What is 8Hours?
THE 8HOURS FOUNDATION ENVISIONS a world where technology is used to create stronger social bonds by bringing people together through play. Just eight hours a week of purposeful social interaction improves society’s health and happiness. We seek to create technology that will help create everlasting memories and forge social bonds that will last a lifetime. By blending digital and physical games, there is an opportunity for an entirely new kind of human-computer interaction that enhances our relationships with the people in our lives. This will result in a stronger society and a better world.
THE 8HOURS FOUNDATION’S MISSION is to create ways for people to come together and play, strengthening their social fabric. We seek to create a culture where “game nights” amongst friends and families are facilitated by cuttingedge technology. By creating a new environment that blends physical board games and digital possibilities, we propel social play into the 21st century.
8Hours’ journey begins with its founding partner, PlayTable.
PLAYTABLE is an innovative board-game console that is the pioneer for Toy Reality – the interaction of physical objects in digital games. Toy Reality uses RFID-tagged objects to bridge the gap between physical and digital play, breathing new life into board games, video games, apps, and educational programs. Physical objects are imbued with digital context, granting them all the benefits of digital assets, such as increased flexibility of game mechanics, ownership tracking, and user customization.
PlayTable revitalizes the timeless medium of table-top games, which have been played across many cultures for thousands of years and are one of the most powerful social motivators. PlayTable’s digital transformation of these games enhances the player experience while also solving the previous inconveniences intrinsic to their physical counterparts. Physical board games require set up, clean up, closet space, and rulebooks. Digital board games can be downloaded and played instantly at any time, require no storage space, and no set-up and clean-up time, providing a frictionless experience for its players. The essence of board games’ social face-to-face play is preserved, providing the best of both worlds to a new market that is accessible on a global scale.
PlayTable provides a platform for social games that gives families and friends an easy way to connect. Other game consoles focus on experiences for individuals and contribute to isolation amongst their player bases. PlayTable is different because its games must be played with others, which makes every interaction on it inherently social.