Review Fix chats with Chris R. Vaccaro, editor-in-chief/director of app production who discusses this year’s Topps MLB Bunt 2017 App.
About Topps MLB Bunt 2017 App:
The five-year anniversary of Topps® MLB BUNT™ introduces a variety of updates to the app for the 2017 season. For the first time, MLB BUNT™ 2017 will feature its very own digital base set of new trading cards, daily release of new packs and cards along with fantasy gaming and scoring in real time. Additionally, fans will enjoy an updated interface with more streamlined interactions, including an all- new home screen layout with iconic and unique imagery exclusive to Topps® MLB BUNT™ 2017. The new interface will also allow users to interact with their cards on the detail screen, giving them the ability to tap and hold to drag and drop cards within their collection. Since the app’s official launch in April 2012, there have been over 85 million packs sold, 490 million total cards published, 38 million trades made and over 2.2 million active users worldwide.
Review Fix: What makes this App special?
Chris R. Vaccaro: This year we improved the user interface and improved on the look of the app. We’re also debuting video cards in BUNT for 2017, plus we launched with BUNT’s very own base card set, which is different from previous years when we released the physical Topps Baseball Series 1 set instead. Plus, we have National League MVP Kris Bryant on the cover of the app as our featured athlete, which we’re pretty excited about.
Review Fix: How is it different from the other Topps Apps?
Vaccaro: Baseball is America’s pastime. Topps will always be most notably recognized for its history with the game of baseball and so BUNT has this built-in legacy with the game that you may not have with our other apps, aside from Star Wars Card Trader, which also has a huge correlation to the longstanding history that Topps has with that huge brand. The seasonality of baseball, the excitement of the post-season and World Series, the Summer Classic, the Fall Classic and so on. Baseball is special, and so is Topps BUNT for that reason.
Review Fix: Why must a hardcore baseball fan download it?
Vaccaro: Everybody loves baseball cards, so to have a digital compliment of one of the most nostalgic pieces of memorabilia in history is pretty unique. Even more fun is the real-time scoring of our cards for fantasy based contests. You can be in a stadium watching your favorite player, put his BUNT cards into your lineup on the app and watch it score in real-time as he hits a home run or steals a base. It’s the ultimate first or second screen experience!â€
Review Fix: What’s your favorite element of the app?
Vaccaro: I’m excited to dive into the video cards this season on BUNT for the first time. I’m a huge lifelong Mets fan, so any Mets cards that come out I try and chase and collect right away. I’ve mentioned this to you before in other Q&As … I’m a big fan of our live digital signature cards, which really prove to revolutionize digital collectibles. Fans can get a personalized digital signature from their favorite baseball players in their BUNT collection. It’s pretty unique. Finally, I love the Topps NOW brand, which aims to release editorially focused cards related the big things happening in baseball within 24 hours of the moment. I have a traditional journalism background, so these timely released cards that tell a story are outstanding.
Review Fix: What makes it an app players can come back to every day?
Vaccaro: Baseball season is a long season, but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep it exciting. There are so many new cards released every day and week that you have to come back to see what’s next and what’s new. You can collect, trade and play every day of the season and it never gets old for us or our diehard fans.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Vaccaro: We have the whole season ahead of us. We have plenty of traditional Topps baseball sets to release and big moments in baseball to match. Be on the look out for some branded partnership content too.
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