Beating a video game could score a real-world reward for ace players, if a new San Francisco company has its way.
The start-up, Kiip, plans to take the digital awards that gamers get when they accomplish goals inside games and turn them into physical rewards such as coupons for goods or services.
So, for example, completing a track inside a racing game in record time might unlock a discount for an oil change for a real car. Or finishing the Level 3 cardio challenge in a fitness game could earn a free bag of PopChips, which is one of a few companies with ads on Kiip's website.
In a blog entry, the company says its strategy is to reach players during that blissful moment of accomplishment when an achievement is unlocked and "deliver a reward, a genuine, authentic, tangible gift -- right at that moment."
The blog adds: "It helps brands build a one-to-one connection with you, while thanking you, and it brings us all closer through the authenticity of a value exchange."
The idea has a lot of potential, if implemented correctly. The challenge is that the rewards have to be relevant to the player.
Kiip needs to know, for example, that guys would much rather have that coupon for Dr Pepper than the discount for Sephora -- companies also listed on its site. Maybe the system will be that smart, and the rewards will be targeted smartly.
