A Father's Day Reflection
Nex is a journey shared with my daughters
I’m a big fan of Hunter x Hunter, one of the all-time anime greats.
There’s an arc in it that has always stayed with me. It’s called Greed Island—a magical game console that teleports players to an island where they play “the game.” It was a world created by Ging Freecss, a father, for his son Gon. Every creature, every challenge, every rule, every reward—each was intentionally crafted to help Gon grow stronger, wiser, and kinder.
It wasn’t just a test of skill. It was a message of love, disguised as an adventure.
That idea has stuck with me ever since. And now, as a father of two daughters—and someone who’s spent years building a new kind of game system—I find myself coming back to it often.
In many ways, Nex Playground is my Greed Island.
Unlike in Hunter x Hunter, where each Greed Island console was auctioned for millions and only a select few could play, we built Nex Playground to be widely accessible—for families everywhere.
And while Ging built his world for Gon, Nex’s games and experiences were built with my daughters.
They lived this journey with me.
This is my older daughter, testing an early version of HomeCourt with me back in 2018.
And this is my younger one, playing SuperHits (the predecessor to Starri) with me on two iPads in 2022. She was five. Starri now supports 2-player—and it runs on Nex Playground, with a much better experience.
These moments—and many more like them—culminated in what became Nex Playground.
Over time, we designed experiences that help kids build confidence, coordination, and connection. Where Ging used riddles and risk, we use rhythm and motion.
But the goal is the same: to prepare the next generation for a world that demands focus, resilience, teamwork—and joy.
I didn’t set out to write a love letter to my children. We wrote it together. And that’s what it became.
Nex Playground is the most personal product I’ve ever helped create. Every motion mechanic, every UI decision, every IP we bring on—it all comes back to a single question: Would this create meaningful active experiences that bring families closer together?
Maybe that’s what makes Nex different. It’s not just about entertaining kids in the moment. It’s about what comes after. We’re designing challenges that help prepare them for the real world.
Very, very few people in the world can say they’ve created a Greed Island.
The creators at Nex and I are among them. It’s an expression of our love to the next generations. And we’re proud.
To all the fathers shaping the world for the better—Happy Father’s Day.
P.S. This made my day—and keeps me going.
