Frustration -> Inspiration -> 1.5 Yrs -> Pickmoto NBA
We’re excited to announce the launch of our game for the 2012-13 NBA season. We’re especially proud of this release. Basketball was the original inspiration for Pickmoto.
As with many ideas, inspiration was borne out of frustration, here with fantasy basketball.
Baseball is susceptible to statistical storytelling. Each game is the sum of hundreds of individual matchups. The season produces such a large data set - 162 games, 500+ ABs, 150+ IPs - that fantasy can capture much of the story. If your fantasy league’s best team was an MLB roster, it would win 120 games.
But individual stats tell a misleading story about basketball. A roster with Josh Smith, Carmelo, Brook Lopez, Danny Granger, and Brandon Jennings might win your league. But most fantasy squads (excluding those with LeBron) would make underachieving NBA teams. There is only 1 ball and 100 offensive possessions. And fantasy barely measures defense, the under-discussed more important half of the game. Tyson Chandler, the Defensive Player of the Year, is a 5th round fantasy selection.
Before iPhone apps, startups, or the word “Pickmoto”, it was just a fun exercise to come up with an alternative to fantasy basketball. A year and a half later, that exercise has evolved into a game that all NBA fans (with iPhones) can play. That’s incredibly exciting.
Our new game builds and improves upon our NFL game thanks to user suggestions. Still, at its core, it’s the same game. It’s pick the winning teams and crowdsourced scoring. Competition is head-to-head. There are stats, trophies, chat, and gold pins. There is integration with Facebook and Twitter.
Our mission is to deliver the fantasy sports experience for mobile. On a more basic level, we’re trying to improve upon fantasy sports’ flaws. Frustration bred inspiration, and a year and a half later, we’re proud to announce inspiration realized.
