Apr
28

Heineken - Star Player This is AKQA work so it shouldn’t really count, but it’s such a leap forward for mobile / interactive gaming that it deserves to be mentioned. For those who aren’t familiar, Star Player allows you to play an interactive live quiz whilst watching a champions league match of your choice. Using a live-stat company called LiveHive, the game is able to react on-the-fly to key areas of the game as they happen (for example, when there is a corner, the user must choose whether they think it will be saved, cleared, scored or missed etc). Other key areas include free-kicks, penalties and goals happening in the next 30 seconds. At random intervals players are also asked wider-based questions relating to europe, Heineken, and the two teams involved. The idea is to score as many points as possible, playing against your mates in your own league, and indeed the rest of the world. There’s a lot in this iPhone / web app that can be used as inspiration for other projects: Badges: Badges on things are generally shit, but when everything happens in a 90 period you collect them rapidly, and in this situation they really work. Live stats: It integrates perfectly with LiveHive’s back-end, and mere moments after a player has made a decision, they are able to see how they fared against the rest of the world. Level of interactivity: It’s not hugely interactive, and I mean this as a plus point. In the context of this game, your primary focus should be on the football so you can enjoy the spectacle. The game alerts you with a referee’s whistle when it wants your attention, and it is not often enough that you feel the experience of the football is being reduced - You’re really only asked to play at points where you’d be debating with your mates at the bar anyway. Points:Key decisions and time-based challenges, coupled with other differentiators such as double-points power ups allow for a nice spread of scoring to occur over a 90 minute period - just a difference of opinion, or a slight delay in answering can set your scores thousands of points apart from your fellow players. Social Integration:For those pairing the game with their Facebook account, you can share a match-report (rather than a generic promotional link), which lets your friends know how many points and badges your earned while watching the game, along with your league ranking as a result. Design & Build quality:A lot of time and effort went into the creation of this, and it shows. The animations, sounds and visuals are vibrant and slick - they certainly match the technical achievement, which was no small task. 

Heineken - Star Player

This is AKQA work so it shouldn’t really count, but it’s such a leap forward for mobile / interactive gaming that it deserves to be mentioned. For those who aren’t familiar, Star Player allows you to play an interactive live quiz whilst watching a champions league match of your choice. Using a live-stat company called LiveHive, the game is able to react on-the-fly to key areas of the game as they happen (for example, when there is a corner, the user must choose whether they think it will be saved, cleared, scored or missed etc).

Other key areas include free-kicks, penalties and goals happening in the next 30 seconds. At random intervals players are also asked wider-based questions relating to europe, Heineken, and the two teams involved. The idea is to score as many points as possible, playing against your mates in your own league, and indeed the rest of the world.

There’s a lot in this iPhone / web app that can be used as inspiration for other projects:

  • Badges: 
    Badges on things are generally shit, but when everything happens in a 90 period you collect them rapidly, and in this situation they really work.
  • Live stats: 
    It integrates perfectly with LiveHive’s back-end, and mere moments after a player has made a decision, they are able to see how they fared against the rest of the world.
  • Level of interactivity:
    It’s not hugely interactive, and I mean this as a plus point. In the context of this game, your primary focus should be on the football so you can enjoy the spectacle. The game alerts you with a referee’s whistle when it wants your attention, and it is not often enough that you feel the experience of the football is being reduced - You’re really only asked to play at points where you’d be debating with your mates at the bar anyway.
  • Points:
    Key decisions and time-based challenges, coupled with other differentiators such as double-points power ups allow for a nice spread of scoring to occur over a 90 minute period - just a difference of opinion, or a slight delay in answering can set your scores thousands of points apart from your fellow players.
  • Social Integration:
    For those pairing the game with their Facebook account, you can share a match-report (rather than a generic promotional link), which lets your friends know how many points and badges your earned while watching the game, along with your league ranking as a result.
  • Design & Build quality:
    A lot of time and effort went into the creation of this, and it shows. The animations, sounds and visuals are vibrant and slick - they certainly match the technical achievement, which was no small task.