The latest addition to its roster of Active Gaming experiences, Playfinity’s Gaming Soccerball will cost $129 and offers a groundbreaking fusion of physical and digital play, blending the excitement of gaming with real-world soccer
Oslo, Norway – (November 1, 2023) – Playfinity (www.playfinity.com), the Nordic sports-tech company committed to keeping kids active and engaged in sports through its range of tech-augmented sporting equipment, unveils its new Gaming Soccerball. With the addition of groundbreaking sensor technology and a corresponding gamified app, Playfinity has technologized the traditional soccer ball with the aim of making play, activity, and sports more enjoyable for youth by providing an immersive and engaging experience.
A study by the National Alliance of Youth Sports shows that 70% of children stop playing sports by age 13. Reasons for the declining interest include a lack of enjoyment and the often over-serious nature of competitive sports. Getting kids outside and active is really important; however, children are increasingly growing up in a tech-focused and sedentary world. To tackle this issue and appeal to the world’s most digital generation, Playfinity’s Gaming Soccerball blends screen-time with sports in a fun and engaging way.
The Gaming Soccerball detects and measures activity while transmitting the data via Bluetooth to Playfinity FC, a companion mobile app allowing users to build their team and play matches with and against other real players. Playfinity FC offers a variety of physical games based on skills and drills, developed with the expertise of coaches and professionals in the field. The leaderboards, customizable avatars, and news feeds are aimed at capturing children’s focus while encouraging their participation in physical activities. The Gaming Soccerball tracks metrics such as the number of kicks, distance, speed, airtime, height, and bounces around which the interactive physical soccer ball games have been designed. Playfinity’s range of gamified sporting equipment also includes SmartBall, JumpGames and the Gaming Baseball, which currently has thousands of players across 21 countries. The magic of Playfinity is that kids play more, play longer, and can play with others across the world. This enables kids to be connected via a love of sport, irrespective of location.
Games include:
● Kick-up – which challenges players to complete 20 consecutive kick-ups with three lives.
● Kick-About – where players kick the ball as many times as possible in order to gain ‘virtual energy’ for the game.
● Kick-Up Master – where kids complete as many kick ups as possible in a short window of time.
● Endless Kicker – where players kick the ball as many times as possible to get to the next level.
Conceived by a team of five fathers who recognized the importance of keeping children physically active and engaged in sports, all of Playfinity’s products emphasize durability and longevity. With backgrounds in IoT and Bluetooth, software and toy development, and industrial and creative design, Playfinity’s founders realized that, together, they had the skills and abilities necessary to facilitate tackling the issue of keeping kids active in sports. Their solution was to blend sport with digital gamified experiences, incorporating level progression and rewards to keep kids interested, ultimately improving their skills and fitness while still having fun.
Gaming Soccerball Features:
● Regulation size 4 soccer ball features a smart skin with a flexible form and integrated impact-resistant technology.
● Prioritizes privacy and security, ensuring a safe and engaging experience for children
● Powered by AI machine learning and gaming mechanics, and equipped with cutting-edge sensor technology, optimizing the entire gaming experience
● Fitted with a 110mAh Lithium-ion wireless charging battery, permitting up to 70 hours of play per charge
● Water-resistant and dustproof product
● Gaming progress is tracked and fed back through the app as measurable data.
● Agnostic: enjoy multiple players and profiles with one ball
Pippa Boothman, CEO at Playfinity comments: “Our aim has been and always will be to keep kids active whilst having fun. Our Gaming Soccerball is both a game-changer and a solution to an ongoing problem. Our team’s passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of kids have led to this creation. The success we have achieved is a reflection of our hard work and our shared vision. At Playfinity, we have poured our heart and soul into creating products that inspire kids to keep moving.”
ABOUT PLAYFINITY: Playfinity was founded in 2016 in Oslo, Norway by five fathers who recognized the urgency in keeping children active and engaged with outdoor sports. Playfinity currently has thousands of players across 21 countries, with a lineup of tech-enabled sporting equipment that aim to create a more active future for kids. Through combining digital gaming and active play, Playfinity keeps children engaged by ensuring that core skill training is fun and rewarding.