EP.60: Into the Metaverse with Darran Garnham - Founder & CEO, Toikido
Jul 18, 2023
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Darran Garnham, Founder and CEO of Toikido, joins the podcast to discuss the power of the metaverse in finding your people, how industries serving kids need to adapt, and the unique fundamentals of Roblox. They also delve into the exciting new world of Piñata Smashlings, its depth of story, and the attempt to build generational relevance through its launch.
The Metaverse is a powerful platform for connecting with like-minded individuals and finding your online tribe.
Toikido's Pinata Smashlings universe aims to create a deep and inclusive world, utilizing the Roblox platform to build a generational IP with high brand relevance.
Deep dives
The Emergence of the Metaverse
The podcast discusses how the Metaverse is becoming the next big technology platform. It explores how companies, technologies, and trends are bringing the promises of the Metaverse to life. The guest, Darren Garner, shares his perspective as the founder and CEO of Doikido, a London-based entertainment company at the forefront of digital design and toys. They emphasize the importance of community in the Metaverse, where people can find their online tribes and connect with like-minded individuals.
The Evolution of Online Communities
The podcast reflects on the evolution of online communities and how they have shaped the Metaverse. It references platforms like MySpace and highlights the significance of community in finding people with shared interests. The conversation delves into the impact of virtual worlds like Moshi Monsters, Minecraft, and Roblox, and how they have created massive multiplayer 3D game environments where people can connect, play, and create.
Building a Metaverse-native Toy Franchise
The episode introduces Doikido's Pinata Smashlings universe, a metaverse-native kids' toy franchise. The guest explains how Doikido aims to create depth of character, story, and inclusivity within the Pinata Smashlings world. They highlight the importance of the game as the heartbeat of the IP and discuss the potential of Roblox as a platform for building and engaging communities. The conversation explores the vision of creating a generational IP and the efforts to set the bar high for brand relevance and quality.
Roblox as a Unique and Relevant Platform
The podcast examines the uniqueness of the Roblox platform and its increasing relevance in the entertainment industry. They discuss the power of Roblox in allowing users to create and share their own games and content. The guest shares personal experiences of how their child became immersed in the Roblox community and the creative possibilities it offers. They express excitement about the Pinata Smashlings game world launching on Roblox and emphasize the platform's potential to birth the next generation of iconic IP.
The last few weeks have been incredibly exciting as Yon and the Supersocial team saw the launch of Piñata Smashlings, their collaboration effort with toy company Toikido to build a new brand that combines a gaming experience and community with the physical world of toys, trading cards, and more.
With this launch happening, it felt like the perfect time for Yon to welcome Darran Garnham, Founder and CEO of Toikido, into the metaverse.
During their conversation Yon and Darran first discuss the overall power of the metaverse in helping you find your people, how industries that serve kids need to adapt to new technologies, and the fundamentals that make Roblox so unique and relevant, before diving into what Piñata Smashlings and the Piñataverse are, how it came about, the depth of story they hope to provide, and much more about this exciting new world.
Chapters:
The Power of the Metaverse to Help You Find Your People (01:10)
Bringing Toys and Characters to the Intersection of Digital and Physical (04:40)
How Industries that Serve Kids Need to Adapt (08:00)
Fundamentals that Make Roblox so Relevant and Unique (12:55)
The Piñata Smashlings Universe and the Depth of Story It Provides (21:30)
The Launch of Piñata Smashlings and Attempting to Build Generational Relevance (29:15)
Learn more about Piñata Smashlings by visiting here.
Learn more about Toikido by visiting their website.