We all know a person that we describe as “that stubborn old man.” And I guess there’s a fine line between stubborn and persistent. Well, persistence or stubbornness is definitely a trait that George Weiss has in spades. In 1958, George received his first patent that would signal the start of a life of tinkering, inventing, and maxing his brain out constantly trying to figure how to build a better mousetrap, whether figuratively or literally.
Some 53 years after that first patent Mr. Weiss has released his first mobile application for the iPhone and iPad. It’s called Dabble, and it is a word game much like some of the word game’s you’re familiar with already in the mobile apps marketplace, but is a fast thinking and fast-moving game. Dabble is an appropriate name, because George has spent his life dabbling at developing one invention or patent or another.
At 84 years of age, George Weiss might possibly be the oldest designer and developer of a mobile app in America. This is the electronic version of the Dabble board game he released earlier this year for nationwide distribution in Barnes & Noble stores. Ideas Never Implemented (INI) was used to produce the physical game.
Somehow, through communications with INI, Itch.com and Flashy Substance heard about Dabble, got in touch with Mr. Weiss, and released the iDevice application using Ansca Mobile’s Corona SDK gaming engine. You may remember that was the same engine that Robert Nay, the 14-year-old child developer out of Utah, used to create Bubble Ball, which then went on to become the #1 free game on iDevices, knocking the vaunted Angry Birds out of that spot.
George said he always knew that those years of tinkering in his Brooklyn basement would pay off. Not concerned nearly as much about the monetary rewards as he is about the personal satisfaction and gratification of seeing one of his “babies” introduced to the world, Weiss said he had “been waiting for this day since 1958.”
Carlos Icaza is the founder of Ansca Mobile, and says that his company is honored and proud to be a part of George Weiss’ and Dabble’s accomplishments. Dabble, the board game, has already received Creative Child Magazine’s 2011 game of the year award and the 2011 PAL Award for games that stimulate language skills through fun wordplay. George Weiss said he only hopes that the electronic version will be as popularly received and award it as well as the physical board game.
