THE PAST - "Keep a mystery hanging!"

"Move ya instrument" were the 'patois' words which were to lead me in various directions & totally change my life!

After developing prototypes till I had the 'concept' right - "out" I came into the big wide world, knowing I had something special 'tucked under my arm'. I hustled around various international music & toy trade shows looking for a licensing deal. (All I wanted was £1 per unit sold).

At Midem, (in Cannes - South of France) I thought I'd struck gold! A company agreed to licence the product and spent £70k on the game's inadequate design and manufactured 1000 incorrectly at a production price dearer than what the game could be sold for! Within a year, the company was suspended from the UK stock market, the chairman sacked and the fraud squad called in!
What a start!

SMALL WORLD 2 BIG 2 PAINT

I then decided to go 'independent' - to control the design, be involved in the marketing and "keep an eye" on the money, so nobody got ripped off. Little did I know what a massive job was in front of me!

First I found an accountant who agreed to help me put this together with the following possible routes:

(a) Getting orders from buyers (on the strength of the first 'wrongly' manufactured game)
(b) Finding a venture capitalist or bank
(c) Searching for every 'brick in the wall' (Split the job right down to basics to minimise the risk factor - what risk?)

No prizes for guessing that (c) proved to be the route necessary - wake up you bankers & buyers!

I interviewed about 30 graphic designers, till I found the one who'd give the game 'universal' appeal by using internationally recognised icons. After 2,500 phone calls, I had located a team of paper suppliers, film & plate makers, 2 printers, box manufacturers, tray, dice & playing piece makers, a record pressing plant, a cassette manufacturer, print finishers & assemblers - all prepared to do it "upfront" with payment later, with quality & at the right price. And guess what?! The game won the Paper Focus/Hedsorboard British Box packaging award - due to the design, in which 25 companies bought advertising space!


The game was launched at the London Music show at Wembley. The new design had taken 30 months to complete - 12 months manually and the remainder sitting in front of computers. Not forgetting the 'in and out' of recording studios, putting together the 'rules' tracks etc. (The game was all in all 7 years in R&D).

Flyers were handed out, outside the night clubs in London and 'teaser' fly posters appeared on the streets of the UK - even appearing in the 'Fish Called Wanda' sequel 'Fierce Creatures' movie and along with the game, appeared on two of the most popular UK soaps!. Hey presto! - it won the Bronze Award (leisure section) in the Sunday Times Invention of the Year! (Gobsmacked - but deserved!)
Just recently the 3D animated TV Ad (40" dance version) finally appeared on ITV2, after just over 4 years battling to get clearance.

London Music Show - The Launch!

Shepherds Bush, London

 The problems I encountered with the negative attitude of the big retail buyers & the BACC, the banks & banking ombudsman, bureaucrats and the patent system are unbelievable & totally unnecessary. - All to be revealed in the biography 'Just Buy Coincidence!'


Back to Homepage