Seeds

Seeds (Farmville meets Kiva) is a mobile game and API for microlending!

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Seeds

Gaming Guru Jane McGonigal taught us that we spend 3 billion hours a week playing computer and videogames worldwide.  What if we harnessed that time to make the world a better place, while still having a hella good time playing games?


The idea behind Seeds springs from this foundation.


Seeds is a revolutionary social game that facilitates direct mobile-to-mobile microlending from the developed to the developing world, or even in your own backyard.  Gamers can explore an immersive playable world, communally rebuilding a virtual civilization while simultaneously microlending money to boost real entrepreneurs.  Seeds gamifies microlending, using fun incentives to motivate players to greater generosity.

And what's more: because the average social gamer is a 43-year-old woman, microlenders skew female, and women are the largest beneficiaries of microloans on a global scale, Seeds is a high tech social game for women that can change their lives.

We're super excited to announce that the Seeds prototype is functional and we have successfully disbursed our first microloan in Nairobi, recouping two repayments by cell phone, but we need your help to take it to the next level! Fundable funds will allow us to build out the game Brad Wiggins has designed, and partner with existing and developing games to change the way the world views gaming!

Our Team is Boss

Our team includes insight from Amanda Wixted, the former Tech Lead of Zynga's iOS Team (responsible for bringing Farmville and Mafia Wars to iPhone), and Game Designer Brad Wiggins, recipient of IGN's 2005 Mobile Platformer of the Year Award (both Editor's and Player's Choice) and Wireless Gaming World's 2007 Award for Casual Game of the Year.  They are awesome.
 

This summer we worked out of the iHub, Kenya's premiere co-working space, which houses the best technologists in Kenya.  A crew of Duke students/alums joined us in Kenya - Anne, Mailande, Leonard, Nissa and Izzy, and later Helen in New York.  We were all working to connect the dots on the ground, creating a scaleable, sustainable model for Seeds.

How Seeds Works

The Seeds revenue model is three-pronged:

1) We monetize impatience.  As you rebuild a citadel in the game, you can either wait hours in real time to complete a level, or use virtual currency to expedite the process.  Virtual currency can be purchased with real dollars.  Proceeds will be microlent to borrowers.

2) The sale of virtual goods: Within the Seeds virtual world, you can purchase limited edition virtual goods using in-game currency to decorate your world.  Proceeds will be reinvested in for-profit microloans.

3) Actively asking players to make microloans to the businesses of their choice.

Thus, we're merging two multi-billion dollar industries - social gaming and microfinance.  We're taking the profits social games make, and reinvesting it in entrepreneurs for a profit, empowering women and buoying economies (including our own!).

Here's a screen shot from the prototype!

The Zeople

The world of Seeds is populated by plant-like creatures called the Zeople. The Zeople lost their civilization in a great cataclysm, but players around the world can band together to help them rebuild.


Each player loans their effort to rebuilding a citadel for the Zeople to inhabit. As players invest more time into the game, the player’s citadel will also evolve and grow.  Players can decorate their citadels and personalize their world.


Each of the Zeople in the player’s citadel will inherit unique traits from its parents. When the player is allowed to add another Zeople to their citadel, they get to choose the parents. One of the parents must belong to the player, and the second must come from one of the player’s friends to encourage social interaction within the world of Seeds!

What We'll Do With Our Fundable Funding

The money we raise through Fundable will allow us to take Seeds to the next level.  We have a working prototype that has been recently approved by the App Store, and we have successfully disbursed a loan via mobile phone in Kenya (and successfully received two mobile repayments, both right on time!) but we need further funding to:

1) Pay the engineers who will build an even better version of Seeds for iPhone

2) Pay the engineers who will build out Seeds for Android, our next big goal!

3) Pay the engineers (yeah, you got it - engineers are expensive yo!) who will build the Seeds API, so that we can partner with already established and developing games.

Our Dream: We want to build a world in which every game ever built incorporates the Seeds API, funneling capital from all games into for-profit social initiatives that can TRANSFORM THE WORLD.  We want to live in a future in which games, by definition, are fun vehicles for for-profit social change.

Pledge for Exclusive Video Content Showcasing Seeds and the Kenyan Startup Scene

While we're in Kenya we'll have cameras with us, and we'd love to share our experiences with you via our exclusive video content - join us in our successes and struggles as we work to bring Seeds to the masses, and get a glimpse of a version of Sub-Saharan Africa that you may not have imagined before - Nairobi as a burgeoning global tech powerhouse.

We love thinking about the ways we can use gameplay to make the world a better place, and we hope you'll dig this idea too.  Pledge today to join the Seeds team and help us make this a reality!

Pledge $15+

The finished game in all of its awesome glory for iOS or Android, access to the video series, and access to the private discussion community so you can help us create the game of your dreams as we continue to iterate!

11BACKERS

Pledge $20+

The Seeds API, so that developers can build their own terrific new games or include microlending in their already established games for a revenue split, enabling virtual currency to go toward real life mobile microlending to a real microborrower in need of a loan!

15BACKERS

Pledge $37+

HD download of The Microlending Film Project, the global exploration of the impact of microloans on women that led to the idea behind Seeds, with extras, Digital game soundtrack, Digital documentary soundtrack, and all previous reward tiers!

6BACKERS

Pledge $54+

A product made by a microborrower that we collected during one of our shoots for The Microlending Film Project or when implementing Seeds on the ground, in addition to everything you see above!

9BACKERS

Pledge $100+

Special edition - both Seeds and a DVD or Blu-Ray of the documentary and extras, a Seeds T-shirt, The Microlending Film Project poster, special thanks in the game’s credits, and all previous reward tiers (please add an additional $10 to your pledge for international shipping).

7BACKERS

Pledge $250+

You will get a CD (or two) with music from the game and the documentary, plus some other awesome songs by the composer of both Seeds and The Microlending Film Project, a Collector's Edition series of original autographed illustrations from our Seeds lead artist (suitable for framing!) and all of the above!

0BACKERS

Pledge $500+

Have one of the Zeople, the tree-dwelling creatures populating the world of Seeds, designed to your preference - you can even choose the genetics traits he or she will pass down to offspring! We'll name the creature whatever you like, and you'll get a creative credit within the game itself!

5BACKERS

Pledge $1,250+

Receive a credit in Seeds the game and and Associate Producer credit in The Microlending Film Project (which will show up on imdb, yo!), in addition to all of the previous rewards!

0BACKERS

Pledge $2,500+

Bring Seeds and The Microlending Film Project to your college or University as a part of our 50+ stop University Tour. We'll show you the film, include a brief talk from Rachel or one of our producers about carving your own path outside of established career trajectories, have a panel discussion featuring representatives from partner organizations ACCION International, Women's World Banking, and more, and offer an exclusive free Seeds download with free credit to make a microloan before the official Seeds launch!

1BACKER

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Pledge $15+

The finished game in all of its awesome glory for iOS or Android, access to the video series, and access to the private discussion community so you can help us create the game of your dreams as we continue to iterate!

11BACKERS

Pledge $20+

The Seeds API, so that developers can build their own terrific new games or include microlending in their already established games for a revenue split, enabling virtual currency to go toward real life mobile microlending to a real microborrower in need of a loan!

15BACKERS

Pledge $37+

HD download of The Microlending Film Project, the global exploration of the impact of microloans on women that led to the idea behind Seeds, with extras, Digital game soundtrack, Digital documentary soundtrack, and all previous reward tiers!

6BACKERS

Pledge $54+

A product made by a microborrower that we collected during one of our shoots for The Microlending Film Project or when implementing Seeds on the ground, in addition to everything you see above!

9BACKERS

Pledge $100+

Special edition - both Seeds and a DVD or Blu-Ray of the documentary and extras, a Seeds T-shirt, The Microlending Film Project poster, special thanks in the game’s credits, and all previous reward tiers (please add an additional $10 to your pledge for international shipping).

7BACKERS

Pledge $250+

You will get a CD (or two) with music from the game and the documentary, plus some other awesome songs by the composer of both Seeds and The Microlending Film Project, a Collector's Edition series of original autographed illustrations from our Seeds lead artist (suitable for framing!) and all of the above!

0BACKERS

Pledge $500+

Have one of the Zeople, the tree-dwelling creatures populating the world of Seeds, designed to your preference - you can even choose the genetics traits he or she will pass down to offspring! We'll name the creature whatever you like, and you'll get a creative credit within the game itself!

5BACKERS

Pledge $1,250+

Receive a credit in Seeds the game and and Associate Producer credit in The Microlending Film Project (which will show up on imdb, yo!), in addition to all of the previous rewards!

0BACKERS

Pledge $2,500+

Bring Seeds and The Microlending Film Project to your college or University as a part of our 50+ stop University Tour. We'll show you the film, include a brief talk from Rachel or one of our producers about carving your own path outside of established career trajectories, have a panel discussion featuring representatives from partner organizations ACCION International, Women's World Banking, and more, and offer an exclusive free Seeds download with free credit to make a microloan before the official Seeds launch!

1BACKER

W

No comments yet.




Pledge $15+

The finished game in all of its awesome glory for iOS or Android, access to the video series, and access to the private discussion community so you can help us create the game of your dreams as we continue to iterate!

11BACKERS

Pledge $20+

The Seeds API, so that developers can build their own terrific new games or include microlending in their already established games for a revenue split, enabling virtual currency to go toward real life mobile microlending to a real microborrower in need of a loan!

15BACKERS

Pledge $37+

HD download of The Microlending Film Project, the global exploration of the impact of microloans on women that led to the idea behind Seeds, with extras, Digital game soundtrack, Digital documentary soundtrack, and all previous reward tiers!

6BACKERS

Pledge $54+

A product made by a microborrower that we collected during one of our shoots for The Microlending Film Project or when implementing Seeds on the ground, in addition to everything you see above!

9BACKERS

Pledge $100+

Special edition - both Seeds and a DVD or Blu-Ray of the documentary and extras, a Seeds T-shirt, The Microlending Film Project poster, special thanks in the game’s credits, and all previous reward tiers (please add an additional $10 to your pledge for international shipping).

7BACKERS

Pledge $250+

You will get a CD (or two) with music from the game and the documentary, plus some other awesome songs by the composer of both Seeds and The Microlending Film Project, a Collector's Edition series of original autographed illustrations from our Seeds lead artist (suitable for framing!) and all of the above!

0BACKERS

Pledge $500+

Have one of the Zeople, the tree-dwelling creatures populating the world of Seeds, designed to your preference - you can even choose the genetics traits he or she will pass down to offspring! We'll name the creature whatever you like, and you'll get a creative credit within the game itself!

5BACKERS

Pledge $1,250+

Receive a credit in Seeds the game and and Associate Producer credit in The Microlending Film Project (which will show up on imdb, yo!), in addition to all of the previous rewards!

0BACKERS

Pledge $2,500+

Bring Seeds and The Microlending Film Project to your college or University as a part of our 50+ stop University Tour. We'll show you the film, include a brief talk from Rachel or one of our producers about carving your own path outside of established career trajectories, have a panel discussion featuring representatives from partner organizations ACCION International, Women's World Banking, and more, and offer an exclusive free Seeds download with free credit to make a microloan before the official Seeds launch!

1BACKER

%

No backers yet.




Pledge $15+

The finished game in all of its awesome glory for iOS or Android, access to the video series, and access to the private discussion community so you can help us create the game of your dreams as we continue to iterate!

11BACKERS

Pledge $20+

The Seeds API, so that developers can build their own terrific new games or include microlending in their already established games for a revenue split, enabling virtual currency to go toward real life mobile microlending to a real microborrower in need of a loan!

15BACKERS

Pledge $37+

HD download of The Microlending Film Project, the global exploration of the impact of microloans on women that led to the idea behind Seeds, with extras, Digital game soundtrack, Digital documentary soundtrack, and all previous reward tiers!

6BACKERS

Pledge $54+

A product made by a microborrower that we collected during one of our shoots for The Microlending Film Project or when implementing Seeds on the ground, in addition to everything you see above!

9BACKERS

Pledge $100+

Special edition - both Seeds and a DVD or Blu-Ray of the documentary and extras, a Seeds T-shirt, The Microlending Film Project poster, special thanks in the game’s credits, and all previous reward tiers (please add an additional $10 to your pledge for international shipping).

7BACKERS

Pledge $250+

You will get a CD (or two) with music from the game and the documentary, plus some other awesome songs by the composer of both Seeds and The Microlending Film Project, a Collector's Edition series of original autographed illustrations from our Seeds lead artist (suitable for framing!) and all of the above!

0BACKERS

Pledge $500+

Have one of the Zeople, the tree-dwelling creatures populating the world of Seeds, designed to your preference - you can even choose the genetics traits he or she will pass down to offspring! We'll name the creature whatever you like, and you'll get a creative credit within the game itself!

5BACKERS

Pledge $1,250+

Receive a credit in Seeds the game and and Associate Producer credit in The Microlending Film Project (which will show up on imdb, yo!), in addition to all of the previous rewards!

0BACKERS

Pledge $2,500+

Bring Seeds and The Microlending Film Project to your college or University as a part of our 50+ stop University Tour. We'll show you the film, include a brief talk from Rachel or one of our producers about carving your own path outside of established career trajectories, have a panel discussion featuring representatives from partner organizations ACCION International, Women's World Banking, and more, and offer an exclusive free Seeds download with free credit to make a microloan before the official Seeds launch!

1BACKER

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