Google says it’s partnering with the NBA to launch Pixel Arena, a virtual arena for the 2022 NBA Playoffs on the NBA mobile app. In its announcement, Daryl Butler, Vice President, U.S. Devices & Services Marketing, describes the Pixel Arena as “a virtual space based on live in-game action where you can create, play, share, and celebrate your 2022 NBA Playoffs skills.” It hopes to provide a virtual experience for spectators using real-time data from games.
Once inside the Pixel Arena, pick a game to enter — including past games — and immerse yourself into a 3D virtual arena using your phone’s gyroscope to navigate around. You can even create your own avatars, and outfit them in your favourite team’s gear and accessories.
As you can see in the image shown above, the app lets you move around a 3D simulated world by tilting your phone. You may also create and share avatars using the Pixel Arena, which includes the ability to dress them in the uniform of a specific sports team. At halftime and after the game, it delivers virtual 3D shot recaps based on live NBA data feeds.
Google says basketball lovers can also challenge their NBA knowledge with game-specific trivia based on live NBA data feeds. When the game is at halftime, you answer questions about the game and “have more opportunities to climb the leaderboard, create shareable content, and unlock new levels and swag for your avatar.”
This is the first time the company has worked with the NBA on an “immersive experience” of this kind. As a result of this partnership, the NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals are both now “sponsored by Google Pixel” and “presented by YouTube TV” as a result of this partnership. Aside from being the NBA’s official search engine and Search Trends and Fan Insights Partners for each league, Google also revealed that the Pixel phone was the NBA’s official fan phone last year.
Access to the arena does not require a Google Pixel, but rather the NBA app, which is available on a variety of devices. “The Pixel Arena will be available to everyone — regardless of what device or operating system you use.”
This multi-year agreement between both companies includes the creation of immersive experiences, such as this new one with the NBA app and others, aimed to showcase 3D and AR technology.
