The much anticipated Myo Armband from Thalmic Labs is already up for pre-orders, but before it gets in the hands of techies the company is ensuring its gaming side’s future.
Today the Kitchener-Waterloo-based wearable tech startup announced that the former president of LucasArts is Thalmic Labs to join its gaming efforts for the Myo Armband.
Simon Jeffery is immediately joining as a gaming evangelist for the company. He brings 27 years of leadership experience in the gaming industry to Thalmic Labs and will work to “forge and oversee partnerships with game developers and publishers across the industry as the Myo armband makes its consumer debut this year.”
“Game developers are already using the Myo armband to create entirely new ways to interact and play,” said CEO Stephen Lake. “Simon not only brings an in-depth understanding of the industry and an impressive list of accolades and successful launches, but a passion for gaming that is reflected in his accomplishments.”
Jeffery is working with Thalmic Labs to introduce “the future of game interaction to the industry,” claimed the company.
During his time at LucasArts, Jeffery’s relations with external developers led to the development of the Star Wars game portfolio and the successful launch of games such as Jedi Knight II and Knights of the Old Republic. At Sega of America, he worked to strengthen game production through partnerships with development houses in North America. He also served as Chief Publishing Officer of mobile gaming leader ngmoco, Inc. which was subsequently acquired by DeNA Ltd. of Japan.
“The Myo armband represents a new era of gaming,” said Jeffery. “The company already has a robust list of game developers using the Myo armband to completely revolutionize the gaming experience. I am excited by this opportunity to help Thalmic Labs reach its fullest potential in gaming applications.”
Using ground-breaking technology, the Myo armband allows users to control the digital world around them via gestures and motions. Beyond gaming, it can be used as a controller for home-automation and entertainment, to seamlessly replace presentation remotes, and as a tool for controlling advanced robotic devices.
The Myo armband is available for pre-order for $149 at thalmic.com.