Get real! How augmented reality toys could make VR feel like a gimmick
Anki is the maker of Overdrive slot-less, slot-car racers that utilize AI driven cars and smartphone controls to add whole new levels to the classic living room racing experience. The toy has proved a winning combination over the past few years, earning it several awards at toy tradeshows.
“People have an emotional connection to a physical product they can hold in their hand” said Mark Palatucci, co-founder of Anki. “But video games can be a lot more fun. They’re adaptive, they scale the difficulty with the skill of the player. Overdrive takes the emotion and powerful connection with a physical product and combines it with the magic that makes video games so engaging.”
Silas Adekunle, founder of Reach Robotics – which makes real-life robots with augmented reality features – agrees. “People love to play with toys,” he said. “And that’s when they are happy to make big purchases, too. They’ll spend $100-$200 on a physical product, where they wouldn’t spend anything like that on a game.”
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