LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 1, 2021 / You’re single and ready to mingle. How do you meet a partner or make IRL friends in a world where online dating can be toxic and noses stay buried in phones – especially in a pandemic?
Pandemic lockdowns have shown us just how important in-person social interactions are. Studies show that 31% more US adults reported symptoms of psychological distress in the first 12 months of the pandemic, partly because of limited social interactions during this period. In the same period, the market for mental health apps has exploded in the scramble to address this problem.
But apps only solve part of the problem – humans need real interaction to be happy. In a rapidly digitizing world, what’s the best way to create and enjoy fun, physical social interactions without losing our digital edge?
This is the exact problem that Tyler Bushnell, CEO of Polycade addresses by reinventing one of the most widely loved in-person digital experiences in modern history – arcade gaming. As the son of Atari inventor (yes, that Atari!) Nolan Bushnell, Tyler grew up attending industry gaming events and tradeshows. He remembers his dad’s recounted stories of people who met their life partners playing Pong – and it was easy to see why the simple game was such an effective connector: the easy ice-breaker, 2-player requirement, situated in social spaces (e.g bars), etc. With Polycade, Tyler believes that this type of magic can be recreated in the post-pandemic world.
Rebirthing the in-person gaming experience
After programming computers from an early age, Tyler naturally gravitated towards working for an arcade gaming startup – an experience that gave him unique insight into the industry as both an insider and a prospective user.
As the gaming industry evolved, Tyler noticed that arcade technology seemed to lag behind. While gamers enjoyed sophisticated digital experiences on in-house consoles, arcade machines seemed stuck in the 1980s with little significant advancement and no adoption of modern technology like connectivity or analytics capabilities. Within such a booming location-based entertainment industry, this lack of digital evolution was surprising. Especially for units designed for revenue generation, the lack of analytics was a significant underdevelopment. Added to this was the opportunity loss in the resurgence of little-known mid-core games that were better-suited for social, arcade-style environments.
In a world where the value of IRL social interactions is increasingly evident, the need for an out-of-home, technically updated social interaction platform cannot be understated. Polycade was born to meet this need, with a much overdue tech update for the arcade industry.
Enter Polycade
Polycade is a software company that offers the perfect platform for out-of-home gaming environments. In a bid to get people off their phones and interacting in real life, Polycade provides a range of arcade games that drive social connections, while generating revenue for businesses. Its solutions are designed to help businesses maximize their profits within commercial spaces in a way that in-house consoles cannot replicate.
Polycade’s arcade machines are self-contained, with no visible wires. They are also easy to maintain, and most importantly, super durable – all factors that make them perfect for commercial use.
Polycade’s arcade machines run on their custom, freely downloadable software that turns any computer into a video gaming system. The machines can be purchased in Freeplay mode (for use in office social rooms, for example) or pay-to-play mode (for bars, for example).
Businesses, especially those in lockdown recovery mode also benefit from the increased customer linger time that Polycade’s arcades provide. Venue owners can generate passive revenue from the machines, sharing only 20% of revenue with Polycade and game developers in pay-to-play mode.
“We’re finding that Uber drivers are purchasing the machines and placing them in bars so that they can earn money while driving”, says Tyler.
And businesses don’t necessarily have to invest their own money in the units, to earn. Vending operators that purchase and maintain arcades (as well as ATMs, jukeboxes etc) can collaborate with venue owners in revenue-share arrangements.
“We’re working on a new method of distribution where the players themselves will own the machines they play on. This will leverage blockchain technology – we call it ‘play to own’.” says Tyler.
Funding the future of community building
Now, Polycade is raising funds to drive the future of community building through social gaming. With foundational systems running, Polycade wants to prove that its machines can generate a passive income of at least $10 per day or more. Its current round of fundraising will also drive the creation of original game content that leverages NFTs & collaborations.
In the future, Polycade wants to ease the process of building communities by making social connections more tangible. They want to create a real-life bridge to the metaverse, connecting real spaces with virtual spaces.
“In today’s world where everyone seems to be stuck on their phones, Polycade can help people spend more meaningful time together. We’ll also be adding events to help build communities. For example, through arcade speed dating sessions in collaboration with apps like Tinder or physical gaming tournaments”, says Tyler.
Polycade’s almost-finished funding round on SeedInvest proves that this is a vision shared by many. If you want an opportunity to join a pool of early adopters in one of the fastest-growing industries accelerated by the pandemic, join Polycade’s backers now while the opportunity is still open.
Media Contact
Alissa Bushnell
alissa.bushnell@104west.com
415-235-9532
SOURCE: Polycade
View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/675442/Meet-Polycade-the-Play-to-Own-Arcade-Thats-Making-Social-Interactions-Fun-Again
