Interactive Toys and Games Powered by Thinfilm MemoryThinfilm bridges the gap. From classic toys and cards to electronic and online experiences. Monetize online properties with rewritable value cards and playground-ready handheld consoles.

As children move from classic toys and collectable card games to electronic and online experiences at younger ages, there is a need to bridge the gap between these two worlds, and help children continue to enjoy playground-ready toys and games by creating a compelling interactive experience that leverages their online experience.

Thinfilm has developed a rewritable memory label that can be attached to cards, toys, and in other flat or smoothly curved surfaces. With a Thinfilm memory, these toys and collectable cards become programmable by the child and can contain personalized names, unique combinations of character characteristics or properties, and personal items.

Each memory contains twenty bits of data, which corresponds to a table with over a million rows of yes/no values, and can be read by a low-cost reader/writer that is available either as a stand-alone handheld device, or as components that can be integrated into a figurine base, board game console, or other compact holder. Pressureless contacting is assured by use of z-strips, and the read/write operation occurs in less than a second, nearly instantatneously.

Thinfilm bridges the gap between online gaming and schoolground-ready play on handheld readers.

Personalization and Skill BuildingThe types of games that can be made interactive include all types of building games, fantasy character role playing, transactional games such as food markets, shopping sprees, and clothing assembly games.

Each child can pick a character or avatar, either as a card or figurine, and with the enclosed memory, customize the figure to reflect their creativity and individuality. When placed into the reader-holder, the character comes alive with the selections made at the previous session, having stored state-of-play and experience levels.

For educational toys and games that develop skill sets as the child keeps playing, the memory can select the appropriate level automat-ically depending on the outcome of the previous game or the status of the character selected. Strong characters or children whose ava-tars display high skill can then automatically find the game to be more challenging and engaging, as their skill develops further. Problem solving never becomes too difficult or easy, and the game natu-rally evolves, thanks to the rewritable memory.

By combining a game with a collectable set of icons, figures, or cards, the possibility to maintain the child’s interest grows, and the opportunity to extend the game to new worlds and new characters becomes natural.

The old story that the toy rarely keeps a child’s interest is primarily true when the toy is seen as static and unchanging. By adding a dimension of interactivity and by imbuing the smart figure with unique personality traits, that can forever change with the mood and developing tastes of the child, their level of interest is maintained and the game becomes stepping-stone to the more abstract world of online games.

Online games for ChildrenOne of the challenges in providing safe and interesting gaming experiences for children is the difficulty of financing the development of online properties that are sufficiently interesting

and engaging. Monetizing directly by marketing to children through advertising is being discouraged, and the use of money equivalents is only available if the child has a supervising parent with a credit card or cellphone account. Asking children to charge their play to their own cellphones is rarely an option for the younger age groups, and in many localities, such charges can often be reversed later.

Cards or figurines with rewriteable memory:

Collectableu Customize the figure

to reflect creativity and individuality

Evolvableu Characteristics stored

and updated

u Skill sets develop as the child keeps playing

TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR:The OBA game demonstrates Thinfilm’s rewriteable memories for interactive toys and games.

A more appealing alternative is to use traditional channels, including bricks-and-mortar toy stores, to monetize online properties and character sets, by using memory-enhanced figures and cards to act as a bridge between online gaming and schoolground-ready play on handheld readers. Thinfilm memories can easily be read by both a game console and connected either to a PC or cellphone through conventional usb interfaces and dedicated adapters.

The console or reader thus acts as a bridge or connector between the online game and a downloadable version that can be played on the hand-held when not online. As children in the six-eight age range usually have limits on their PC time, and are constrained to use ‘free’ games, this provides a good alternative – a set of collectable figures, cards, or plastic tags that can store game status and transfer them to backyard play.

Stored-value vs. stored-choicesToday’s rewritable memory is a perfect solution when combining storage of game play and choices by the player, and has an attractive system cost compared to other technologies available. Each memory is only a few pennies in cost, and can store significant units of value.

The same value card you buy in the store can open new game levels and later be rewritten to document progress attained and personalization settings.

How it worksEach plastic tag contains 20 bits of memory. Think of this as twenty toggles that are either pointing up or down, and during the process of reading these are lined up in the direction chosen by the game or by the child. The memory itself is made of a Teflon-like material that is completely safe and meets EN72-3 standards. The manufacture of these memories is done by conventional printing, and compared to the manufacturing of semiconductor chips is extremely environmentally benign. Each print run can create millions of memory die, so the opportunities are limitless.

Over time, especially with the advent of cellphones that can communicate with memory tags remotely, we will likely see billions of these memories in our everyday world, tagging our clothing, sensing and interpreting the world around us, and providing local storage of discrete amounts of information in everyday items, including toys and games. The interactive age is upon us – physical objects will soon all possess a digital signature.

Thinfilm Console:The OBA game includes a handheld game console that accesses the Thinfilm Memory cards and plays the game.

Monetize online properties and character sets:

u Connect the online world to the playground with memory-enhanced figures and cards

u The Thinfilm console or a simple Thinfilm reader act as the bridge

To demonstrate the ease of use of Thinfilm memories, a demo game called OBA has been created, and a Toy Development Kit is available for rapid prototyping of card-based games or other play modalities.

OBA reference gameThe OBA game demonstrates Thinfilm’s rewriteable memories for interactive toys and games. Through the game levels you evolve the Oba inhabitants and mature their capabilities and powers. The goal is to save the dying Oba Solar Systems.

Interactive: The low cost printed memory allows saving of status, scores, and avatar personalities in a playground-ready interactive hand-held game for kids 5-8.

Cost effective: Thinfilm’s unique memory technology cost effectively connects the playground to the online world and powers interactivity that has so far been restricted to online games.

Thinfilm Toy Development KitThe Thinfilm Toy Development Kit includes the tools needed to de-sign interactive toys and games: A handheld console for Thinfilm MemoryTM – with printed 20-bit cards and memory labels – that allow developers to test how re-writability improves interactivity, and design their own graphics, animation, and game play in a General Plus programming environment.

The kit contains:

► 8 samples of 17-20-bits Thinfilm Memory, laminated on card, plus 12 Thinfilm Memory labels.

► A Thinfilm console with color LCD screen and USB connection for easy software (game and HW control) download.

► An embedded technology demonstration reference game.

► 3 samples of the Thinfilm Memory ControllerTM, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

► An Instruction Manual includ-ing instructions on how to develop your own software and instructions for registering with General Plus.

Thin Film Electronics AB Westmansgatan 27 SE-582 16 Linkoping Sweden

Thin Film Electronics ASA Henrik Ibsensgate 100

NO-0255 Oslo Norway

www.thinfilm.no | info@thinfilm.no

Save the Oba Solar SystemEvolve the Oba inhabitants and reignite the futureA playground-ready reference game powered by Thinfilm MemoryTM