CHITAG Conference White Papers and More from
Thought Leaders Around the World
CHITAG White Papers are educational papers written by thought leaders in the Toy and Game Industry from around the world that have attended our Innovation Conferences and wished to share their experience and knowledge with colleagues. It is a living, growing body of knowledge with over 150 papers by over 90 authors. Below is the list by subject matter. You can also browse here in date order. http://www.chitag.com/chitag-white-papers.
SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA...
Top 10 Tips for Kids’ Game Designers by Margaret Garrou & Jenny Rez, Pinwheel Design
Mechanisms: Stepping into the Unknown by Adam Borton, Creating Unique Toys Ltd
The Secret to Comedy is... by Eleanor Black, FUSE, London
The Key Idea by Josh West, Head of Product Design and Sourcing at ThinkFun
Behind the Mirror by Norman Beil, Entertainment Attorney/Game Developer
The Next Step by John Bell, Director, Product Design & Development, Buffalo Games
Don’t Get Married by Peggy Brown, President of Peggy Brown Creative Consulting
Playtest, Playtest, Playtest by Jeremy Posner, Founder, Shenanigans Toys and Games
A View from the Other Side by Rob Daviau, President at IronWall Games
I Could Have Thought of That! by Eleanor Black, FUSE, London
I Have a Great Idea! What Should I Do? by Danny Kishson, President of All in 1
Mining for Gold in Brand Extensions by By Garrett J Donner, President, and Michael S Steer, Vice President, Random Games & Toys
Have Faith in the Theory and the Process by Adam Borton, Creating Unique Toys Ltd
"CRUSH IT BAT” AND USING “CAD" by Jack Lovewell, Sketchall Concept & Design, previously at Tucker Toys Div. Goliath Games
What’s in a Name? by Courtney Pearson, President of WooHoo Workshop
How to Break Inventor’s Block by Tom Greenwalt, Co-Founder of Greenwood Games
Inventing or Innovating by Craig Malmloff, Principal of Fun Foundry
Statistical Modeling of Game Play by David Peterson, President of Parpen Solutions
Play Testing by Mary Jo Reutter, President of You-Betcha Interactive
A Priceless Perspective by Phil Sage, Senior Director - Design & Development, iPlay at Hasbro
Good Game Design by Leslie Scott, Director, Oxford Games Ltd
My Family Thinks It’s The BEST GAME EVER! by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
Ten Tips for Testing by Jim Harrison, Director of Bucher and Harrison Ltd / Leisure Trends
Girls Games/Girls Products by Barrie Simpson, Retired, formerly Partner at TCG
Evolve or Die by Brian Torney, Design Manager, iPlay at Hasbro
Leveraging Emerging Technologies in Innovation by Bret Gould
Prototyping with Clay by Leviticus Williamson, President of Williamson Games
The Board Game Theory by Joe Herbert of the Herbert-Brothers
Take Notes by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
Desktop-3D-Printing by Steffanie Yeakle, Partner, Les Fées Hilares
”Thinking Of You” - Designing For The End User by David Yakos, Director of Creativity, Co-Owner, Salient Technologies Inc, Streamline Design
The Heart of Invention by Daniel Winston, Inventor
Commercializing Invention Know How by Fuse London Ltd
Opportunity Knocks by David Fox, President of Winner Games
Finding Holes in the Market by Melissa Cohen, Owner of MAJic Creative
What's in a Name by Jim Harrison, Director of Bucher and Harrison Ltd / Leisure Trends
Making High-Quality Prototypes by Willy Yonkers, Professional Inventor
Breaking out of a Creative Block by Jeremy Posner, Founder, Shenanigans Toys and Games
Five Trends to Inspire Game Design for Millennials by Lisa Strick, Founder of The Idea Bungalow
Prototypes: Looks vs Functions by Perry Kaye, Owner of ThinkSolveDo Inc., Gizmo Enterprises, Inc.
Making a Game Work by Jim Keifer, Professional Game Inventor
Game Themes: Everyday Experience Doesn’t Equal Appeal by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
Have a Great Idea? Secret to Success from Anna van Slee, Author and Director of New Brands at Sideshow Collectibles
PITCHES
Leila Nosrati: Pitching & the Pandemic: Think Like a Buyer, Pitch Like a Pro - COVID-19 Edition by Leila Nosrati, President, Master Toy Advisors | Product Innovation Partners
Concept Management – Waterslides and Engines by Trina McFarland, Founder of tinkertini
I Have The Next Big Thing by Mike Hirtle, President of Paladin
Feedback on Feedback by Jack Degnan, Professional Inventor
Think Like a Buyer and Pitch Like a Pro by Leila Nosrati, Product Acquisition and Inventor Relations, Master Toy Advisors / Product Innovation Partners
Documenting your Concepts by Ken Gruhl, Professional Inventor
Integrating Inventor Relations Polarities: The Hunter and The Gatherer by Trina McFarland, Founder of tinkertini
Think of your Toy Game as a Commercial by Joe and Dave Herbert of the Herbert Brothers
Perfect Pitch by Amy Opheim, President of C3 Marketing
Do’s and Don’ts for New Inventors by Lisa Wuennemann, Director of Marketing, PlayMonster
Oh My! That’s An Ugly Baby by Ken Scheel, Founder, KEVA Planks
Persuading With A Powerful Pitch Video by Harry van Sambeek, CoFounder of ThenQ
How to Make a Pitch via Email by Andy Geremia
Top 6 Tips for Inventors on Presenting a Toy or Game by by Mike Hirtle, President of Paladin
AGENTS and BROKERS
Why Hire a Licensing Agent for Toys & Games? by Howard Fleischer, President of RoyaltyPros Licensing
YOUNG INVENTOR CHALLENGE
Kids are Amazing Inventors! by Karri Bean, Senior Licensing Manager, Disney Parks Experiences & Products
APPS, DIGITAL, VIDEO GAMES
Designing for a board game and an APP by Tom and Jean Greenawalt, Greenwood Games
Working With Video Game Properties by Willie Yonkers, Lead Industrial Designer at CubeFire Design
Developing Games – Virtual Games Detailed Feedback vs. Physical Games Limited Feedback by Ron Oliver, Games Maker, Ilyon
Analog Play in a Digital World by Greg Kopec, Tremendous Toys LLC
MANUFACTURING
Big G Creative - Making Games in the Time of Corona by Shannon Swindle, Director of Product Development - Games
Game Manufacturing 101: From Concept to Reality by Kim Drayer, President of Delano Service/EPI Printers
Long Live the King: The Changing Tides of Licensing vs. Self-Producing by Matt Nuccio, President of Design Edge
Specialty versus Mass Market Package Design by Matt Nuccio, President of Design Edge
Four Factors to Consider When Choosing Domestic vs. Foreign Toy and Game Manufacturing by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
SUSTAINABILITY
Designing Sustainably, The Whole Buffalo Way! by Barry McLaughlin & Jason Lautenschleger, Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment
We’re all on the Same Boat by David Yakos, Director of Creativity, Co-Owner, Salient Technologies Inc, Streamline Design
PR and MARKETING
What’s Your Story by Tim Walsh, Fearless Leader, The Playmakers
Product Launch Checklist: 10 Tips for a Kickass Sales Sheet by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Product Launch Checklist: Furnish Your Booth on a Shoestring Budget by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Trade Show 101 by Gwen Austin, Founder, Gwen Austin Studios
A Look at Kickstarter - If You Build it Will They Come? by Garry J Donner, President, Random Games & Toys
Letter from Design to Marketing and Marketing's Response by Aaron Keller, CEO and Managing Principal of Capsule
5 Things I’m Going to Do to Get the Most Out of the Spielwarenmesse (Nuremberg Toy Fair) by Mary Jo Reutter, President of You-Betcha Interactive
Preparing your Talking Points for Media by Lucky Penny Shop
Inventor PR Toolbox - 10 tips to Promote You and Your Product by Joyce Johnson of Joyce Johnson Designs
LEGAL: IP, ROYALTIES, CONTRACTS
SAZ's MODEL LICENSE AGREEMENT "GAMES": FAIR CONDITIONS FOR GAME AUTHORS (EUROPE)
WARRANTIES by Mike Hirtle, President of Paladin
Termination: Avoiding a Slow Long Death by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
Contract Term – Renewal Threshold by Mike Hirtle, President of Paladin
See You in Court by Mike Hirtle, President of Paladin
7 Facts About Royalties by Perry Kaye, Founder/CEO of Perry Teri Toys
Protecting Ideas: Perspectives for Individuals and Companies by Frank Sardone, Partner at Carter, Deluca, Farrell & Schmidt
You Can Run, but You Can't Hide...More on Privacy Regulation, GDPR and California by Natalie Remien of Levin Ginsburg
Could Routine Electronic Messages Expose A Company To Legal Violations? by Natalie Remien of Levin Ginsburg
Why Am I Receiving So Many Privacy Notices? by Natalie Remien of Levin Ginsburg
Are You Legally Prepared to go to Market? by Natalie Remien of Levin Ginsburg
To Design Or Not To Design – Brief Overview Of Patents by Frank Sardone, Partner at Carter, Deluca, Farrell & Schmidt
Contracts Are Your Friend by Nicholas Cravotta and Rebecca Bleau, BlueMatter Games
BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Inventors & Social Media - The Reason You Need It Now and How to Do It Without It Becoming Your Full-Time Job by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
Using Social Media Thinking to Advance Board Game Mechanics by Anna van Slee, Director of New Brands at Sideshow Collectibles
Inventors and Social Media by Kim Vandenbroucke, Brainy Chick Inc. and The Game Aisle
INTERNATIONAL
Business in Japan and Hong Kong, Kawada, Longshore by Alexander Fuhrer, Nextoy
Korean Board Game Market by Kevin Kim, formerly General Manager of Publishing and Development, Korea Boardgames, now Owner, Mandoo Games
Recombination Innovation From Taiwan by Alex Li, Managing Director, Medici Creativity Co., Ltd.
TRENDS
How Generation C will reshape the toy industry by Dylan Collins, CEO of SuperAwesome
AWARDS
Spiel des Jahres (SdJ) Winners and Importance by Guido Heinecke, Managing Director, Spiel des Jahres e.V.
Spiel des Jahres by Tom Felber, Past Chairman of the Spiel des Jahres Jury
MISC. MUSINGS
Designed to Play by Leslie Scott, Founder Oxford Games, Senior Associate of an Oxford College
Tim Walsh of Roo Games - Focus on the Journey by Tim Walsh, Co-Founder Roo Games
How Board Games are Helping Solve the Autism Puzzle by Brandi Pinsker, CEO at Project Genius
The Evolution of Collectible Games by Paul Fish, President of Pablo Pescado Brand Management
Shattering Stereotypes In The Toy Industry And The White House Took Notice by Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Keynote Speaker, Author, Consultant
The Business of Fun by Peter Cartlidge, Director, FUSE London
Sacred Story Sermon – Spirituality of Play by Phil Jackson, Manager and Principal at CASS Group
My 3 Cents! by Joyce Johnson, Founder of Joyce Johnson Designs
Crazy Fun Luck by Susan McKinley Ross, Founder, Idea Duck
Through the Eyes of the Kids by Frank Alexander Müller – Business Development Management Playmobil
Bible Quotes for Game Inventors by Rabbi Jeff and Mandy Glickman
Two-Headed Invention by Steffanie Yeakle and Marie Chaplet, Founders, Les Fées Hilares
What’s the Point? by Peggy Brown, President of Peggy Brown Creative Consulting
Board Games ARE the Trend by Lisa Guili, General Manager of Educational Insights
Dogs Look Like The Human Who Lives With Them by Rabbi Jeff and Mindy Glickman
Keep it Fun! by Greg Kopec, Tremendous Toys LLC
Randomness and Uncertainty White Paper by Rabbi Jeff and Mindy Glickman
I Met Steve Jobs and He Made Me Cry by Robin Raskin, Founder at Living in Digital Times, LLC
Cardboard is Shatterproof by Peggy Brown, President of Peggy Brown Creative Consulting
My Experiences in the Toy Design program at Otis by Nick Hayes, Otis Graduate and now Lead Product Designer at Mattel
Principles of Adult Play(fulness) in Contemporary Toy Cultures by Kati Heljakka, Research Manager at Turun yliopisto - University of Turku
LEGENDS
Ivan Moscovich - Survivor, Inventor, Artist and Inspiration by Lisa Guili, General Manager of Educational Insights
Paul Rago and David Small of Shoot the Moon – Going For It All Since 1985 by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Adi Golad, Founder of Goliath: A Toy Industry Giant by Ruth Synowic, Founder of Ruth Green Concepts
Judith Blau - A Serendipitous Journey by Ruth Synowic, Founder of Ruth Green Concepts
Design Edge Rocks 30 Years of Toy Innovation by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Turning Inventor Ideas into Real Products: a Kohner Family Tradition for Over 75 Years by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Theora Design - A Story of Survival Leads to Joy for Generations of Children by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Interview with Serial Entrepreneur, Reyn Guyer by Tim Walsh, Fearless Leader, The Playmakers
Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr – Co-Founders of WHAM-O by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
The Impossible Takes Slightly Longer: The Story of Toymaker Richard Maddocks by Brian Torney, Design Manager, iPlay at Hasbro
Howard Morrison: A Giant in the Toy Industry by Michelle Spelman, Live Wire: Marketing Consultant at Plying Pig Games
Legends of the Toy & Game Industry - Reuben Klamer by Joyce Johnson, Founder of Joyce Johnson Designs
COMPANIES
Creativity, Inc., the Company of the Week for the Bloom Report by Caitlin Gutekunst, Senior Director of Marketing and Development, Creativity, Inc
Richard North - This is Wow! Stuff! by Richard North, CEO and co-founder of Wow! Stuff and ToyAid
Company-of-the-Week: Magformers by Christopher M. Tidwell, CEO, Magformers
INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND STUDIES
Board Games can provide ‘significant benefits for those with Alzheimer’s’ says new study from Asmodee and Game in Lab. A new study into the effects of play has uncovered that playing board games can have a significant beneficial effect for those with Alzheimer’s. Jointly commissioned by Asmodee and Game in Lab, the study – titles Cognitive – Adaptation – Behaviour – was the first of its kind to look at the potential applications of play in providing quality of life improvements.
Study Shows That Playing With Dolls Allows Children to Develop Empathy and Social Processing Skills. Barbie®, and a team of neuroscientists from Cardiff University, announces findings of a new study conducted using neuroscience for the first time to explore the positive impact doll play has on children, bringing to light new evidence that doll play activates brain regions that allow children to develop empathy and social information processing skills, even when playing by themselves.
Hasbro and Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center on Media and Child Health revealed initial research findings showing that play is directly associated with positive developmental outcomes in children. The multi-phase research initiative, #MorePlayToday, which began in 2016 and concluded data collection in 2018, enrolled 327 children between the ages of 2 ½ and 8-years-old in the U.S. and Mexico, and evaluated how different types of play affected their developmental outcomes. No other academic play research has followed a sample for this long with such intensive measurements with multi-country longitudinal participants.
LEGO® Play Well Report 2018. Protecting and prioritising play at home and in school has never been more crucial – the LEGO® Play Well Report outlines just exactly why with almost 13,000 parents and children saying play helps increase family happiness, wellbeing, development of life skills and better learning among children. But the findings also find that playtime is threatened.
