Shizzle™ – David Peterson

The dice game Shizzle™ came from the mind of David L. Peterson. A mind with a PhD in Physics: laser spectroscopy of diluted magnetic semiconductors in high magnetic fields at temperatures as low as 1.4 K. It may sound intimidating, but this impressive mind uses its smarts for fun, with visions of dice and numbers and a unique new game.

As a child, Peterson enjoyed playing board games that were clever and smart. Games that offered a challenge made for the most fun, and his favorite was Risk. Playing for world domination made for a good time in Peterson’s book, and although he didn’t grow up to rule the world, he has accomplished many great things to date.

Peterson took his PhD-Physics knowledge to Eastman Kodak, where he gained experience in opto-electronic devices and optical recording media (particularly metrology and product development). He moved from cameras to toys when he took a position dealing with searching for new technology for games and toys at a leading game manufacturer. Peterson sums up his work experience “as a series of problems (games) to be solved (won) within a set of constraints (rules).” It’s a great summation for life, as well.

It was after his time at a leading game manufacturer that Peterson began to think about creating his own game. He wanted to invent a family-friendly game that would be competitive with digital games, which have grown more and more popular. He wanted his game to be quick to set up, easy to keep score and addictive, much like digital games. Dice were on his mind, and he knew that people liked the tactile sensation of rolling dice, which was not something a digital game could offer. Rather than just use standard dice and think up a few fluffy rules, Peterson really thought about dice. How would a line of dice look? How could they form lines and offer a unique challenge? Shizzle! The black dice with color pips are each different. Not one of the six dice is similar—there are six dice each with six different sides, which means 36 unique sides! It’s a tricky behind-the-scenes formula Peterson concocted to make your game-playing experience one-of-a-kind! See? He uses his PhD powers for fun!

Peterson, owner of Parpen Solutions, resides in Florida with his wife of 35 years and has four daughters, three awesome sons-in-law, and three grandchildren. He recalls that his family enjoyed Shizzle when they played it, but Peterson knew he needed professional feedback to know whether or not he had a golden idea. With a positive expert opinion or two under his belt, Peterson approached PlayMonster with his dice game, and PlayMonster bit.

Peterson’s goal is to be a successful game inventor with multiple games on the market simultaneously. He makes it a point to visit the game aisle of local stores to study the game trends and understand what game companies are looking for and competing against. So far, his hard work, unique ideas and professional persistence have paid off, and he’s off to a great start as a game inventor with Shizzle!

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