At CES 2015 this morning, tech veterans and industry leaders are giddily running around with sensors and handheld devices, engaged in a live-action, first-person shooter. And all thanks to a Chicago startup.
LyteShot, the sensor-based mobile gaming platform that blends modern day technology with old fashioned outdoor play, is demoing its first game, Assassin, at the world's premier consumer electronics conference. As an official Honoree of the prestigious CES 2015 Innovation Design Award, LyteShot is showcasing the product and platform that earned them this recognition.
“It’s time that mobile games become truly mobile by getting players away from TV and computer screens and instead interacting with the real world,” said co-founder and CEO Mark Ladd. Added CTO and co-founder Tom Ketola, “LyteShot is exactly what I always envisioned mobile gaming should be, and with the advancements in technology we are now able to bring true augmented reality to players unlike any system before it."
Part game maker, part hardware manufacturer, and part software engineer, LyteShot is creating every component required with live action gaming, a brand new market segment. The startup's integrated platform consists of the LyteShot mobile app system, the Lyter handheld device, and the LytePuck sensor, which leverages an array of sensors to deliver an endless supply of games, including role-playing games, first-person shooters, scavenger hunts, and adventures with complex story-lines.
Coinciding with the CES nomination and demos, LyteShot has also announced the launch of their Kickstarter campaign as the company looks to raise awareness and reward early adopters. With a goal of $168,534, the crowdfunding initiative offers a variety of reward tiers - such as a private helicopter ride that will drop the supporter in the middle of a LyteShot game - and ends on February, 13th.
The company also hopes to attract the attention of gaming developers worldwide with their CES presence and Kickstarter campaign. Though LyteShot is creating their own games, like Assassin, they're excited about developers building new games that will leverage its hardware and platform.
Explained Ladd, "The LyteShot platform has been created with the developer in mind, by game developers. It gives developers an open-source SDK to create entirely new augmented reality games, and gives makers the chance to create unique 3D printed peripherals."
But the main goal of the CES demos and the campaign is to simply get gamers excited.
Summarized Ladd, "At its core, the platform is designed to get gamers outside, playing with their friends, bringing completely new gameplay experiences that enhance imagination."
