensors, and toy are one and the same. The platform includes a plush (as the controller), apps and storybooks. Hiding all the complexity of the engineering allows the kids to simply play and learn from their toy companion. The flexibility of the platform allows us to continually sell digital content to the user, either as a subscription or one-off. The power of our platform lies in that we create learning experiences that take full advantage of both the physical (interactive plush, storybooks and gadgets) and digital elements (apps) of the gameplay in a way that seems natural yet clearly superior to previous education.
peter jansen
Bruno Laurencich
Deepak Khatri
Steven