UNO ON THE ROAD: THE CLASSIC CARD GAME GETS A HIGH-TECH EDITION FOR BMW CARS

As technology changes the way we experience entertainment, a partnership between three unconventional brands is changing the future of in-car entertainment for the better. The traditional card game Uno, courtesy of Mattel, and the create-your-own online gaming app AirConsole have teamed up with the BMW Group to integrate Uno – known for its timeless gameplay in barbecues and social circles – into the BMW caravan. Referred to as Uno Car Party, the partnership brings this classic game back to life in a modern setting that has the potential to revolutionise car rides for modern-day passengers. To better understand the role of Uno Car Party in changing how people entertain themselves in the car, let’s look at how this innovative partnership has brought back Uno and how it could revolutionise travelling entertainment from the passenger’s point of view.

REIMAGINING TRAVEL TIME WITH UNO CAR PARTY

Uno has remained a household fixture and a favourite party game for many years, because it’s easy to learn, fast to play, and the cards and rules each add a randomising twist to make good, fun times unpredictable. In bringing Uno Car Party to the in-car displays of BMW Group vehicles, Mattel and AirConsole created opportunities for the sharing of special family moments and playing time with friends – even those in the passenger seat. Riding in a car becomes a fun, social moment with crisp rule mechanics, a little luck, and a lot of laughter.

A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE AT GAMESCOM 2024

One year from today, Uno Car Party will be at the height of its anticipation with Gamescom 2024. Here, Gamescom visitors for the first time will see the game in action. Gamescom is scheduled for 21-25 August 2024 in Cologne, Germany. Will she win the first Uno game ever played in a car? Or will he? A tailored version of Uno for gameplay in a car will be available at Gamescom. The game will be playable inside the new BMW X3.

THE EVOLUTION OF IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT

Uno Car Party represents a revolutionary experience for in-car entertainment, going beyond the traditional playback of music or videos. Co-created by Mattel, AirConsole and BMW Group, this is the result of collaboration and proof that innovation works better when shared. With next-generation driving automated features redefining the experience of travelling, and making vehicle trips more about enjoying the experience than reaching a destination, Uno Car Party represents entertainment that keeps passengers interacting in a whole new way.

CONNECTING PASSENGERS IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

At the heart of Uno Car Party is human interaction. The family on a long car ride. The friends edging through the city street. This game brings people together, creating social engagement in an environment where too many long trips are spent with passengers gazing at small glowing rectangles. By introducing an old game into a new environment, Uno Car Party allows laughter, strategy and camaraderie, adding quality time to trip time.

A SEAMLESS BLEND OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION

It’s the tech-savvy way that a beloved card game from the past has been translated into a digital present where AirConsole know-how and BMW smart-car logistics are seamlessly integrated. Mattel’s Uno Car Party is in fact a perfect example of a trend towards more interactive video games being introduced into the second screens of modern cars. Once a game has left the confines of a screen, its migration back seems intuitive. It’s a kind of tech-savvy crypto-migration pact. Take cards, a classic game for countless millions of people through history. Put them on screens in and of cars; interact with the card shapes and remove the touch, the hold, the sight and even the sound of the card design itself. Yet instead of people cursing that the game has left them once confronted with the fact that you no longer play with cards, it seems that they just push on, content in knowing that it’s the same beloved game. That’s the tech transformation everyone wants: the perfect blend of past, present and future, where nostalgia marries the digital world.

UNO CAR PARTY: A NEW CHAPTER IN CLASSIC ENTERTAINMENT

The Uno Car Party collaboration is a strong example of how technology can be used to reinvent a beloved in-person entertainment format for modern gaming. As cars increasingly serve as mobile spaces and hubs of activity, demand for fun and engaging in-car experiences will continue to rise. Uno Car Party has a chance to set the bar high for what in-car entertainment can be.

UNDERSTANDING THE CLASSIC BEHIND THE INNOVATION

Uno’s successful evolution from a staple of the card table to an integral part of BMW’s in-car entertainment package is ultimately a testament to its abiding gamefulness. The design decision that allowed Uno to earn its ‘classic’ status was the simple, straightforward choice to craft a game with universal access, a simple rule set and a rocket-ship ride of an immediate fun factor. It exemplifies how a game can be readily projected into the digital age and still hold its essence. Adaptability is acutely compelling for something selected to be recreated in such a high-tech, pioneering project. Uno’s straightforward gameplay, its simplicity and high recognition factor, put it on the shortlist immediately.

The tried-and-true basis of Uno offers a recognisable touchstone in a quickly changing world of digital technology. In helping to launch a new era of in-car entertainment, Uno Car Party does so with the heart of a classic game beating at its core. As a society, it’s important to recognise that, sometimes, newness in innovation doesn’t need to come from building something new at all. It often comes from building on the things we know, in ways that create a sense of wonder, not just a smart new product. Mattel, AirConsole, the BMW Group and other collaborators have shown that the classics would continue to be an important part of our digital lives, helping us bring people together to have fun and share light moments, no matter where we go.