Protomo: Panamari is onboard

Long time no blogging.

Reason of course being the fact that since I started working for Elisa I cannot be operationally involved in the Panamari operation. That of course does not mean that Panamari is dead. With a committed crew in charge - the operation Panamari is moving forward.


Within the New Factory, there are three operational units. Demola as the name says, is focused on building demos. Protomo is the next step: there the focus is on building the commercial value proposition needed to secure partners and financing. That's where we are now. During this autumn, we have built a convincing enough value proposition to convince the Protomo folks to take us onboard.

With their help (namely Ville Kairamo) we have been breaking our next steps into a project plan, assigned members to work on specific tasks and kicked off execution. New game modules are underway, and cartoon story is unfolding...

Stay tuned for more.

Team Panamari

Spring has finally arrived. The birds are chirping happily and the Panamari team is filled with exitement and getting to work. The project has been established in Demola (part of the New Factory in Tampere) and the team is finally in place. I am proud to introduce the team Panamari.

Here we are!

• Timo Salokas (Project Manager) comes from Tampere University of Technology. He is 5th year student of computer science with special emphasis on entrepreneurship (great background for a CEO to be).
• Heikki Hautala and Lasse Mankinen are in charge of coding. They are both 5th year students of computer science in Tampere University of Technology. Heikki is specially interested in mobile applications. Lasse is an avid gamer and keen to explore programming in the gaming context.
• Juho Korhonen is the graphics guru and in charge of coordinating the visuals. Juho is from the TAMK where he studies interactive media. He is passionate about game creation.
• Sini Haapanen and Jarkko Lindfors are also from TAMK. Sini is an artist in making and Jarkko is in charge of the UI design.
• Antti Salomaa is facilitating the project by providing support in terms of tools and facilities. As an experienced game developer he is also providing the team with advice as per needed. 

Let's see what we come up with. I am  extremely excited about the project and cannot wait to see the first parts of the demo. By June we should have the demo up & running, and that of course means that we are ready to explore the world.

Ready, steady, go!

January has been a quiet month on the Panamari front - at least as far as I am concerned. That of course does not mean that nothing is happening, and I was quite curious to meet with the Demola team to see how things are proceeding. The project has now been formally created and design and content planning is well underway. Most of the team members have experience from previous projects, for example Juho has been a part of the team creating a game called the rythm of the stars in the last years Game Jam. Coders have also plenty of experience from the previous projects - and I have been very positively surprised of the professional approach.

Early on the Friday morning I caught the train and made it to Tampere. Despite the fact that there has been a lot of criticism in the press about the train service, I continue to be positively surprised. Even though the winter weather makes schedules a little bit unpredictable, it is nice to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Especially, because the alternative is driving on the slippery roads.

Even though I have not been entirely in the dark concerning the content (we are using Dropbox to share ideas and notes) it was really nice to get together and chat about upcoming challenges. Continuing the discussion that we had before Christmas, we focused on the following:

• Character design: For the game, we need to simplify the characters along the guidelines of "Creating characters with personality" . Evolution ahead!
• Engine: Last time we discussed the use of RocketPack. However, as the RocketPackers are not responding to our contact requests, the decision was made to use Unity instead. The key reasons being the fact that Demola has already a license to use it and therefore it is relatively easy to find people who can support the project as we go. And of course, for the coders, Unity is a valued asset in their game coding skills portfolio. So Unity it is!
• Game content: Moodboard has been developing and is now coming together. Happy tunes, colorful yet simple visuals. However, as ideas are still forming the plan is to use a few tools to break out of the box. These include for example "deck of lenses" cards (method described more in detail in the "book of lenses"). I am quite curious about learning that too.
• Project management: Clear roles start to form, and a sense of belonging starts to develop.
• Business model: Initial discussion about the possibilities - more shaping needed definetly.
• KISS: Even though it is tempting to create something superbly unique, it seems that simplicity rules. Keeping the principles of re-work in mind will most likely help.

Even though we have very little tangible proof about the concept, we are planning to participate to the Sanoma Foundation's idea competition Uutisraivaaja. It seems like a perfect match, as since the beginning Panamari has been a cross media innovation. Starting with books and now building the game is just the beginning....

• Cross media: books + game working together. Most likely scenario is to build a game which consists of a number of "mini-games" built around a hub. Some of them are free, additional content available with a code that comes with the book (to be bought).
• Co-creation: increased engagement by including players with "best scores" of the mini-games into the future releases
• Open source: To enable quick creation of additional content
• Infotaiment: even though educational, the content should be compelling and fun!

Let's see how things evolve over the next months. Exiting times ahead!

Ready steady go!

Before Christmas, we sat down again to discuss the Panamari game demo in the New Factory in Tampere.

We defined further actions that are summarized below:

• The measuring challenge: If we are measuring sustanability, then we need to have a meaningful resource. Instead of CO2 we decided to use water. Reasons were many, a few listed here: Water is a scarce resource. Its was included as part of the results of the Finnish brand working group. It can be illustrated as a part of the game (bubbles make a great visual and sound effect).

• Working group came together: two graphic designers, a sound guy and three coders forms the core team.

• Preliminary time schedule was also one of the topics, and we committed to the following: 

1. Students will get back to school in the beginning of the year, hence we are planning to get together around the project plan with further scoping of visuals around 15th of January. By then we should have a decision on the tools we use - Finnish Rocket Pack engine is a good candidate as it enables multi-platform development. Antti Salokangas from Demola is checking the availability of the engine.
2. Once the engine and tools are decided we can take a realistic look on the development schedule. The project plan should be finalized by the end of February. Then the three coders will be done with their previous project and can focus entirely on Panamari.
3. Our preliminary estimation about the schedule is a few months. Ideally we should have something tangible by the end of May

Looking into the session, the next part was most exciting. We came up with a few images and the task for all the participants was to at least play a little with colors while digesting Christmas delicacies. Let's see how things have developed when we get together in a few weeks time.

On the sharing: The student team will most likely use Demola premises for meetings. Based on previous experience, we decided upon tools to be used in the course of the project. Google docs, Dropbox and Skype seem to be well usable for this type of work. We are set to go!

What to give? Dear Santa...

Christmas has put me wondering of my choices in terms of presents. What should I get for my nearest and dearest ones. What would the Panamari's do? What would they like to get? Love, peace and happiness are obvious choices, but I bet that in a family with 3 children one would expect to get a little bit more than that. As a mother I know from experience, that kids don't just want to get intangible things but rather something to play with.

Knowing the Panamaris, I came up with the following ideas for Christmas presents for them:

• Mami would for sure love to get some quality organic coffee as she just needs to get her fix first thing in the morning. Or a nice handmade woolen blanket to keep her warm during chilly evenings. Officially she does not want anything but "nice and well behaving kids", but as she says it with a smile it does not fool anyone. Mami wants to get a present or too at Christmas like all of us!

• Papi needs new hiking boots and has been busy giving hints to the entire family. Mami has picked up the hint, but since hiking boots need to be well-fitting she is going to give Papi a gift card instead. She and Kira are putting together an album of his favorite pictures and collecting comments and stories from his climbing pictures. A good idea for others too?

• Kira is making progress in her riding and would like to learn how to do jumps properly. As she has been secretly doing jumps already, she has noticed that it is more difficult than it looks. To start jumping lessons she needs a protective vest. She has of course put Sami looking for presents and found a present that looks like a riding vest in the very far end of Mami's walk-in closet.

• Mila would like to get her own computer. But since Mami feels that the kids need to learn to share, she is in the opinion that the kids are just fine with one computer. However, Mila is persistent and Papi is starting to show signs of weakening. Which of course means that we do not know yet, what the final decision will be. Let's see if Papi's love of gadgets will win after all!

• Milo's collection of instruments has grown from his dear saxophone to include harmonica and keyboard. Now he would like to get a real piano. The only challenge in getting it would be the lack of room: Milo and Mila share a room, and there is no room for a piano. Getting the piano would mean placing it in the living room, which is very close to Mami's and Papi's home office. And even though they are used to a relatively high noise level, piano might just be a little bit too much to take...

Even though the Panamaris are imaginary figures, their challenges are very much like those that I face these days. I would not like to give my kids gifts that are "not needed". But I also realize that my view of what's needed might be quite different from theirs. 

Sustainability and Christmas go well together but need a little bit of thinking. And of course, at the end it the gifts should not be that important. Even for kids, getting heaps of presents is probably less memorable than getting something that they have really wished for. 

Let's see how the Christmas plays out this year in the Panamari family! If you would like to know more about who the Panamaris are, just check the www.panamari.com.

There is still time before Christmas!

Last week flew by and brought along another visit to Tampere. This time with real intentions to get started with our planned project. And indeed we did. A number of people showed up for about two hours of brainstorming about game design, graphics, sound and how to make it all come together. Thank you for all the participants for lively discussion and the flow of ideas. In my mind the key issues that we need to nail down are:

• The entire idea of Panamari was born to promote sustainability in a fun way.  And the challenge is to keep it fun and not just join the "should and should-not" crew?
• What to measure? CO2 or sheer amount of waste?
• How to build the social aspect to the game? If the target group is 8-10 year olds Facebook cannot serve as a platform - but if it isn't then it might?
• As the Panamari family members are fun & energetic and all unique in their own way (check them out here) the challenge is to bring them in the gaming world?
• And last but not the least there is the context. As the stories go from South America to Africa there are lots and lots of opportunities to develop stories around exciting places. But where to begin?

I came out of the meeting impressed and somewhat surprised about the way Demola is capable of engaging students and hope that we will be able to pull this one off. We will meet again still before Christmas and try to nail down the points mentioned above - and also put together a project plan. The aim is to kick off execution early next year. Let's see! 

For those interested in drilling to the details of the books you can get both "Panamaris move to Brazil" and "Panamaris move to Africa" from the Amazon.com as printed copies, or download the ebooks from the Panamari website. 

So all and all - things are moving forward with the Panamaris. At least I hope so! 

Another thing that I am keen on promoting is the Sonera Idea 10 competition. Along my interests: eating well, exercising and ecological living I came up with an idea for a service that would bring together people and service providers around the 3 topics. As I have been searching for an optimal way to track my exercises and have really not found one - I would really appreciate a service that would bridge for example Suunto Movescount, Polar Heart Rate tracking and Sportstracker or my current favourite HeiaHeia. Furthermore if it included tips for healthy eating and ecological living even better. 

That is the core of the "PAREE" concept which stands for "PAREmpi Elämä" i.e. "Better Life" in Finnish. The competition is in two phases: Ideas move forward based on the number of votes they get on the Sonera Idea 10 website and are then evaluated by a jury. If you like the concept, please check to the site, search for PAREE and vote there or in the Facebook page Idea 10: Paree by clicking "LIKE". Since the ideas needed to be explained in Finnish - this one is in Finnish too - but nevertheless votes are highly appreciated. You do not need to be fluent in Finnish to help me out... Just do it as Nike so well put it already years ago.

So vote for PAREE - today and tomorrow - as one vote per person per day is allowed!

So what's so special about Africa?

The second book is finally out!

During this fall many people have commented about their aspiration to write a book. It seems that everyone wants to write one. My advice is along the brilliant statement by Nike:  Just do it! Stop asking questions like: What does it take? How should I begin? What is the most difficult part? Like many other things in life, writing a book is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration! 

However, it is one thing to write a book and entirely another to get someone to read it. As a reader I don’t really prefer any particular type of literature. What I am looking for is a story that carries the reader forward and has funny twists and turns. And that’s what I try to do as a writer. Since Panamari books are “edutainment” - stories with sustainability message embedded, the greatest difficulty is to keep the story alive, light and fun – and at the same time keep the sustainability theme alive.

How does the Africa book begin? Like the Brazil book, “Panamaris move to Africa” begins with the decision to move. Even though the Panamaris are adventurous they think about the move a lot before making the final decision. How is life in Africa? Where does one shop? Where do the kids go to school? And first and foremost is it safe? Once the family finds answers to these questions they are convinced that Africa is indeed a great place. They move and start exploring.

The first chapters describe their first impressions starting from the herd of elephants on their way from the airport to their new home. The Panamaris discover that Africa is a truly fascinating continent with a lot of contrasts: Magnificent nature, thrilling wildlife and great opportunities for adventure. On the flipside the people are poor and the everyday life is very challenging for most. A lot of the observations are done by the kids – as they tend to see the world a little bit more “unfiltered” as we adults do.

Where is the fun? Sami (the family’s pet jaguar) faces all new challenges in Africa where he discovers a whole new degree of freedom. He is found chasing the electrician and secretly visiting the henhouse. Kids are enjoying the life in Africa to the fullest: feeding giraffes, going to safaris and helping out in the Animal Orphanage bring a whole new dimension in their lives. Lots of laughs with their friends and endearing experiences with the wildlife. For example who could have thought that one could leash a wild cat?

Of course now that the second book is ready the “what’s next?” question arises. As I am writing this on my way to Tampere to see what the Demola folks in the New Factory have come up with. I look forward to meeting them and hope that during the next months we will see the Panamaris come to life in a completely different way. Let’s see what a few talented young minds can create!

In addition to cross media content based on the Africa and Brazil books, the new story is already cooking. However, before getting ahead with that I would love to hear what you think about the Africa book. Just go ahead and get it!