Location-based mobile gaming startup Gbanga has launched a new quest that sees fellow Swiss tech companies become integrated into the gameplay.
Zurich-based Gbanga offers a ‘mixed-reality’ gaming platform where factors like location, the weather, time and nearby players influence gameplay.
The new Startup Quest is part of the ‘Gbanga Famiglia’ mafia-themed game. The startups aren’t just making cameos, they can offer power-ups to players based on their expertise. For example, Dacuda, which produces computer mice that double up as scanners, offers the SuperMouse, which players can use to scan and find hidden items in the game.
Players who are in Zurich can check in at each startup’s real-world location to gain the relevant power-up, while those elsewhere in the world will find them scattered randomly throughout the game world.
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The first startups to feature in the game are Dacuda, scheduling firm Doodle and online notebook Memonic. In coming weeks, Poken, GetYourGuide, Sandbox Network, Shadow Government, Zurich Instruments, Connex.io, Wuala, House Trip and more will be added.
Switzerland has a lively startup scene which doesn’t get as much recognition as the higher-profile likes of London and Berlin, so to see it promoted in a virtual world is an interesting way of drawing attention to another cluster of Internet tech activity in Europe.
➤ Gbanga
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