Introduction

The EdUGames business model is unique in that it uses the Internet and the World Wide Web in establishing a virtual organization with few collocated employees, no inventory and almost no physical space.  Most of the members in the virtual organization are independent Researchers, Research Associates, Authors or volunteers. The only qualifications for members are that they are intelligent, computer savvy and can communicate via the Internet in English. They can be located anywhere in the world. This includes students or teachers in high schools on the East Coast, professors in Eastern European cities and shut-ins anywhere.

Background and Goals:

The EdUGames product is a patented, educational computer game concept that is divided into two parts: EdUGames, which is the computer program itself, and the educational or knowledge material, which is referred to as content.  Content is a wide assortment of electronic data types from text and line drawings to sound bytes and video clips. The copyrighted EdUGames electronic data format is a means of integrating content into an exciting, interactive, competitive, multimedia rich, educational computer game.

The EdUGames program is written in Java and runs on any Java enabled browser. The code is integrated into web pages as Applets that are accessible via the world wide web. The Applets pull from a large database of Rounds and Resources available on the EdUGames web server to create an educationally challenging and rewarding interaction.

The Ultimate Company Goal is to eventually capture the whole world's knowledge base in game format and make it available to everyone, everywhere in all languages.  And, although the ultimate goal can never really be reached, it can be approached in large part by tapping into the resources of people in the CyberOrganization.  This is similar to the eBay model where others are invited to link their goals and ambitions to the company's mission. 

The Cyber Organization is a world wide network of people who can participate in content production, selection and sales via the web. The requirement are that they have a web based computer and know how to use it, understand English and can do the work.

The content production process does not require a computer programming skills and can be accomplished by anyone familiar with the subject matter.  We have provided the tools to format and validate the material and the organizational structure to facilitate its flow from the creation process to the Master Data Bases and Resource Library.

The Production Plan

The Production plan is simple: 

1. Break up the production process into small, well defined units of electronic research that can be metered out to people and organizations interested in accomplishing them for fun and/or profit.
2. Establish a group of Research Associates (RAs) to manage the process.

You can think of content creation as a process similar to manufacturing a car.  In a car assembly plant you have an assembly line on which a product is moved along the factory floor.  At various stages, people and robots add value to the product.  At various stages people, robots or computers do quality checks.  In the case of EdUGames, the assembly line is the Internet, the product is electronic data and the stages are the EdUGames web server and the computers of the people who are part of the CyberOrganization.

As An example, we will use the creation of material dealing with WW II as follows:

1. A Project Manager might create the outline to a table that lists important WW II battles on the row axes and information about the battles on the column axes. Things like when?, where?, the generals on each side?, who won?, etc.
   
2. This is incorporated into a Research Assignment to complete the table and is placed out for bid at the EdUGames web site.
   
3. Following a bidding period, a Research Contract is awarded to a History Student at UC San Diego who researches the subject, completes the table and emails it back to the Project Manager.
   
4. On the Approval of the Project Manager, the Student gets paid for her/her work.
   
5. The Project Manager forwards part of the Table via email to another Researcher who is an expert at locating points on maps. This Researcher creates a column indicating a map file name and the coordinates on that map for each of the battles.
   
6. He emailed it back to the Project Manager and, on approval, gets paid.
   
7. The Project Manager adds the column of map information to the Table.
   
8. The Table is forwarded to another Researcher who then uses the information in the Table to create Rounds for the Game L: Locations. The Rounds will show a map, make a statement about the battle and ask the players to place their tokens as close as possible to where the battle happened.  Another Round, Game D, might ask the question when did it happen, or who won etc.
   
9. The Rounds are placed into the Master Data Base (MDB) where they can be viewed and selected for Sets by Teachers and Game Masters.
   
10. Players can then go to the EdUGames web site and play the Sets.

Researchers will be able to go to the EdUGames Web Page, see Research Assignment listings and bid on them.  Notices to Proceed are issued via email and the completed work returned via email and/or uploaded to the web server.  The completed work can be redirected to other Researcher for quality checks and eventually make its way into completed products as outlined above.

One of the advantages of using email and data uploads is that information can flow with a minimum of labor cost.  A lot of the functions of research contract award, review and updates can be done automatically.  It is actually easier in many ways to create a computer program to do a work process than to write a task assignment for a person to do it.  And the computer program never gets sick, takes a day off or quits.

As will become apparent in reading the attached documents, content creation falls into two categories: That which is owned by EdUGames and that which is owned by Authors and Resource Owners.  The latter is used by EdUGames in return for royalties (See EdUGames Author Contract).  At present, the emphasis is on creating content through Researchers which will be owned by EdUGames.

At some point, the decision will be made to start up the Royalty Model.  Once started, it would be difficult to discontinue because of its complexity and legal agreements. The Royalty Model is not opened to everyone. It will be restricted to people who can bring more to the table than EdUGames can get with simple Research Contracts.  People who have a reputation in a particular field, unique knowledge or a creative mind that can be more fully tapped by a Royalty Model compensation system will be first. The Model is also a vehicle to tap the archives of large content providers like CNN and ABC News for example.  Archive content providers are not impressed by salesmen and hypothetical models.  They are impressed by working systems that product cash flow. They therefore will not be approached until the system is up and running and generating revenue.

Marketing Plans

Schools

The School Marketing Plan is simple:

1. Make the program free to Schools and Libraries.
2. Make EdUGames so useful to Teachers that they will incorporate it into their curriculum
3. Make it available on a subscription basis to homes.
4. A student confronted with an assignment to play a Set will find it easier to convince his/her parent to subscribe and allow them to play it at home than to play it for free on a School or Library computer.

Corporate Training

EdUGames can complement any corporate training effort.  The revenue model is based on site licenses, service agreements and fee based content creation and training.

Home Schooling

It has been estimated that over ten percent of America's children are being Home Schooled.  EdUGames provides not only an opportunity to tap this potential market for revenue, but more importantly, it provides an opportunity for home schooling parents to become contributing members of the CyberOrganization.

Corporate Schools

For-profit companies that are in the business of providing additional or primary education to students are a good market for the competitive aspects of EdUGames.  This is especially true for the companies that provide after school education supplements like SCORE. 

The Book, Video and Magazine Connection

Every chapter in a text book could have a Set covering the material presented in it.  The same applies to educational video series like Nova or what you might find on the History or Discovery Channel.  A Set could be created each week covering current events with links back to articles in News Week or Time magazine.  There is a daily Cross word puzzle in the newspaper, why not a daily EdUGames Set in the Internet Edition?  

This model will be supported by fees from the underlying media or advertising.

Cross Linking 

The internet allows any site to create a two way link to EdUGames.  We can create a game to support any advocacy site such as the Red Cross.  EdUGames can be used to point out facts and figures, or as a tool to get a handle on the knowledge level of a person concerning a specific subject. When the players are finished, the results are returned to the sponsoring site.  This information can then be used to redirect the players to relevant information. 

Commercial Sites

A commercial site is supported by banner ads specific to the game material such as car insurance or driving school ads for a game on a state driver's license. 

Entertainment Sites

Entertainment Sites recognizes the fact that EdUGames is fun to play, just like the board game Trivial Pursuit.  However, because we can use the programming power of the server, the possibility exists of creating robust games which use the underlying EdUGames driver to create points, travel distance or other items of exchange in the overlying game.

In a brain storming session we toyed with the idea of an Exotic Game that creates an erotic atmosphere by challenging couples to explore their boundaries, and in the process learn more about themselves.

Research Plan

Probably one of the most unusual aspects of the Business Plan is the use of non co-located Researchers to accomplish most, if not all of the work.  Because the product is electronic data, there is nothing that can't be transferred via the Internet.  Because payment for research is tied directly to measurable items, motivation of researchers is more easily managed.  Because the parts of the production process are simple and well defined, we will be able to draw on a large source of Researchers and can balance work assignments as a function of quality.

Business Model Status

The Java program and over two thousand Rounds have been completed.  If you are interested in playing a game go ahead. 

The basic contract documents have been staffed through a lawyer and are now available on the Company Web Site.  Initial Researcher and Project Management Position Descriptions have been created and are available at the company web site.  Additional material is being created as needed. The Authoring tools Set Compilation Tools and a third of the Assessment Tools are completed.  The goal is to have 25,000 Rounds by the start of 2006.