NXP Powers NFC Experience in Hasbro, Harmonix’s Dynamic Music-Mixing Game DROPMIX

NXP Semiconductors N.V., co-inventors of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, collaborated with Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), a global play and entertainment company, and video game developer, Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. to deliver the NFC technology in the DROPMIX™ game.

This fast-paced, music-mixing game empowers players to create unique mixes with hit songs by playing NFC chip-enabled cards on a game board connected to a free mobile app.

With physical cards developed jointly with Paragon ID (and manufactured using a groundbreaking method developed by NXP), the DROPMIX gaming experience blends physical and digital play to give players a fresh way to combine their favorite artist and songs and discover new ones. When a DROPMIX Card is placed on a Mix Slot, the electronic DROPMIX Board immediately starts playing the corresponding part of the song (bass, beat, loop or vocals) noted on the card. The board reads up to five DROPMIX Cards at a time, and the proprietary software in the app seamlessly combines the music within each card to create a unique mix.

“As a co-inventor and market leader for NFC technology, NXP is the clear partner of choice for Hasbro to incorporate NFC technology into our products to deliver innovative and interactive experiences such as demonstrated in our DROPMIX Game,” said Brian Chapman, Head of Design and Development at Hasbro.

DROPMIX cards feature some of the biggest hits in Pop, R&B, Dance, Indie, Country, Rock and Hip-Hop from around the world that players can combine in unexpected ways. The game introduces a new way to collect, discover and combine favorite music tracks using these cards and with NXP’s full end-to-end NFC solution consisting of both the NFC reader and chips at the heart of enabling the game, the technology ensures cards can be read quickly and reliably.  

“This new NFC use case reinforces NXP’s ambition to bring NFC everywhere. We see NFC going beyond familiar applications like smartphones and smart cards to areas like consumer engagement in smart toys, smart clothing, smart packages and more,” said Rafael Sotomayor, SVP and GM of the Secure Transactions and Identification business at NXP.  “NXP’s NFC reader and tag IC expertise, deep application knowledge and ability to simplify integration for developers make it easy for entertainment businesses, manufacturers or service professionals to bring people a secure, intuitive, ‘tap-to-connect’ interaction in our increasingly connected world.”

For gaming developers, NXP’s NFC technology offers a simple, cost-effective way to bring new services, accessories, and experiences in toys and gaming for their customers.

“The opportunities for NFC gaming applications are limitless as developers are now beginning to realize the potential return on investment that NFC offers,” said Bertrand Brault, VP Marketing & Business Development at Paragon ID.  “NXP has long been a key technology leader and our successful collaboration on DROPMIX is a perfect example of how our collaboration and NFC technology continues to break new ground.”

HASBRO will debut a convention exclusive DROPMIX card featuring music from the 1980s TRANSFORMERS television show, in limited quantities for CES attendees. Attendees can also try their hand at making the ultimate mix with DROPMIX at the NXP CES 2018 booth, CP-25, in Las Vegas between Jan. 9-12.