World First Gamification Integration of Mobile Gaming and Wearable Technology with Timi Run Everyday and the Razer Nabu. Other major development studios also come onboard.
GDC / Respawn, Cologne – Razer, a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers, today announced that Tencent, one of the world’s largest gaming companies will be integrating their mobile games with the Nabu, the world’s first truly social smartband with smartwatch and fitness band capabilities.
The integration between the Nabu and Timi Run Everyday is a world’s first for a mobile game and a wearable. It allows Timi Run Everyday players to utilize their Nabus to convert their number of steps walked, calories burnt, and hours slept logged by the device into in-game rewards like gold or items. This is a revolution in mobile gaming and wearable technology that marries real life interactions with in-game rewards.
Timi Run Everyday is a side-scrolling platformer that sees players leap and dodge obstacles and enemies. Timi Run Everyday players can share scores and compete against a leaderboard of friends, thanks to its integration with WeChat, a leading mobile social communications platform in China. Timi Run Everyday was the best-selling 2013 winner of “Ten Most Popular Mobile Phone Games” in China, with more than 60 million daily users as unveiled by Tencent’s first quarter 2014 results.
“We are incredibly excited to have Tencent come onboard as a partner to enhance their massively popular mobile apps and games with the Nabu.” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “Collaborating with them for our new wearable has been nothing short of revolutionary. The integration of Timi Run Everyday to the Nabu is also proof of the immense potential for delight, innovation and excitement for the end-user, when a developer gets to work with the Nabu open SDK. We are putting the future of wearables in the hands of developers – and we can’t wait to see the outcome.”
Dan Brody, Vice President Tencent Games Business: “Timi Run Everyday and Nabu will encourage more of our fans to keep fit in their daily lives, and be rewarded for it in their favorite game. The Tencent and Razer collaboration will certainly bring more exciting experiences as we explore more interesting and meaningful methods to integrate mobile games with Nabu.”
Fans of Timi Run Everyday and Nabu will be able to purchase a limited co-branded edition Nabu at launch, as well as earn exclusive in-game rewards with each purchase. For more information on the Timi Run Everyday-Nabu collaboration, please watch this video: http://youtu.be/g4DvnqfpPeQ
The announcement with Timi Run Everyday follows the recent announcement of the integration of WeChat, China’s leading mobile social communications platform with over 400 million users, with the Razer Nabu.
Alongside Tencent, major game developers and publishers including Wargaming, Techland, Shortbreak Studios, and Halfbrick are all looking into the Nabu and its open SDK for future game and app integration opportunities.
Razer is also committed to opening a specific Developer Program for developers in Europe, to allocate a number of highly in-demand Nabu Developer units exclusively to the region. All developers have to do is sign up and qualify via the Developer Portal http://developer.razerzone.com/nabu to purchase a Nabu Developer Edition.
Further, 500 attendees at the Respawn 2014 developer event will be entitled to purchase the Razer Nabu at just 1US$ to commemorate the first time the Razer Nabu is unveiled to the European developers.
The Razer Nabu smartband is built on an open Software Development Kit (SDK), designed to be simple to use by any developer, from triple-A studios, indie devs, to passionate individuals. It takes away the technical challenge, so developers can fully focus on creating exciting and innovative integrations between the Nabu and their mobile apps.
The Nabu open SDK is completely free to download for Developers via the Nabu Developer Portal at http://developer.razerzone.com/nabu
For more information on the Nabu Developer Program, please watch this video: http://youtu.be/oIpUXmxviUE
About the Razer Nabu:
The Razer Nabu is an innovative wearable technology that delivers notifications from a smartphone right to one’s wrist and logs activity data. More impressively, it is also an open platform that third-party applications can exploit to create novel experiences for users.
Availability: Retail – Q4 2014
Product features:
- Compatible with: iOS devices – iPhone 5, 5S, 5C; Android 4.3-and-up devices
- Lithium-polymer battery with 5 – 7 days battery life
- IP54 water resistant
- Available sizes:
- Large: 81.04 mm (l) x 63.44 mm (h) x 13.60 mm (w)
- Medium (coming soon): 75.26 mm (l) x 59.10 mm (h) x 13.60 mm (w)
Displays and sensors:
- Private message screen: 128×32 pixels
- Accelerometer
- Cylindrical vibration motor
Software:
- Nabu Utility app for notifications, data, and other settings
- Pairing via Bluetooth® Low Energy
For more information on the Razer Nabu, please visit www.razerzone.com/nabu
For more information on the Razer Nabu Developer Program, please visit http://developer.razerzone.com/nabu
About Razer:
Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers.
Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for four years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is estimated to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide.
Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices.
Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek. For more information visit http://www.razerzone.com/about-razer