Pokémon GO was only a glimpse of the future of gaming as far as ZappYou is concerned.
What should we expect more of? It’s going to be outdoors, played on mobile devices, and social. It’s going to be really exciting and a lot of fun.
“With games like Pokémon GO, aside from gym battles, the gameplay by and large is really an individual, solo effort,” said Fer Palasthy, ZappYou’s Co-Founder and COO. “ZappYou involves much more action and cooperative team play.”
ZappYou is an outdoor adventure game in which players take out their opponents using a virtual laser beam, or “Zapper.” While running around and trying to zap competition, players can leave augmented reality objects (“ZappBots”) in their opponents’ paths. Players can also level up, gaining better weapons and defenses, as well as collect other items and earn achievement badges.
ZappYou resembles popular shooter games such as Call of Duty, only it’s played outside of the house and is purposefully designed to keep gamers’ heart rates up.
Co-Founder and CTO Robert Meijer added, “Our goal was to first and foremost create a game that was really fun, but that was also predicated upon walking, running, and generally getting the body moving. The idea is to expand the microcosm of most gaming experiences beyond the limitations of the screen by incorporating real world engagement into gameplay.”
If you’re unfamiliar with gaming or still on the outside of what the whole Pokémon GO phenomenon was all about, check out the video below for better understanding of how ZappYou is played.
ZappYou arrives as free-to-play, location-based augmented reality gaming is heating up and as cities are rethinking public spaces to encourage more active lifestyles – working with health organizations to create programs aimed at reducing obesity and promoting wellness. The startup has already teamed with the City of Amsterdam and Dutch national health organization GGD to run one such pilot program.
ZappYou’s beta run will open in December 2016 through the App Store and Google Play, and the first release is set to launch during the second quarter of 2017. The company has taken to Indiegogo to help bring their app to the public. Support their campaign here and join the virtual laser game community early, or learn more at zapp-you.com.
