Playcrafting Teams With Bose to Invest in Game Developers

By Stefanie Fogel

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Playcrafting, a New York-based network with over 30,000 game developers, is teaming up with audio company Bose to invest in other creators across the U.S., it announced on Wednesday.

Via the year-long collaboration, game developers will create 20 exclusive titles for the new AR platform, a pair of sunglasses that claims to offer an “immersive audio experience.” The 20 games will be showcased in a traveling “Bose AR-cade” during some of the gaming industry’s biggest events in 2019.

“We see the passion and creativity that game developers bring to their work, and we are excited about the opportunities that Bose AR presents to this community,” said Catharina Lavers Mallet, head of Bose Wearable and AR platform. “Our alliance with will provide added support to game developers as they build new and innovative experiences for this fast-growing industry.”

“Games bring people of all ages, genders and ethnic and cultural backgrounds together the way nothing else can,” said Playcrafting founder Dan Butchko. “Playcrafting is all about giving developers – aspiring and established – the tools they need to succeed. We’re so excited to join Bose in bringing cutting edge technologies to more game creators and fans.”

The Playcrafting/Bose partnership includes standalone programs and customized Bose integration opportunities that give creators access to the latest Bose AR wearables and developer tools.

Here is the full schedule:

• Global Game Jam  (January 25-27, New York) – Official site partner for the biggest Global Game Jam site in the United States and best AR game award sponsor.
• 3rd Annual Bit Awards  (February 1, New York) – Official event sponsor and best XR game category sponsor.
• Four Exclusive Bose AR Game Jams  – Select developers from Boston, New York, and San Francisco will collaborate in their respective cities to create 20 original games using Bose AR technology in just two days.
• Bose AR-cade (March 21-31, PAX East – Boston; August, Play NYC – New York; August/September, PAX West – Seattle) – The 20 games created during the Bose AR Game Jams will be featured in the traveling Bose AR-cade, debuting at the gaming industry’s biggest expos – PAX East, Playcrafting’s 3rd Annual Play NYC, and PAX West.
• 3rd Annual Play NYC Convention  (August, New York) – Official sponsor and partner of New York’s premier games convention. Presenter of the Bose AR City Block Experience – an immersive experience that will allow developers and consumers to explore the convention and New York city streets with Bose AR technology as their guide.