Altogame is a virtual gaming platform created by Eija and Olli-Pekka Mäkirintala to facilitate brainstorming and problem solving in distributed teams. The platform includes two games - Lateral Gallery for innovation and Agile Avenue for agile implementation. Players enter a virtual space to play roles, generate new ideas, and practice skills without real-life limitations. Evaluations found the games enabled more new ideas to be created than traditional meetings and improved engagement levels. The founders designed Altogame to combine the benefits of in-person and virtual collaboration.

1. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
An Innovative Way to Brainstorm Solutions Together
Virtually – Serious Play Conference 22.7.2014
Eija Mäkirintala
PhD, CEO, Co-founder
eija@altogame.com

2. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Why?
(Little Prince,
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Environment has changed
Processes not

3. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Altogame
Eija Mäkirintala CEO, Co-Founder
• PhD (Behavioral sciences),
Professional violist
• Developer of a unique top
performance and well-being
coaching model,
• Business Coach + Trainer, Expert in
arts-derived methods in training
Olli-Pekka Mäkirintala, Co-Founder
• >25 years experience in software
business, e.g. in Nokia
• Business development, Software
and Agile professional, Business
Coach + Trainer

4. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Innovation and agility - why?
Without innovation
there is no growth
Without agility there
are no timely results

5. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Would you like to...
• Learn and improve
agility?
• Get 5-10 times
improvements in your
Return on Investment?
• Enjoy new accelerated
learning tools?
• Practice different
situations and roles
without real life
limitations?

6. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
LATERAL GALLERY for Innovation
AGILE AVENUE for Agile Implementation
©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
ALTOGAME PRESENTS
NEW FROM THE FUTURE:

7. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
How does
it work?
Lobby-chat:
• Define your
real-life
question
Virtual Gallery /
Office:
• Play with the team
(2 – N players)
Summarize chat:
• Experiences and results
• Review the Game log
• Buy art online

8. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
How does AltoGame produce
results?
Questions and Challenges
Social Drama and
Arts Derived Methods
Externalization
and
Identification
No
Hierarchy
and
Complete
Anonymity
And, you get complete documentation!

9. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
How can we use AltoGame
Lateral Gallery?
1. Innovation tool
2. Group coaching /
Coaching
3. Meeting tool
4. Defining shared vision and
values
5. Crowd innovation
6. ... And use your
imagination...

10. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
How can we use AltoGame
Agile Avenue?
1. Learn agile ways of
working
2. Plan your next sprint
3. Practise roles and events
4. Carry out mental exercises
(e.g. for upcoming new
challenges)
5. ... And use your
imagination...

11. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Benefits
IMMEDIATE
RESULTS
ENGAGE
ENJOY
LONG TERM
IMPACT
SAVE TIME
SAVE MONEY

12. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Who is AltoGame for?
• Distributed teams and networks
• Business leaders
• R&D leaders
• L&D
• Teams
• Learning institutions, universities
• ...
Do you e.g.:
• have a pressing isssue to be
solved?
• want to improve agile ways of
working?
• want to refresh your courses?
• increase engagement levels?
• ...?
AltoGame allows
YOU TO GO
BEYOND YOUR
IMAGINATION!
When you want to enhance a new way of collaboration

13. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Some user comments
CEO’s feedback: ”In 45 minutes of playing the
game we were able to innovate more new ideas
than in traditional management meetings during
one year."
CEO’s feedback: "The game and
discussions led to totally new
insights which will be used in
service development. We are
going to utilize AltoGame in our
management team work in the
future as well."
"The game generated action-
orientated ideas and we will continue
to utilize AltoGame in our innovation
work."
"We were able to generate new ideas
on how to improve the engagement
level of our courses."
”We had plenty of fun!”
”This is easy to use!”
“I learned totally new qualities of my
colleague with whom I have been
working together more than 15 years.
I didn’t know that he is so
compassionate and nice."
CEO: ”I would like to play
everyday”

14. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
What did we do?
• We modelled our own training programs
• We found a great new technology
• We focused on the problems we have seen in
corporate world regarding innovation and
implementationWe modelled our own training programs
We utilized high end new technology
We focused on solving the problems we have observed in
corporate world regarding innovation and implementation
We chose to use variety of means to enhance creativity
We linked our game with solving real life issues
What did we do?

15. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Do’s and Dont’s
• DO NOT transfer face-
to-face methods as such
directly into virtual
world, instead
• DO celebrate the
unique opportunities
virtual worlds provide
MAKE IT FUN
MAKE IT DIFFERENT
REMOVE WORK ROLES
REMOVE HIERARCHY
REMOVE LIMITS OF
TIME OR PLACE
ETC...

16. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Dont’s
DO NOT (User)
• Plan beforehand too much
• Underestimate people
DO NOT (Developer)
• Underestimate required
competencies
• Make the solution too
plain and obvious

17. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
DO’s
User:
Experiment and learn
The more innovative
product the more
scaffolding needed
Developer:
Combine best
parts
of both worlds
Work with your customer

18. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Recognitions
Certified by

19. ©2013 Altonova Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Eija Mäkirintala
CEO, Co-Founder
+44 7949164235
+358 45 1335845
eija@altogame.com
Skype: eija.makirintala
Play AltoGame -
Innovate and Be
Agile!
Olli-Pekka Mäkirintala
Senior Partner, Co-Founder
+44 7593602674
+358 40 5541031
olli-pekka@altogame.com
Skype: olli-pekka.makirintala
CONTACT - www.altogame.com