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[30.05.2016 PRESS RELEASE] Dized is an effortless way to learn board games

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Kalle_pmg
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Dized is an effortless way to learn board games

As the world of board games is expanding and becoming more versatile, one element hasn’t changed with the times - the rulebook. To tackle this issue the Finnish publisher Playmore Games is releasing Dized, a smart device application that will be the friend at the table teaching you how to play board games.

Dized is an interactive tutorial app for board games, and with it players can start playing the games immediately out of the box. The tutorial keeps track of what the players have learned and teaches only relevant information. It also answers any questions players might have about the game.

“I personally can’t think of a more important concept for the board gaming industry right now. We’ve been planning Dized for two years now and gotten into full speed with the development this year. We have a dedicated software studio building the application and we’ve recruited several new team members for the project”, explains the CEO Jouni Jussila.

Players will have the chance to see the application for the first time at the UK Games Expo in Birmingham in the first week of June. This preview version is built to host one board game, with more games to follow later on.

Dized will be crowdfunded later this year with the aim to develop the tools further so that any developers and publishers can build their own interactive tutorials.

“Our goal is that in a few years the library of tutorials in Dized will be so vast, that no matter which game you pick from your shelf, you can just skip the manual and start playing immediately. Just like in video games, in the future you will not need to read a manual to start playing”, tells product manager Anna Lapinsh.

Players can try out the tutorials on their own iOS and Android devices later this year as a demo version will be released before Gen Con in August.

Playmore Games invites everyone to come check out Dized at booth A9 at the UK Games Expo to see the next board game revolution begin.

Further information: CEO Jouni Jussila, +358469200885
Email: info@dized.com
Web: http://www.dized.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/getdized
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/getdized
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getdized
Press kit (with photos): http://www.dized.com/press/

Arcuate
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Without more information, it

Without more information, it is difficult to see what the app actually offers. It sounds as though a very large part of the work will be creating the individual tutorials, and the app merely provides a consistent platform for tutorial content creation. You haven't explained how someone would go about creating that content, or who you expect the content creators to be.

questccg
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Proprietary Platform(?)

Why would I as a Publisher choose a proprietary platform to replace essentially FREE "rulebooks"? Will I have to pay some kind of maintenance or listing fee to keep the "game tutorials" LIVE? Are you just trying to centralize game tutorial videos?? Reviewers and playthrough members of the board game community often rely on this as the renumeration for their time and reviews. Are you proposing that your technology will replace them???

My real concern is the "proprietary" nature and the "investment" in a product that might "lock me in". I deal with Vendor issues and most high paying customers don't want to be forced into having one Vendor as their only source. Same goes for Publishers, what makes you think they would want to be "locked in"?

Anyhow lots a questions and little info about HOW/WHAT exactly is being offered. And no mention how much it is going to cost and who will be expected to pay...

chris_mancini
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So is this essentially a

So is this essentially a wix.com approach to interactive rulebook building? Drag and drop content into your platform? How do the tutorials work; are they animated? Video? Simply put, what is the value to the publisher on whom you are relying to use the Dized service, and what do you offer that would prevent a publisher from just building their own app for a game, or a YouTube tutorial, if they felt it would be beneficial?

Is this basically taking the rules and tutorial sections of the XCOM board game app and creating a platform to help apply it to all games?

I don't think you'll ever truly replace the paper rulebook, at least not in the near future. I can appreciate the potential for cost savings, which is likely where publisher's minds will go first. However most rulebooks are really not that cost significant (a few pieces of color-printed paper). The value would come from the interactivity of the app, but is it not ultimately up to the publisher to build the experience? Will this involved more time, effort and money to create an interactive rulebook rather than a printed one? Rules will almost always start on paper...is it more laborious to transpose paper to app than to simply compose those rules into an attractive printed document?

A rulebook's legibility and comprehensiveness is the duty of the designer or publisher, so is it possible that a confusing rulebook on paper may be just as confusing in the app...or does your platform help this?

I do like the idea of a single app for an entire collection of games...I hope this succeeds! As others have mentioned, you need to provide way more information to help people wrap their heads around the big picture and how it's achieved here.

ruy343
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My $0.02

I really like the concept, but I wonder how you'll pull it off. Without pre-set scenarios in the game itself, it's impossible to teach the computer what to do, unless you taught it how to play every single game ever.

However, a central database where people explain rulebooks in plain english would be good. My friends always ask me to read the rulebooks before we play so that I can explain it to them in simple terms and run through examples with them.

Kalle_pmg
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Thanks for the questions and

Thanks for the questions and comments! The UKGE has turned the days to 16 hour work marathons so I haven't had the chance to tackle the questions yet.

I really hope you could meet us at booth A9 where we've our first demo available. It'd be great to explain the concept and the reasoning (for value) behind the vague press release and discuss the matter further.

I'll keep you guys posted here too after we get the UKGE sorted out. Pretty sure you'll bump to article or two about us on various BG related sites during/right after the UKGE. :p

Arcuate
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Personally, I'm not too keen

Personally, I'm not too keen on the PR tactic of posting in forums to raise interest, and then refusing to engage in discussion. If you don't want to answer questions, don't post.

chris_mancini
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Will you be recording video

Will you be recording video for those of us who won't make it to UKGE? I imagine that would be most of us here on BGDF...it would be great to learn in-depth what Dized offers. I agree the vague PR messaging, particularly on a designer-focused forum, doesn't help as much as concrete information. Just letting you know your audience here vs. other sites on which you may be building awareness...

Kalle_pmg
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Arcuate wrote:Personally, I'm

Arcuate wrote:
Personally, I'm not too keen on the PR tactic of posting in forums to raise interest, and then refusing to engage in discussion. If you don't want to answer questions, don't post.

I don't refuse to engage, I've just been working 16+ hour days and haven't had the time.

It's a public press release sent to ...everyone. Just thought I'd share it here too.

I'll get back at you next week at the latest.

Kalle_pmg
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Back at the office. Here's a

Back at the office.

Here's a similar thread on BoardGameGeek forums with some Q&As. Instead of copy-pasting the content, I'll just leave the link here. Hopefully that answers some of your questions. :)

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1583515/30052016-press-release-dize...

We're also working on a FAQ, but don't have an ETA for that quite yet. I'll keep you guys posted!

Kalle_pmg
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You might find this helpful!

You might find this helpful! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACmA0oJFcsA

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