FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 9, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEDL Mobile, Inc. (OTCBB:MEDL.OBÂ -Â News), an incubator and aggregator of mobile technology, announced today that it has been Licensed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to develop mobile entertainment technology strategy for the organization, starting with its first entertainment shooting app which through various methods promotes gun safety via a series of educational information within a gaming environment.
“We wanted to provide current and future shooters with an entertaining way to learn about gun safety, so we partnered with MEDL Mobile to create an experience in which users engage in target practice at the NRA Headquarters shooting range, enter tournaments, compete online and invite friends to participate, all while learning important firearms safety information along the way,” said Mike Marcellin of the National Rifle Association. “The app will even allow users to look up state-by-state gun regulations and other helpful information, all within a fun, interactive game environment.”
“The NRA needed a way to interact beyond its 4 million active members, an enormous following that may not otherwise engage with the organization — until now,” said Andrew Maltin, CEO of MEDL Mobile. “Reaching a very large membership and communication to supporters are a few of the many challenges a mobile strategy can help a business or membership organization overcome.”
The NRA’s first interactive mobile game app is expected to debut in the spring of 2012.
I’ll be interested to see how this works out. Most online video games that involve shooting are either combat games or hunting games. It’s going to take a good bit of creativity to create a game that’ll attract people to play. Shooting is a lot of fun to do yourself, but watching other people shoot is like watching grass grow, and I’ve not found a huge number of shooting games that aren’t combat-based that are really addictive. Like I said, I think it’ll take creativity, and hopefully this company NRA has hired has the chops. I’m skeptical that “look up state-by-state gun regulations” and “Â all within a fun, interactive game environment” are two things that are going to successfully go together.
I can’t wait to hear how the Joyce Foundation Hydra spins this one. Perhaps something along the lines of, “Eddie Eagle goes digital: The Gun Lobby is coming after your children with semi-automatic assault apps!”
I had discussed this concept with Tom King. I think a combination of a light gun and a Kinect could make for a very interesting game/training system.