Zürich, Switzerland – In today’s fast-paced world, cars are not just about getting from point A to B; they’re also about the journey in between. With the integration of technology and entertainment in modern vehicles, the road trip experience has taken on a whole new dimension. To bring this idea to life, AirConsole and BMW joined forces once again to launch an exciting game developer competition that promises to take in-car entertainment to the next level.
The BMW and AirConsole In-Car Game Developer Competition is an initiative designed to encourage game developers to create engaging gaming experiences for BMW vehicles. This competition provides developers with a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and present their very own interpretation of an innovative video game for cars.
The competition kicked off with the first round, where developers were invited to submit their game concepts. The initial submission included two different game ideas which had to be designed to work within the BMW in-car entertainment systems, offering a unique and enjoyable experience for passengers and drivers alike. After submission, a panel of judges from both AirConsole and BMW reviewed the proposals and selected the top four concepts. These chosen concepts went onto the next stage of the competition.
The first round winners were:
Amaibu Studio From Indonesia with the game “Fire Busters”, a team based fire fighting game where one player is controlling the fire truck and the rest are putting out the fires. The same team entered round 2 with not one but two game concepts. “Dragon Boat Race” is a team based rhythm game where players must guide the boat to the beat of a song. One player is controlling the boat by drumming and others are timing their rowing based on the beat.
Paranoia Games from Spain submitted “Big Mighty Wheels”, a multiplayer game where players are sharing the controls of a car in a cartoon-themed road trip.
And last but not least, “Road Trip Adventure” by Anthony Kojima Productions from France, is a quiz game that uses GPS to generate trivia questions about the car’s current location or destination.
The four selected concepts from the first stage received 5,000 euros each to create demos of their in-car games, tailored for the BMW platforms. Developers had the opportunity to refine their ideas and showcase their creativity while working closely with the game development teams from AirConsole. A jury consisting of representatives from both AirConsole and BMW will evaluate these prototypes and crown a winner. The jury will consider factors such as gameplay, user experience, and integration within the in-car entertainment systems. After careful evaluation, one of these concepts will be crowned the winner.
The most promising concept from round two will be offered a publishing deal to turn their prototype into a fully-fledged in-car game. This stage will allow the winning team to work in close collaboration with AirConsole and BMW, to ensure the seamless integration of their games into the vehicle’s entertainment systems. To celebrate their achievements and see their creations come to life, the winning team will be offered an exclusive trip to Munich to the BMW Headquarters.
During this visit, they will have the opportunity to witness their games in action within a BMW vehicle. This experience will not only showcase the developers’ talents but also provide them with valuable insights into the future of in-car entertainment.
In the following weeks we will announce the team which created the best concept. Stay tuned and hold onto your seats, because the wait is almost over!
