Panini AdrenalynXL for NBA / NHL / NFL

Client

In January 2009, the NBA announced Panini would become the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA beginning with the 2009–10 season. In March of the same year, The Panini Group, headquartered in Modena, Italy, purchased assets of the industry’s second–oldest trading–card company, Donruss, and formed the new subsidiary, Panini America.

Panini is the world leader in collectible and trading cards. A multinational company, Panini is also one of the leading children’s magazine and book publishers in Europe, North America, and Latin America as well as a major distributor of third party licensed products including Disney and Marvel worldwide.

AdrenalynXL was a series of online multi–player trading card games. The analogue version was sold as a board game at large retailers such as Walmart and Target that encouraged fans to purchase packs of cards. Each card came with a unique serial number that when entered online, the digital version on the card would be added to the users collection.

Solution

SmartFoxServer to the rescue

A51 developed a core game engine built on SmartFoxServer that facilitates game play one–on–one. Each printed card contains a serial number that can be entered into the online system and instantly recognized and catalogued in the users card collection. With registered cards, users can begin to challenge others in real–time game play.

Multiple modes

Two modes of game play were developed for each sport — Classic and Pro. Classic game play follows the rules of the game–board sold in retail outlets whereas Pro enhances the functionality for added strategy that brings game play closer to that of the real sport.

E–commerce functionality allows for real–time transactions to purchase virtual cards, real cards, and box sets.