Toys"R"Us® Turns Stores into Digital Playgrounds with New Augmented Reality App, Play Chaser
Playtime Is On as The Company's Free-to-Play AR App Rolls Out to Stores Nationwide
WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- From championing unstructured play for kids of all ages, to making its stores more than just a place to shop with Play Labs, Toys"R"Us® is continuing its mission to set play free with the introduction of Play Chaser, its new, free-to-play, augmented reality (AR) app. Following a 23 store test that saw thousands of kids racing monster trucks, peeking into a world of safari animals, playing virtual basketball and more at their local stores earlier this month, Play Chaser has now rolled out to all Toys"R"Us locations nationwide.
Toys"R"Us enlisted some of the brightest tech brains in the toy industry to develop the app: PlayFusion, the creators of Lightseekers (an action adventure role playing game that fuses together AR, physical trading cards, digital action figures). With the help of PlayFusion's proprietary computer vision technology, the app activates different AR games and play experiences on the screen of a customer's smartphone or tablet. With the app open, players use their devices to unlock experiences by scanning designated Play Chaser signage featured throughout Toys"R"Us.
"We know consumers want more than just a place to shop – they want experiences – and at Toys"R"Us, they want to play," said Richard Barry, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us®. "With Play Chaser, we're transforming shopping into something beyond just the products we sell, bringing our stores to life with interactive, unique content that will resonate with customers and importantly the players – kids!"
The first scan point, a front-of-store sign featuring everyone's favorite giraffe, activates a virtual Geoffrey who pops out of a toy box and welcomes kids to the store, then sends them off on their quest for play. The more than 10 interactive play experiences have something for every kid: fishing in a virtual pond, popping virtual balloons floating around the store or caring for a digital baby doll.
For more details, and to download video and images of Play Chaser in action, visit the company's blog, No Assembly Required.
About Toys"R"Us, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 885 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 810 international stores and over 255 licensed stores in 38 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys"R"Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has nearly 65,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Over the past three decades, the Company has given more than $100 million in product donations to children's charities. Since 1992, the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys"R"Us, Inc., has also donated more than $130 million in grants. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter.
SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.
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