A group of young Costa Rican Web designers and gamers have banded together to create Tweet Land, a set of games that uses Tweets to influence in-game events. Tweet Land consists of two games, a driving game called Route 140 and a shooting game called Love City.
Both of the games have 8-bit style graphics and simplistic gameplay. What sets these games apart from all others on the Internet is their Twitter integration. For example, Route 140 is programmed to recognize specific keywords in tweets such as "meteor" or "car accident." When someone tweets about these events, players will have to dodge an in-game meteor or car accident.
Love City works using tweets about love and hate. The game features an "anti-Carebear" who must kill all of the citizens of Love City who try and hug him. Players get ammo and new guns from "hate" tweets and enemies spawn based upon "love" tweets.
I'm not too huge on Twitter, but I do know a kickass video game when I see it. Tweet Land has just the right mix of retro styling and innovative gameplay to be a huge hit among mobile gamers. I'm calling it now: Tweet Land will be the new Angry Birds.
Tweet-Sourced Video Games
Tweet Land's Gameplay Changes Based Upon What the World is Tweeting
Trend Themes
1. Twitter-integrated Games - The innovative integration of Twitter into video games creates opportunities for immersive and interactive gameplay experiences.
2. Real-time Social Media Influence - The use of real-time social media trends to influence in-game events creates a unique and dynamic gameplay experience that's in sync with the world.
3. Nostalgic Gaming - The use of 8-bit graphics alongside modern technology can tap into a feeling of nostalgia for a new audience, creating opportunities for a unique kind of retro gaming experience.
Industry Implications
1. Video Games - The integration of social media and real-time trends into video games creates opportunities for unique and innovative gameplay experiences.
2. Social Media - The use of social media as an integral part of video game design allows for a new kind of social media interaction and engagement.
3. Mobile Gaming - The combination of 8-bit graphics and mobile technology opens up opportunities for nostalgic, yet modern, gaming experiences on-the-go.