Disney is launching a new line of toys based on the movie Cars 2 that turns the iPad into a neat little game board for you (er… I mean your kids) to play on. Disney calls the software “Appmates”, and it’s free to download but you can’t do much with it unless you’ve got one of Disney’s little toy car characters to push around on the screen. Once you do, however, the toy works without Bluetooth or any fancy connectors; just put it on the iPad screen, say “Vroom vroom” and watch the environment respond. Cars skid in the mud, buildings get knocked over, horns get honked. It’s kinda like being on a road trip with Josh Schnell.
AllThingsD took a look at the app (lucky dogs) and were completely impressed with the detail and little doo-das that are sure to delight kids.
The game is supposed to react precisely to a player’s movements, and during Decrem’s short demonstration it did, for the most part. For example, as he approached a mirror in the game, he was able to see the reflection of the car he was holding.
This raises the obvious question, however: What about the toy cars you need to use to take advantage of the Appmate? This October 1 you can pick up the Appmate cars in two packs (including Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell) for $20, and the app itself is free to download. Each character will unlock different features and content when you use it with the app, thus creating a pretty good incentive to collect them all.
Source: AllThingsD
