Spar with Trump or Biden to Forecast Election Results in Wildbytes’ New Mobile Game
KO Campaign uses Stylized Punch Out to Glean Data on Public Opinion
As the world closely watches the leadup to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, many feel caught between the desire to engage and the stress of doing so. Innovation agency Wildbytes addresses this political tension in its new mobile game KO Campaign by staging a colorful, darkly playful boxing match that interrupts a fictional presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
The scrap, however, isn’t among the two candidates, it is between the player and the candidate they most disagree with, a choice that informs results at the end of the game that shows where players’ opinions lie. These results are defined by which candidate has accumulated more “punches” throughout all the games played worldwide, allowing the app to conclude that the candidate with more punches is less popular and is less likely to win the election. The breakdown shows how frequently each candidate has been chosen by players as the least desirable, data that may mirror public sentiment and forecast the winner of the election.
“For many years, traditional surveys have managed to collect relevant data and results to facilitate decision-making,” says Daniel Torrico, Managing Director at Wildbytes. “However, the way people behave has changed due to the impact of the digital world and new challenges have appeared when it comes to knowing people’s opinions. Offering a more fun and friendly experience attracts more people’s attention and allows them to become more uninhibited when it comes to giving their real opinion, something especially useful in elections.”
To keep the gameplay light-hearted, the team deliberately dialed up the game’s stylization with a cartoonish aesthetic reminiscent of claymation. Laia Zanon, Director of Creative Production, explains: “The game references serious issues so we were thoughtful about balancing it with a goofy style that was recognizable, playful, and not classically cartoonish.”
The game also features different items the player can wield that are symbols of this election and period of time. Users can thump the candidates with a COVID mask, a holy book, and a literal dog whistle. “Hopefully these items can help people make light of some of the heavier topics they currently represent,” Zanon adds.
The game is designed to be updated in real time, where as new headlines cycle, the game’s debate dialogue can change based on the current events.
Zanon says: “We’re paying close attention to this election and want the game to be in sync. We’re not picking on the U.S. as a faraway country, it’s the opposite: the leaders in the U.S. are world leaders, and here in Spain, we love to make fun of our politicians like this.”
KO Campaign is available to download now for iOS and Android.
Downloads:
About Wildbytes:
Wildbytes is an experiential innovation agency with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona and Madrid that designs and launches digital and physical products and events based on innovation and anchored by facilities with next-generation digital technology. Motivated by curiosity, wonder, and the thrill of achieving the impossible, Wildbytes designs through careful conceptualization and a planned content strategy, creating a highly viral impact on social media and media at large.
Website: http://wildbytes.cc/
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