Pocket Racing Brings Toy Cars Into the 21st Century

Pocket Racing brings toy cars into the 21st century

By Will Fulton April 19, 2016

With toy-integrated video game franchises like Skylanders or Nintendo’s Amiibo raking in enormous sums over the last few years, it was only a matter of time before someone developed a game to integrate one of the 20th century’s most iconic playthings: the toy car. According to a recent U.K. survey, nearly a quarter of adults admit to still playing with toy cars, even when their kids aren’t around. Pocket Racing, which just launched its Kickstarter campaign, aims to bring this beloved toy into the 21st century with a tablet game that integrates directly with synced-up, actuated toy cars.

Players place their special toy car onto their tablet, where the road furls out from under it as if it were racing in the game. Three built-in pistons and lights in the car respond to the game in real time as you play — the car shakes when knocking into other vehicles on the road, or might even blow its top off in a crash. Light sensors on the bottom of the car help track its location on the tablet in real time, and the wheels have been designed with just enough grip to keep their position even at an angle, while not leaving any unsightly smudges on the screen. Multiple shells will be available so players can customize their cars.

The accompanying game will be available for both iOS and Android. It features both online and local multiplayer, and a progression system through which players can earn experience used to unlock new in-game abilities for their cars. The game and accompanying cars are being developed by Ptah Tech (so-named for the Egyptian god of craftsmen), in Shenzhen, China. A pledge of $39 for the Kickstarter will net you one basic car and a basic shell. They are expected to ship this coming July.

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