Pixel Arena
- Brand
- NBA
- Year
- 2022
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Mini-Games
- Platform
- App
- Agency
- With
- Jam3
- With
- Monks
Objective
Google and NBA wanted to turn passive game-watchers into active participants, giving fans a way to express themselves and get rewarded for their fandom during live games. The partnership also let Google put its Pixel technology on display for a huge sports audience, from Real Tone photography to Search and Trends data woven into the experience.
Solution
You open the NBA app, tap into the Discover tab, and sign in with your NBA ID to drop into a 3D arena that turns as you tilt your phone. In the first version you pick a game — live or past — build an avatar in your team's colors, and answer trivia pulled from that match's real-time stats during breaks in play, then watch a 3D breakdown of the key shots. The 2023 relaunch opens the arena up for free roaming: you customize your avatar in a locker room with a huge range of streetwear looks and skin tones, walk out to Center Court to see other fans' avatars alongside Google Trends data, and head to the Skill Zone to play NBA Shot Trivia or Baller Blitz solo or against other fans. In the Highlight (Re)Mixer you remix real NBA highlight clips with new angles and effects, and climbing the leaderboards unlocks exclusive virtual merch.
- 1
The player opens the official NBA app, signs in with an NBA ID, and enters Pixel Arena from the Discover tab; the experience is mobile-only.
- 2
In the 2022 version, the player first picks a current or completed playoff game and is dropped into a virtual arena built around that specific match.
- 3
Inside the arena, the player physically rotates the phone to look around; the camera tracks the device's gyroscope, panning across the stands and court.
- 4
The player builds an avatar — in 2022 dressed in a favorite team's jersey and gear, in 2023 customized through a 10-step skin-tone scale and over a trillion streetwear and basketball-culture outfit combinations — then equips it with a virtual Pixel 7 Pro that serves as an in-hand guide and navigation menu.
- 5
A Locker Room lets the player return anytime to re-dress the avatar and browse a shop stocked with exclusive virtual items unlocked through play.
- 6
In the 2023 version, the player roams the arena freely instead of navigating menus, with Center Court as the central hub showing other fans' avatars present at the same time, alongside live Google Trends data on what NBA fans worldwide are searching for.
- 7
A Skill Zone offers mini-games — NBA Shot Trivia, with questions machine-generated from that night's game stats, and Baller Blitz, a skill challenge — playable solo or in battle-royale-style multiplayer against other fans; wins unlock exclusive avatar merch, raise the player's leaderboard standing and avatar level, and new highlights and content are added to the arena over the season.
- 8
In the 2022 version, halftime centers on live trivia drawn from the game's real-time NBA data feed, followed by a 3D shot breakdown that replays top scorers' and teams' actual statistics on the virtual court.
- 9
An avatar of Joel Embiid invites the player into a Highlight (Re)Mixer, where the player replays a classic or recent NBA moment — including legendary Dunk Contest dunks — as their own avatar, switching camera angles and adding visual effects to produce a personalized version of the highlight.
- 10
The player downloads and shares the finished remix and avatar to social media and messaging apps.
