Yankees manager Joe Girardi "is the brains behind Portalball, a hybrid sci-fi baseball game that will be available for download" in app stores next month, according to Daniel Barbarisi of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Girardi two years ago "saw his children playing mobile apps" and "decided he wanted to try his hand at creating one, a family-friendly, multiplayer game with baseball elements. His agent "put him in touch" with N.Y.-based app developer Appetizer Mobile. Girardi said, "Kids connect on phones, and they connect with parents on phones. ... It’s just another way to have connection with family." Barbarisi notes Portalball "appears to be set against the backdrop of an alien invasion of Earth," and players "compete in one of three phases of the game -- hitting, pitching, and fielding -- to deal with the portal invaders." The game uses "augmented reality technology, meaning that it takes over the phone or tablet’s camera and projects the image that the phone sees onto the phone’s screen." Once they had "settled on the basics," the Appetizer Mobile team "came to Girardi’s house to capture his swings and athletic movements, which were to appear in the game." The app is free to download for iOS and Android operating systems, but there are "numerous in-app purchases" available. All of Girardi’s proceeds "will be donated to his charity, Catch 25." He will "fully unveil the app on August 5 at Modell’s Sporting Goods in Times Square" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/22).
