Concept 3
Table Top POG
Principles behind Table Top POGS
Table Top POGS consists of a circular gameboard one foot in diameter, suspended on two opposite ends with a pin. This leaves the board with one degree of freedom in the Cartesian plane. Because the board is centered around one pin, the edges of the board are vary unstable and can move through the air. In addition to the board, there are forty game pieces that are the approximate size of checkers, only thinner. The objective of the game is to knock over a tower of twenty circular game pieces (POGS) in the center of the game board without knocking any of the pieces (including the piece thrown to knock over the tower) off the board. The board is colored in the same manner as a dartboard. The closer the pieces in the tower land towards the center, the higher the point score will be. This game tests agility, since the game board is potentially moving when a game piece is tossed at it.
Interaction with Toy
As stated above, the game pieces are thrown at the tower to try and knock over as many pieces as possible. If any pieces are knocked off the board, the other player automatically gets to keep these pieces. A piece in a player's hand is automatically worth 30 points. The game is played until one player loses all his or her in hand pieces. In the case where both players lose all their pieces, then the score is tallied up according to where each player's pieces landed on the board. The closer to the center that the pieces landed, the more points they are worth (ie. there are four divisions, 50 points closest to the center, then 30, then 20, then 5). According to this method, the score is tallied up for each player based on how many of their pieces landed on a certain point division on the board. The player with the highest point value wins the game. This game is suitable for children with already developed motor coordination, thus in the age group of ten years old. This game must be played on a hard and stable surface, thus it is not a good game for a car ride.
Construction Cost, Durability, and Safety
This toy would probably cost very little to make, since most of these parts are commonly in use in existing games and do not cost very much to manufacture. The material of which the game pieces and game board are constructed of is not of utmost importance, thus it can be less than high quality. My estimates for the cost of construction of this toy are on the order of $5.00. This toy will probably be fairly durable if treated well, the only fragile part of this toy is the pin that holds the game board attached at two ends. Over time, this pin will either break or cause the plastic around it to break, so, durability is a function of time. This toy is safe for any child to use, as long as they are over the age of three, as the game pieces are a choking hazard.
Graphic
Relevant Links to Similar Toys