Take a look at the all-new NBA and Google Pixel Arena
Last year, we teamed up with the NBA to launch the Pixel Arena, a virtual space for fans to experience the NBA from anywhere. Today, the Pixel Arena is getting an upgrade. Fans can now roam freely, see each other’s avatars and check out the latest Google Trends based on what NBA fans around the world are searching. Plus there’s even more personalized features and content — from new options for your avatar, creative ways to take highlights to another level and more mini games.
With Pixel Arena’s updated avatar builder, fans have more options, including more natural skin tones from the Monk Skin Tone (MST) Scale, a 10-shade scale incorporated into Pixel’s Real Tone camera technology. Fans can also unlock new virtual fashion and upgrade their avatar’s attire with over a trillion style combos inspired by futuristic streetwear and basketball culture. To top it all off, each avatar comes complete with a Pixel 7 Pro in their color of choice to serve as a virtual guide to navigate the Pixel Arena.
Left: Inside Pixel Arena at Center Court. Right: Customize your NBA Avatar in the Locker Room.
Avatars aren’t the only thing that can be personalized. A special guest appearance from an avatar of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid introduces fans to the new Highlight (Re)Mixer, inviting them to “remix” 15 classic and new NBA plays. This feature uses 3D-pose estimation to turn captured videos into 3D content, and then export them with our rendering technology. With the Highlight (Re)Mixer, fans can reenact the highlight and put their own spin on it with new camera angles and visual effects until it's just right to share with the world.
Left: Highlight of Giannis Antetokoumnpo dunk. Right: Avatar remixing Giannis' highlight in 3D.
Mini games in the Pixel Arena also got a major upgrade this season. Now dubbed the Skill Zone, fans can play new games — NBA Shot Trivia and Baller Blitz — in single and multiplayer mode. These games surface trivia questions that have meaningful historical context for the players and teams featured — all thanks to our machine learning technology and nightly NBA game stats. For example, when Giannis Antetokoumnpo scored 55 points in a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards earlier this season, Pixel Arena auto-generated a trivia question with the context that this performance was a career-high for Antetokounmpo.
Left: Play NBA Shot Trivia to quiz your game. Right: Play Baller Blitz to show off your skills.
To enter the Pixel Arena, head to the ‘Discover’ tab in the official NBA app with your NBA ID login to play. New highlights to remix and other content will be added throughout the season so fans can build their rep leading into the NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel and the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV. And to make sure every fan can experience an NBA game from anywhere, Pixel Arena is still available to everyone regardless of device or operating system.
The Pixel Arena awaits! Scan the QR to enter through the NBA App.
