StarPlayer Combines Gaming With Live Football
- Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
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Heineken has unveiled StarPlayer, a live ‘dual screen’ football game that lets fans watch UEFA Champions League (UCL) match on TV, whilst playing the game in real-time, on a computer, iPhone or iPod touch.
Heineken says that StarPlayer, devised and created by AKQA, is a first in social media multi-platform gaming, as it transforms TV watching into a social interactive experience for football fans. The game taps into the competitive banter of fans by creating a live, competitive, social TV game experience that can be played from home.
Fans watch the match on TV while playing StarPlayer in real-time on either a PC or iPhone. When a key event occurs in the live football match, the StarPlayer app triggers a ‘Match Moment’ in real time, in which players are asked to choose from different possible outcomes, such as whether the next free kick will end up in the back of the net, or whether there will be a goal in the next 30 seconds. Choosing the right outcome scores points. Players can compete and share scores with their friends via Facebook and other players around the world in the ‘Interactive Champions League’.
“StarPlayer will really change the way in which football fans interact with the UEFA Champions League, says Floris Cobelens, global head of digital at Heineken. “For Heineken to be able to bring the excitement and competition of these premium matches to the actual fingertips of the fans through the cutting edge ‘dual screen’ technology of StarPlayer really showcases our commitment to providing extraordinary innovative experiences to fans.”
StarPlayer is available to play on the Heineken Facebook page and to download from the Apple App Store for iPhone players in preparation for the final stages of the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League season.
Heineken is promting the launch of the game in the UK with an iAd campaign which delivers a cut down version of the StarPlayer game and allows consumers to get an engaging, playful gameplay experience, before going on to download the app and playing for real. The iAd campaign runs until 28 May.