Last year, BMW announced that it would bring video games to its cars. The automaker partnered with AirConsole to bring its gaming platform to the company’s Curved Display. The two are now launching a competition to develop games tailored to the in-car experience.
Game developers can visit the contest’s official website to submit their ideas in the form of a pitch deck. The contest is open through June 8, but the enrollment deadline is June 2. BMW Group and AirConsole are asking developers to create a compelling game experience in any genre, designed for in-car gaming, accessible to a casual audience, and creatively uses the smartphone as the game controller.
Once the contest closes, BMW and AirConsole will announce four winners on July 10. The four will receive €5,000 ($5,328 at today’s exchange rates) to develop a prototype due on October 9. AirConsole will fully fund promising prototypes that’ll be included on the AirConsole platform and inside BMW vehicles, which will be announced on November 6. The winners will also be invited to BMW Group’s headquarters in Munich.
Automakers are looking for ways to keep passengers entertained (and engaged with their products instead of their smartphones) in the EV era as customers spend time charging their vehicles. This has companies bringing streaming services, video games, and more to in-car screens. Tesla introduced Passenger Play a few years ago, which allowed passengers to play video games through the car’s infotainment system.
Switzerland-based AirConsole is the developer behind the gaming platform, which is designed to deliver casual games to TVs, the Chrome web browser, and other screens. The company boasts that it offers over 190 games in its library, an increase from last year.
Players will need a smartphone to play the games. Users can connect their phones to the display via a scannable QR code. BMW is also considering its rear-seat passengers and their entertainment options, revealing the Theatre Screen in early 2022, a massive 31.0-inch display with Amazon Fire TV.
