6 ms·
To-do app + RPG = EpicWin
- tsestrich 16y agoThis is a fantastic idea. Maybe not something I'd use personally, but the idea of trying to bring some element of game mechanics into something so menial as washing your dishes is pretty creative thinking. Also +1 for the video, it was pretty entertaining and explained how exactly it worked in a pretty concise fashion.
- aymeric 16y agoI want this. (it reminds me of the iPhone app Booyah, but better executed)
- protomyth 16y agooh cool an iPhone app, I will visit the site from my iPhone so I can buy it immediately...... flash demo?!? dude.... I love the idea though and it is a cool demo movie.
- TrevorBurnham 16y agoFlash demo? I only see a YouTube video, which opens fine on the iPhone.
- protomyth 16y agoHum, when I went to look I got a blank box - wth? - errrr......
- base 16y agoseems great. when is it going to be available?
- orblivion 16y agoI will buy what they're selling. Just as long as they integrate with Remember The Milk.
- cadr 16y agoAlong the same lines: http://www.chorewars.com/ http://www.chorewars.com/
- jcw 16y agoThe difference is that with Chorewars, other people are holding you accountable for whether you completed a task or not. I think this is an excellent idea, but, as many are thinking, what's to stop me from cheating? Tasks assigned to oneself privately are sometimes very abstract. If I assign myself a task, "be a good person today," I'm very likely to rationalize into thinking that I completed the task, whether I did or not.
- jfarmer 16y agoBetter to have people using it and cheating, than nobody using it at all.
- patio11 16y agoI would buy an iPhone to use this, if the game was compelling enough. And as we all know, that is a really low bar if you get the core RPG mechanics right.
- seancron 16y agoDefinitely a cool concept, but I can see myself cheating and just saying that I did something in order to level up and get stuff. Now a version of this that could verify if you did something, either automatically or with some user involvement would be even cooler. One idea: take a before and after picture as proof that you did it (maybe do some image processing if possible) Another idea: use a GPS signal to verify you're actually at the laundromat when you say that you did the laundry.
- ignu 16y agoThat's my thought as well! In http://kuwest.com http://kuwest.com you get 3XP for adding a task, 5XP for commenting on it and 7XP for uploading a picture. I'm also thinking you wouldn't want to flood your social network with lies about what you're doing.
- philk 16y agoI don't think I'd want to flood my social network with the truth about what I'm actually doing either; someone who finds the fact that I've cleaned my toilets or vacuumed my lounge interesting is probably not the sort of person I'd want to be social with.
- ignu 16y agoI wasn't going to flood them with updates for every task, but whenever you get an achievement or level up. In http://kuwest.com http://kuwest.com you have more quantifiable tasks, so you can complete a quest when you, say, run 100 miles or read 1000 pages.
- philk 16y agoIf they're big impressive things I can see people's desire to brag coming into play. As a disclaimer, I'm somewhat of a Luddite when it comes to this stuff so the fact that I'm not enthused should in no way count as a strike against it; I'm not a fan of foursquare et. al. but they seem to be going very well.
- ignu 16y agoI've been working on a web version of this since Startup Weekend Detroit: http://kuwest.com http://kuwest.com It's live now, but I haven't promoted it. I was going to hold off until I had the quest engine done and polished a little more, but feel free to sign up now.
- famfam 16y agoDude. I think 3 mentions in the same thread is a bit much.
- mrinterweb 16y agoI really hope they make an Android version.
- dreur 16y agoThe video is awesome.
- radicaldreamer 16y agoDefinitely one of the more entertaining demo vids.
- modeless 16y agoInteresting presentation on the topic of designing games into everyday life: http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Box-Presentation/ http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Bo... Skip to 17:30 for the most relevant part (but the whole thing is interesting)
- Batsu 16y agoI guess it's an ok idea (a manual version of that brushing your teeth = points thing from several months ago) but I would think if you have enough self control not to cheat on this, then you don't really need it.
- steveklabnik 16y agoIf you don't remember the 'brushing your teeth = points thing', here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FSsztwbRW0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FSsztwbRW0
- philwelch 16y agoIronically, I quit playing RPG's because there's too much errand-running and chores in them. I guess you can swing that lever the other way, though.
- philk 16y agoThe problem I see is that the appeal of leveling up in RPGs is that your character becomes more powerful and capable. I don't think that applies with chores; if you grind ironing for five hours straight you're unlikely to enjoy any benefits apart from pressed shirts.
- Tichy 16y agoUnless you are Karate Kid.
- vishaldpatel 16y agoDoing a simple task me meditative. Its doing complex but boring tasks - like writing crud code... now that... should count for ridiculous amounts of exp
- philk 16y agoUnfortunately complex but boring tasks are often remarkably hard to measure so probably fall through the cracks as far as this is concerned.
- kd0amg 16y agoOr with games that seem based on more mundane chores, the work bears fruit much faster than in real life. In Harvest Moon, I can milk all of my cows in less time than it takes me to wash a dinner plate in real life.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- philk 16y agoEven the games with exciting tasks deliver rewards way faster than real life, in Diablo II [1] I'd have cleansed the Den of Evil, gained two levels and been given a bonus skill in less time than it would take me to make a salad in reality. [1] Dammit I'm showing my age
- Natsu 16y ago
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- angrycoder 16y agoDo we really need more ways to assign meaningless points to actions?
- telemachos 16y agoThe more of these sorts of things I see, the older I feel. I can recognize (I think) when they are done well, and I can appreciate their style, design, architecture or whatever. But they simply have no hook in me; I don't get it. I'm not knocking this project, I'm just saying out loud - because it's really struck me - that I'm probably on the wrong side of some birthdate line. (Cf. intelligent grandparents who never did learn to set VCR times.) I also suspect that people my age (41) or older who like this sort of thing are faking, but maybe that's just envy talking.
- div 16y agoIt's interesting from a hacker pov as an attempt in helping people hack their own brains. Also, it seems like it's well executed (havent tried the actual game). I might give it a try for novelty's sake, but apart from that, it doesn't really appeal to me either and I'm 29. So maybe it's a personality thing rather then an age thing :)
- dannytatom 16y agoI've been thinking of a similar project for project management but wasn't sure if there was a market/interest for it. In short, a project management app with an MMORPG-ish twist. Completing a task gives you XP (as set by another member of the team, or maybe random) and a chance at items, milestones being similar to quests, etc. You could party with your coworkers/collaborators (multiple people being assigned to one task, for example) or fight each other in an arena (has nothing to do with project management). I've already started working on it for use at my current job to bring some fun and competition to the boring stuff (making craigslist templates). If anyone here has any interest in it let me know, would love to release it at one point.
- kd0amg 16y agoas set by another member of the team, or maybe random Try going for some sort of consensus among team members rather than random selection -- it gives everyone some ability to reward work on tasks that are important or that nobody wants to do.
- ignu 16y agoi just messaged you on the githubs.
- seancron 16y agoIn a way, it actually reminds me of the game concept suggested in this presentation: http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Box-Presentation/ http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Bo...
- Qz 16y agoOur lives are full of quests. Correction: MMO's are full of chores!
- jamesshamenski 16y agoThis is sensational. Great execution on the video. Congrats on the launch.
- MisterWebz 16y agoI can't believe it. I was going to learn how to make Iphone apps to make a similar app. Looks like they're way ahead of me.
- kiba 16y agoI was thinking and working on the same thing, except my RPG would be more self-improvement oriented rather than about sending that email, or buying that cake. While it's good to know that my idea have some confirmation in the market, I wish I have gotten there first.
- djshah 16y agoyea, i am currently working on a similar self-improvement concept but a lot more simplistic with game mechanics and for now, limited to the FB platform. Will release it on Hacker News once it's done.
- parsifal 16y agoThis looks amazing. Combining gaming mechanics with "normal" applications is something I've been interested in. Does anyone have any idea when this will be coming out?
- vyrotek 16y agoI'm definitely keeping an eye on these guys too. Here is a discussion from a few days ago about Game Mechanics in normal applications. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1483216 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1483216
- thorax 16y agoI counter that the real "EpicWin" would be making a to-do app that gets you more things for a virtual farm you tend.
- nnash 16y agoI want this.
- JabavuAdams 16y agoIt's ironic that levelling-up is what I hate most about Computer so-called Role Playing Games.