Great ideas, innovations, and products can be improved by adding something from somewhere else. We live in a time where ideas can be communicated and disseminated more easily than has ever been possible. This has led to a culture of collaborative effort, through which hybrid innovations have emerged.
The Power of Two Can Be Better
Some of the best examples of this move towards combining different ideas to create new products come from the gaming industry. Slingo bingo, such as Wolf Storm and Cosmic Clusters, are the result of a merger between two classic casino games: slots and bingo. Let’s take a closer look at Slingo Wolf Storm at Paddy Power. The game’s foundation is based on bingo, which means you’re aiming to fill a line/lines on a numbered board.
The slot element comes from the fact you place a bet and receive three spins. Each spin reveals a random selection of numbers. Any that matches those on your game card gets marked with a star. Complete at least three lines and you win a prize. Finally, you get the option to buy more spins after your initial six if you want to play for more prizes. Throw some bonus features into the mix and you’ve got a hybrid game that’s, arguably, more entertaining than slots and bingo in isolation.
Another example of something that’s taken two existing ideas and combined them to make something better is the hybrid car. Although we may eventually move away from combustion engines completely, we’re not quite there yet. In the interim, hybrid cars are the best option for those who want economy, efficiency, and something that’s more environmentally friendly than combustion engines.
Hybrid Technology is Driving Innovation
As explained by the US Department of Energy, hybrid vehicles are “powered by an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.” The energy generated while the car is in motion gets stored in batteries and used as power. The electric motors only work up to a certain speed before the combustion engine kicks in. However, because these cars are self-charging, they’re not taking power from the grid. Add to this the fact they use less fuel than a traditional car, and you’ve got a better product than the original.
OK, so there’s a trend for combining technology, why does it matter? Well, as we’ve demonstrated, hybrid technology can take two products and make them better. However, perhaps more importantly, this trend can lead to innovations. The obvious example out there right now is mixed reality.
Overlaying virtual reality elements onto the physical world has the power to change how we experience almost every aspect of life. From meetings and videos to games and social pursuits, mixing realities makes more things possible. That’s the power of combinations. Very few things in life are truly unique and the greatest innovators know this, which is why we should rejoice in the fact we’re living in hybrid times.
