Startup Nex is looking to take on Nintendo’s Wii in the family-oriented motion gaming business, and besides launching its very own console, it’s also working to integrate its platform with hardware from Sony, Sky, Telly and Apple.
The lowdown comes from Lowpass reporter Janko Roettgers, who explains that the San Francisco-based Nex has created a motion-tracking camera system that’s able to track the movements of users in real-time to enable a new generation of interactive video games, TV shows, fitness apps and so on. Unlike the Nintendo Wii, Nex doesn’t require a motion controller to play its games.
Called the Nex Playground, the startup’s console contains a built-in motion tracking camera and will launch in December with a price tag of around $200. Nex explained that it can connect to any TV through a HDMI port, and comes with an ARM-based chip, WiFi and Bluetooth support. The console is powered by the Android operating system and is built by Chinese electronics giant Skyworth.
Nex said the Nex Playground will be focused mostly on motion video games, and the company will provide access to various titles through a subscription that’s set to cost around $89 per year. Its games will support up to four players, it added.
However, consumers won’t be required to pay for the Nex Playground box if the startup’s collaborations with partners bears fruit, for it’s also hoping to make motion-based games available through various TV application stores.
For instance, Nex is said to be partnering with Sony to integrate its gaming platform with the Japanese brand’s newest Google TVs that support the Bravia Cam. Because the camera is an essential component, it means Nex’s platform won’t work with older Sony TVs that don’t support it.
In addition, Nex is aiming to make its system compatible with Sky’s new Live camera to bring games to that service. It’s also working with Telly, the startup that offers consumers a free, ad-supported television with a second screen. Finally, Nex told Lowpass that it’s also exploring a potential collaboration with Apple, which recently announced the new Continuity Camera framework for Apple TV. The framework will make it possible to use an iPhone camera that’s paired with an Apple TV box for gaming and video call applications.
Nex will launch with a catalogue that includes a music rhythm game called Starri, a kart racing game called Miniacs, a basketball game called Pop-Shot, adventure game called Wiz World, a boxing rhythm game called MoFit, a 3D flying race game called Air Racer, and a collection of mini-games called Party Fowl.
Nex co-founder and Chief Executive told Lowpass he’s confident that motion gaming apps will be the next big hit in the TV world. "The next piece of major hardware to be added to the smart TV to enable new kinds of interactions will be a camera,” he said.
