The Story of "Kimo” and "Ipo”
...Continued from Custom Game Components page
Eileen’s sketches were adorable and full of detail but they weren’t in a form that was appropriate for a game piece and they weren’t manufacturable. In addition to the sketches, Eileen also provided samples of the paper components of her games so that Rolco’s artist could see all of the artwork and get a good feel for the flavor of the game. The professional line drawings that were created interpreted Eileen’s characters into a game piece form that could be manufactured. Although compared to the original sketches the amount of detail was decreased, important elements were maintained and even emphasized to give the figures life. Eileen loved the results!
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Now that the design was complete, Rolco’s artist converted Kimo and Ipo into 3D drawings. Eileen was able to view the figures of her game pieces in 3D format, manipulating them on her computer screen to view them from every angle and in cross-section. These 3D drawings contained a data base that included all of the dimensions that were needed to make the tool.
Rolco made a family mold for each of the two sizes of pieces. A mold is called a "family” when more than one unique part is on one mold so Kimo and Ipo aren’t only brother and sister, they are twins! When all the necessary adjustments were made to the mold during the sampling process, production began. Rolco bagged the components into sets of 16 small pieces for Ohana Mana and sets of four large pieces for Pele’s Perils. These were shipped to Eileen’s game manufacturer in a nearby state.
Akamai Games are now available online and in retail locations in Hawaii. Eileen Tupman is proud to have the MADE IN THE USA label on all of her games.
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Akamai Games Web Site
"Working with Rolco was wonderful! With their support and assistance, I was able to come up with a creative solution that satisfied our needs and was within their extremely high technical competencies. They helped me go from my vision of the little characters that were painted into the scenery of the games, to the reality of "Kimo” and "Ipo”. With their lively designs and details, the Rolco artists were able to capture the true essence of their personalities. The Rolco team of management and technical staff was able to work seamlessly with the artists and graphic designers from start to finish to create a very enjoyable working relationship with Akamai Games, Inc. and we look forward to working with them again in the near future,”
Eileen Tupman,
Founder of Akamai Games