| This is an article about the fictitious version of Apple Inc. You may be looking for the contestant named Apple. |
| “ |
Welcome to Meeple, where the future is so yesterday! |
” |
| —Steve Cobs in Theft and Battery | ||
Meeple Inc. is a technology company that serves as the main antagonistic faction of the Inanimate Insanity franchise. It is created and managed by Steve Cobs. The company is based in the Meeple Headquarters, located in the sky at MeCloud.
Summary[]
Company Profile[]
Meeple Inc. creates electronics such as computers, phones, and tablets, each which involve the word "Me" or "Meeple". As a technologically advanced company, Meeple is extremely innovative and continues to update their products constantly.
Along with electronics created for the public, Meeple has designed sentient electronic products. Most notable of the sentient products is the "MePhone" product line (based on the real-life iPhone product line). MePhone's are usually programmed depending on "what job needs to be done" at the time. The newer MePhone's also grow noticeably less intelligent the newer they are, as well as much more technologically advanced. However, some MePhone's are somewhat intelligent on a technical level.[1]
Aside from MePhones, a tablet computer product line exists, known as "MePad". However, only one installation of the products (based on an iPad Mini) is known. Additionally, sentient computers, such as Mecintosh and MeBook exist.
It is hinted that Meeple has been in decline. In "The Reality of the Situation", Cobs laments the declining sales for their new products. In "Through No Choice of Your Own", Cobs is excited for, and advertises, a potential "comeback for the company".
Dark Past[]
However, the company is known for having a dark past, being involved in interplanetary colonialism and resource exploitation of the Egg Planet, as the resources and energy of the planet are fundamental to the creation of its products, and the scientific ambitions of the company's CEO, Steve Cobs.
History[]
Most of Meeple's early history is unknown. Steve Cobs created his first computer in a garage which can be assumed what brought his company to a success.
"The Crappy Cliff"[]
The earliest known MePhone at the time, MePhone4, began a show called Inanimate Insanity. This is the first instance where Meeple is introduced, although not directly referred to.
"Sugar Rush"[]
MePhone4S makes his debut in an attempt to terminate the previous installation, MePhone4. This is the first time Meeple is referred to by name, as MePhone4S mentions he was announced in "Meeple News".
"Journey Through Memory Lane (Part 1)"[]
After MePhone4S failed to terminate MePhone4, MePhone5 debuted but also failed to destroy the previous installations in the following episode, "Journey Through Memory Lane (Part 2)".
"Let 'Er R.I.P."[]
Following the second season of Inanimate Insanity, two new MePhones, MePhone5S and MePhone5C, arrive to terminate MePhone4 for being "outdated". However, they are easily tricked and killed by Test Tube and Fan.
"Theft and Battery"[]
Several aspects of Meeple are introduced in this episode. Along with introducing Meeple Headquarters, the founder, Steve Cobs, makes his debut. He reveals, although, with questionable validity, that MePhone4 is merely a "business partner" and uses product placement. Additionally, MePhone6 and MePhone6+ are showcased as the security guards of the headquarters, although they fail to halt the contestants.
"Alternate Reality Show"[]
In this episode, while Test Tube and Lightbulb are in an alternate reality, a Meeple product called MePhone7 Appeared. They generated a fashion show stage for Salt and Pepper. Later on in the episode, MePhone7 is obliterated by a laser beam and replaced with MePhone7+.
"Mine Your Own Business"[]
This episode used glimpses of MePhone4's memory to reveal the story behind his time at Meeple Inc. It is here when we learn the origins of both MePad and Adam, revealing that Adam was actually a robot designed by Cobs the whole time. This reveal caused MePhone4 to distrust and fire Toilet, believing that he is working for Meeple.
"Hatching the Plan"[]
When Test Tube handed Fan his MePhone, The Prime Shimmer and other Light Shimmers notice the Meeple logo, resulting them having shocked and traumatized expressions. The Prime Shimmer then gives a backstory that reveals that Meeple had a dark past. It had sent out multiple MePhones to the Egg Planet to learn from the Light Shimmers, but as they learned more about them, they got smarter and smarter, which resulted in them colonizing and attacking the Egg Planet and taking it, and its natural resources away from the Light Shimmers, managing to steal two of their eggs.
"The Reality of the Situation"[]
While he was introduced in the previous episode, MePhoneX makes his proper debut as a killing machine. We also are introduced to other aspects of Meeple as Knife and Suitcase enter the Cloud to confront Steve Cobs, such as their theme song, how their presentations work, sentient MeTags, and the introduction of Me, the device that powers MeLife.
"Through No Choice of Your Own"[]
It is revealed that Cobs wanted to use his makeshift Inanimate Insanity 2 finale to introduce a new line of Meeple products (complete with their own spinoff shows). The episode also introduces two companions to A.D.A.M., known as B.R.I.A.N. and J.U.S.T.I.N., who help him convince Toilet to enter a training simulator (which actually powered MePhoneX), located in a flying sailboat. At the end of the episode, Me is unplugged, which wipes out most of the characters and objects created by it.
"Objects in Mirror"[]
To be added
Products[]
Electronics[]
The following products are created by Meeple Inc.:
MePhones[]
Computers and Tablets[]
Other Products[]
- Meeple Watch
- Minor Meeple Products
- MeTag
- Wire (Model PH3N0M53 VK0cH)
Along with these products, various inanimate MePhones and Meeple computers exist, commonly used by Meeple customers.
Applications[]
Meeple Products are also installed with various applications, which can give them several different abilities.
The following applications are created by Meeple Inc.:
- MeLife
- MeTunes
- Meeple Maps
- MeTrumpet
- Siri
A MePhone-to-TV software also exists, that allows the screen of a MePhone to appear on a TV with the push of a button.
Missing characters/products[]
- The characters "MePhone6S", "MePhone6S+", and "MePhoneSE" do not exist, despite the three MePhone models being released between the timeframe of the MePhone6 and MePhone7.
- The successor series to the MePhone7 product line, the MePhone8 and MePhone8+ does not exist.
- The successor to the MePhoneX product line, the MePhoneXS, MePhoneXS (XS Max), MePhoneXR, MePhone11, etc. does not exist.
- The rest of the MePad tablet computer product line does not appear in the series, aside from one model.
- A "MePhone5+" has been mentioned on the quiz site of the Inanimate Insanity II ARG, however, it has not appeared in its physical form, and most likely won't, as an "iPhone 5 Plus" was never released.
Trivia[]
- Meeple, of course, is a parody of the tech company, Apple.
- Meeple products are the parody version of the real Apple products.
- The main theme and ident music for the company is a low-middle note piano tone. It was first heard in the episode "Theft and Battery", as background music. The tone is a parody of the start-up sound used on macOS and Mac Products and Lineups.
- Its creator, Steve Cobs, is also a parody of the real-life inventor, Steve Jobs, but the "Jobs" is changed to "Cobs" due to the object looks and is a corn.
- The back of a MePhone has the Meeple logo and the word "MePhone", underneath which it reads, at least on 4S, "Designed by Meeple on Inanimate Planet Assembled in New York Model AK418 JDJ 6969 FCC ID: INA-NIMATE IC: INSA-NITY00", due to most of the cast living in New York, and AK418 could stand for Adam Katz April 18th (his birthday)
- The last part INA-NIMATE IC: INSA-NITY00 is of course a reference to Inanimate Insanity.
- Meeple is also used as a parody of Skynet from the Terminator franchise, at least for that of the MePhone4S series.
- Meeple's name may have first been spoken in 4Seeing The Future, but it was first revealed as the company that creates MePhones in Sugar Rush, as seen on the back of MePhone4S when he was getting his car to ram into Cheesy.
- Meeple's motivations for terminating outdated MePhone hosts are elaborated upon in Journey Through Memory Lane Part 1. MePhone5 describes how they can't let the public see a MePhone4S or MePhone4 in the show, i.e. Meeple wants them to be completely obsolete.
- The same thing has happened in Let 'Er R.I.P. with MePhone5S and MePhone5C.
- There have currently been a total of 14 named Meeple products: MePhone1, MePhone3G, MePhone3GS, MePhone4, MePhone4S, MePhone5, MePad, MePhone5S, MePhone5C, MePhone6, Mecintosh, MeBook, MePhone6+ MePhoneX, and Meeple Watch.
- MePhone4, MePhone4S, Fan, Bow, Steve Cobs, A.D.A.M., and Soap were all seen using regular-sized, inanimate version of MePhones.
- It is possible the company isn't in the best state, as Steve Cobs says it could have a comeback for the company when Knife and Suitcase are about to fight in Through No Choice of Your Own.
- In The Reality of the Situation, Cobs tells Knife and Suitcase that the demand for Meeple's products has dwindled over the years. Cobs says this as he looks at his Meeple Watch.
- Following Steve Cobs' death in Objects in Mirror, the current status of Meeple Inc. remains unknown, though it is possible that Meeple Inc. could be filed a lawsuit and shut down for crimes against objects or have new management.