Board game hit was no roll of the dice for Greg

The path from employment at Anglo Irish Bank to devising and marketing a successful board game has taken Glanmire man Greg Dooley almost a decade to travel. “It’s been quite a journey!” he tells Keith Watterson...

If Greg Dooley is not a household name, it soon could be, thanks to the Irish version of the South African board game 30 Seconds, which the Glanmire man brought to market in November 2010.

Greg is upbeat about the prospects for 30 Seconds. After selling 400 units of the game in an initial run in the two Smyth’s stores in Cork five days before Christmas 2010—“I can still recall doing those first deliveries in the snow,” he mock grimaces—Greg received one of his best Christmas presents ever.

“It was on Christmas Eve when a further Smyth’s order came in, and when I saw the delivery address was Carlow, their headquarters, I knew it was a national order. That was brilliant,” he recalls.

In the time since, Smyth’s have carried 30 Seconds in 16 of their stores nationwide. And World of Wonder and Toymaster outlets are stocking the game also, with further retailers being targeted.

So what is the excitement about? 30 Seconds is simplicity itself, for players in teams of two or more (Greg says two teams of four is the ideal combination). On each turn, one player takes a card featuring five famous names or subjects, and describes each of the names, through clues only, to his partner, who must guess as many of the names as possible in 30 seconds.

While Greg welcomes the sales to date, he deliberately casts a cold eye upon them, viewing them in terms of reach, and potential for greater levels of exposure through word of mouth.

“We have many things in the pipeline. We are developing a junior version for younger kids. The one out currently is for all ages from 12+. I’m also looking at launching an edition for Northern Ireland soon, and entry into the UK market next year,” he revealed.

“But the really interesting thing is the feedback we are getting. People love it, and I value that information as much as the actual sales figures. It’s a concept that’s accessible to all, that anyone can identify with, whether they’re games players or not,” Greg says.

“In South Africa, where it was invented by Calie Esterhuyse, 30 Seconds is an absolute phenomenon. Family get-togethers often turn into 30 Seconds nights,” he explains.