TendrilGreenTech Media's "Networked Grid" conference yesterday, letting slip that the home energy monitoring company is partnering with a well-known game maker to produce a new title that connects real-life conservation to in-game rewards.
While he wouldn't reveal the name of the "major computer game" company Tendril is working with, Tuck said the main character will be an "eco-warrior" who gains strength in the game as you, the player, reduce energy use in your surrounding home network. The game maker is based in California, but is a subsidiary of a non-American company, he told reporters following the panel.
Tuck said he could already envision game players going to extremes, sitting in their darkened homes with the only power going to their TVs and PlayStations.
The game might seem like an aberration for Tendril, which has made a solid name for itself in the home energy monitoring space. The company offers the TREE system, which gauges how much energy is being used and where it is going within a household. But this is actually a natural segue for the company to transmit a home's energy use data to a game's servers via the internet -- securely, of course.
Tendril is clearly on the lookout for more portals through which to share energy consumption data with consumers -- portals that will keep them more engaged and encourage conservation. In this spirit, it unveiled an iPhone application at the DEMO conference this past spring that allows Tendril users to access their energy use figures via their mobile phones.
Tuck seemed pretty tight-lipped on further game details -- leaving possible platforms and plotlines a mystery. But look for him to bring it up again at VentureBeat's upcoming GreenBeat 2009 conference on Nov. 18 and 19. Focused on the Smart Grid, the event will feature Tuck on a panel of other major innovators in the consumer efficiency space. Register for your tickets today at GreenBeat2009.com.