JP Games, the studio founded by Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata, is launching The Pegasus Dream Tour, the first official game of the International Paralympic Committee. Launching on June 24th, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, for iOS and Android. The Pegasus Dream Tour will allow the world to participate in the Paralympics in an entirely new way.
The Pegasus Dream Tour is a role-playing game set inside ‘Pegasus City,’ an online virtual city that upholds the IPC’s diversity and inclusion values, and where the individuality of each person is respected. The game aims to enable people from all over the world to gather inside Pegasus City with friends at a time when travel to and gathering in sporting venues is difficult, if not impossible.
Nine of the world’s top para-athletes will be featured in-game as character avatars and will be able to interact and compete with players.
Players create and train an avatar, called a ‘Mine’, whose face is generated from smartphone photos. They can then equip themselves with prosthetic arms, legs and wheelchairs and train in a number of para-sports including the precision-ball-sport boccia, football 5-a-side, athletics and wheelchair basketball.
The ‘Mine’ can forge relationships with other avatars around the city and participating in tournaments. Part of the profits generated by in-app purchases will be donated to the Agitos Foundation, the leading global organization that develops sports activities for people with impairments as a tool for changing lives.
The para-athletes included in the game are:
- Takayuki Hirose (Boccia / Japan)
- Patrick Anderson (Wheelchair basketball / Canada)
- Holly Robinson (Javelin / New Zealand)
- Silvio Velo (Football 5-a-side / Argentina)
- Manami Tanaka (Wheelchair Tennis / Japan)
- Kohei Kobayashi (Badminton / Japan)
- Rie Ogura (Badminton / Japan)
- Scout Bassett (Athletics / USA)
- Chaiwat Rattana (Athletics / Thailand)
Meet The New Boss
Given the large population, Pegasus City will be governed. IPC President Andrew Parsons will be the mayor, while, perhaps unusually, the animated Japanese icon Doraemon, will serve as his deputy.
JP GAMES CEO Hajime Tabata says:
The format of The Pegasus Dream tour, which was originally planned to be a “Para-Sports RPG” was switched to that of an “Avatar RPG” in the wake of the global pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games. This is because I felt that the Tokyo Paralympics, which would be held after the postponement, could allow humanity to overcome their divisions and help bring our spirits together. No matter what the outcome of the Tokyo 2020 Games is, it is my wish that people everywhere will come and receive the positive energy that is abundant inside Pegasus City.
Craig Spence, the IPC Brand & Communications Officer said:
We are greatly excited about The Pegasus Dream Tour launch on June 24 as it will help the Paralympic Movement connect and build engagement with new and younger audiences, as well further increase Para sport awareness ahead of Tokyo 2020.
We want all gaming and sports enthusiasts to pre-register already for this ground-breaking video game, which will see people from across the world virtually coming together and being able to enjoy the Paralympic Games in a whole new, innovative and fun way.
The Pegasus Dream Tour launches on the App Store and Google Play Store on June 24.
