CHALLENGE

As part of our Licensed Properties division, we wanted to leverage our interactive gaming expertise through multiple entertainment channels. As the flagship release, we partnered with Spin Master toys and challenged ourselves to fill the gap in the video game market between premium triple-A titles and casual gaming.

In partnership with Spin Master, a leader in the toy industry who we got to know through Air Hogs RC vehicles, we developed a unique massive multiplayer online racing game combining customizable cars, collectible trading cards, and an integrated gameplay community.

STRATEGY

Video gaming and peer-to-peer interaction are two favorite computer activities among 8 - 13 boys. Racing games – besides being one of Fuel’s most published genres – are a perennial favorite among the target demographic and present endless potential for trading card content. With the right mix of excitement ,humor, and interactivity, Swypeout is positioned to spread virally across schoolyards everywhere.

HOW IT WORKS

The Swypeout game package comes with an installation CD, a USB card scanner, and a set of initial digital trading cards. After installation, players log on to the Swypeout website to customize a battle racer in their virtual “garage” and swipe cards in the scanner to unlock weapons and upgrades. When ready, players can compete in real-time with peers in futuristic 3-D environments, navigating hairpin turns and fiery pitfalls.

CARDS & SCANNER

The major differentiator between Swypeout and other video games is that players can unlock digital game assets by scanning real-world trading cards. When swiped into their computer via the USB scanner, the cards unlock in-game car upgrades, style and performance modifications, and a host of quirky offensive and defensive weapons onto their user profiles.

Each card has a unique bar code encryption that tags the cards’ content to an individual user profile, ensuring that the owner of the physical card is the sole proprietor of that card’s content. When player B swipes the card she traded for into her scanner, that cards' content is instantly removed from player A’s account and put into player B’s.

Before each race begins, players are permitted to scan up to five cards to ‘weaponize’ their battle racers in the hopes of gaining an advantage over opponents during that race – introducing elements of strategy and unpredictability. A well-timed Flash-Mine, Tsetse Bug Swarm, or Invisibility Cloak could throw opponents off balance enough to edge out a victory.

As players compete in races, they earn credits redeemable toward exclusive upgrades not available in stores. The initial trading card set includes 77 unique assets. New tracks, cars, and card sets are scheduled for introduction on an on-going basis.

SOCIAL COMMUNITY

Swypeout was designed to foster a safe social environment for children to play. Community-building features include kid-safe closed-text chat, friend lists, a lobby area, progress-tracking statistics, tournaments, events, leader boards, and private races.