Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

The Game Changer: Digital Chocolate's Trip Hawkins The last time this entrepreneur matched up against an industry giant, things didn't end so well. But it wasn't game over.

By Jennifer Wang

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Trip Hawkins is running late for his interview at the headquarters of Digital Chocolate, the social and mobile game company he founded in San Mateo, Calif., but that's OK, because the delay gives me time to try and beat Hawkins at one of his own games: Tower Bloxx.

The goal in Tower Bloxx, one of DC's most popular downloads for the iPhone and Facebook, is simple but addicting: Stack as many building blocks as high as you can without toppling them (and see how you score against your friends). The catch is that both the blocks and the tower are swaying randomly across the screen. With persistence and some finger-to-eye coordination, I finally, successfully drop the 68th block. A cheesy photo of Hawkins boots up on the screen and a congratulatory message proclaims, "This guy might be in the Video Game Hall of Fame, but he's no match for you."

The Hall of Fame is just one milestone of Trip Hawkins' gaming legacy. Three years before Apple introduced the iPhone, he was pimping something he called "social apps." In a speech at a 2005 wireless industry event in San Francisco, he predicted that these apps would become a multibillion-dollar opportunity that would bring sweeping changes to the entire industry. But back then, with Facebook strictly a college phenomenon and Twitter still a year from inception, no one paid much attention.

This is a subscriber-only article.

For a limited time, join Entrepreneur+ and save 50% during our Black Friday sale. Use code SAVE50.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business Plans

She Wrote An 'Escape Plan' to Quit Her Job and Move to an Island. Now She's There Generating Nearly $300,000 A Year

"My detailed, step-by-step plan on how I would quit my job and move to a Caribbean island."

Living

The Secrets of a Former NFL Player's Journey to Entrepreneurship

Lance Moore shares his inspiring journey to success on the Jeff Fenster Show.

Starting a Business

This Salesman Was Unimpressed with a Local Pizzeria, So He Bought It — and Then Built A $20 Million Restaurant Business

Sometimes, your inner voice that says, "I can do it better" is right. Here are three pieces of advice from a restaurateur who wants you to find similar success.

Living

Save $230 on a Lifetime Subscription to This Documentary Streaming Service for Cyber Monday

Score Cyber Week savings on Curiosity Stream, just $169.97 for life through December 3.

Leadership

Are You This Type of Toxic Boss? Here's How to Know — and How to Be Better

Uncover the impact of this specific type of toxic boss on your team's success and learn to evolve into a superior leader.