Gumball gaming

Admission: I love the little toys in vending machines... especially ninjas.

That being said, I'm wondering if it has been considered/implemented to use the cheap little plastic figures that are sold out of them as game pieces...

Obviously, you'd need to buy them from a supplier, as it would look really silly to sit in front of a supermarket putting a sack of quarters into the same machine (and it would be expensive). I didn't need to say that, but the mental image was too good to pass up.

This could provide the pieces I need for the gameboard bag concept (rather than relying on glass beads and/or dice [the staples of little games]. Yeah, ninjas are more awesome than glass beads...

Note on Label: GDI stands for Game Design Industry... and has nothing to do with command and conquer.

Of bags and things

So I had the idea a while back, inspired by cosmic coasters, to put a game board on a bag, and have the pieces of the game fit within the bag. This was also a branching out of my attempt to make my own chessboard bandanna (or cloth chessboard, not quite big enough to be a bandanna).

I suppose I should also apologise to the looneys before proceeding as there's a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism... and I have no idea where I am right now, but if I'm not over it yet, I'm pretty damn close. (For instance, seeing their wonderful products and wondering/attempting to do my own versions of them.)

Anyways, the gameboard bag ultimately won't be a cosmic coasters ripoff, but that's merely the sample standard I've chosen to work with until I can come up with something fun.

But I digress.

Anyways, cloth as a game material has come to be the focus of my obsession right now. I've been remembering all the really cool cloth maps, like the one that came with Neverwinter Nights, and some nice tile-bags from various board games... It seems like a really good idea, considering how many times I've seen paper/cardboard pieces and boards succumb to the dreaded spilled beverage. It would be nice to have game components be washable... if for no other reason than to alleviate my paranoia of yucky tables at public places (maple syrup, condensation from drinks, spilled coffee, to name a few)

And I knew that this could not be an original idea, but I never expected to see a patent so vague. Hmm... actually, they don't specify that the bag can be the board as well... In fact, that case does appear to contradict the patent as written (where the board fits in the bag).

Hmm... I'll have to keep searching. I may have found an idea that hasn't been run into the ground already.

Again, I digress... what was I talking about?

Oh yes. So with durable boards/pieces, I may be able to make some kind of portable game that people aren't afraid to play anywhere (except perhaps over a sewer grate)...

This needs more thought.