The newly launched Treasure Game$ (TG$) is changing lives by sending thousands on treasure hunts for the legendary Wish Lamp, worth $1 million in cash or three wishes valued at $1.2 million.
Dirk Gibson, the creator of Treasure Game$, aims to create an uplifting global platform that entertains and builds community. TG$ offers subscribers daily clues and content uploads, allowing them to participate in skill-based treasure hunts. New “Wish Lamps” regions have been activated nationwide, inviting players as young as 13 to join from anywhere.
Innovation & Tech Today spoke with Dirk Gibson about his inspirations behind the new project, tech’s role in driving real-life treasure-hunting experiences, and more!
Innovation & Tech Today: What inspired you to create a real-life treasure-hunting game like this?
Dirk Gibson: I am driven to build a better way to spread wealth other than the national lottery, and I want to make the world better for all inhabitants. This platform will give me the leverage to do that. We need something positive, uniting, and fun.
I&T Today: How did your background in television production influence the development of Treasure Game$?
Gibson: I was thinking of an idea for a show for Netflix when I came up with Wish Lamps- fun, adventure, action, high stakes, emotional outcomes, etc. I also created the entire Watch section because of my background in entertainment.
Our Treasure Hunters are filming their real adventures and uploading to our platform, which creates a new type of entertainment. My producing experience has helped with all aspects of building TG$.
I&T Today: Could you walk us through the concept of the Wish Lamps and how players engage with them in the game?
Gibson: Treasure Hunters engage with our platform on any connected device. They usually use their laptop or PC to solve the daily clues and do research and then use their phones to go out into the real world and find the treasure.
The treasure hunters look for a Wish Lamp hidden in a designated region. They get daily clues and can buy hints and advantage clues.
The person or people that find the lamp must film themselves doing so and provide that to us. The winner gets to choose a cash prize of three Real wishes. The 3rd wish has to be for someone else. The first winners got to choose between $1M cash or three wishes worth $1.2M. They chose their wishes.
Every game will have different rules, objectives, and gameplay elements. Wish Lamps is just the first game. But the format of using the platform to play will be similar.
I&T Today: You mentioned wanting to build a platform that spreads wealth to everyday people in a more equitable way than traditional methods like the lottery. Can you explain how Treasure Game$ achieves this goal?
Gibson: In our model, instead of 1 person winning $1 billion, we will have 1,000 people winning $1 million each.
This is not gambling or chance. This is a game of skill where effort can improve your odds of winning. We will have many games going at the same time as we scale so that thousands of people will be winning all the time. Our games will be going 24/7 all year long, and we will expand to other countries, thus spreading even more wealth.
More ways to win more often. Better odds of winning. And more prizes for more people.
Lastly, the lottery is 100% user-funded. We will be mainly sponsor and advertiser-funded as we grow, which will pay for all the treasures that people will win.
I&T Today: What role does technology play in driving the real-life treasure-hunting experiences offered by Treasure Game$?
Gibson: The entire platform lives on innovative technology that drives the games and allows the players to enjoy each other’s content. These are tech-driven live-action games. The tech drives and guides the players to find real treasure items in the real world.
We have patents filed for our platform elements, including the clue management system and the marketing system it provides. Every tech element of the game engagement from region selection to solving clues to using the advantage clues, to dashboards and score counts was custom-built.
We will be incorporating AI elements as we evolve.
I&T Today: As the game expands, what are your hopes for the future of Treasure Game$?
Gibson: All regions activated all the time with multiple games going 24/7 and then expanding to have more regions too. Then scale globally. Bring the games to everyone. Be a beacon of hope and a uniting force for humanity. Players will be winning life-changing money all the time and having fun doing it.
I&T Today: Lastly, what advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs looking to bring their innovative ideas to life, particularly in the entertainment and gaming realm?
Gibson: There are different types of entrepreneurs. Most are best fit to run a business that already has been innovated. Some can create innovations in niche markets. And very few will have what it takes to create a category-defining mass engagement company and see it through because it is hard to do on every level. So, first, know what kind of entrepreneur you are. Not everyone will be a visionary leader and create new genres, and that’s ok. Those people are born that way.
Second, lots of people have ideas- very few follow through. Be very aware of the work it takes to be a real entrepreneur. We work all the time, and it is hard work. And it can take years before you are successful or see any returns.
Lastly, for true entrepreneurs, it is all worth it because you are building your dream or vision, pursuing freedom and independence, and creating jobs. You are adding to the economy, and you may be doing something with a higher purpose that makes the world better as well. So, for me, it is worth it to build, create, and turn ideas into reality. Entrepreneurs are what drive the functioning and evolution of our world. Therefore, it is something to be proud of. But it is hard work and never stops. I could not stop if I wanted to and that is usually how you know the true visionary entrepreneurs. They are not workaholics- they are compelled to keep building new ideas into reality.
