UK-based startup Joipaw is creating video games for dogs

UK-based startup Joipaw is currently developing a series of video games for dogs.

The games are currently being prototyped and so far include a version of whack-a-mole as well as a game where dogs have to choose which side of the screen has more bubbles on. Dogs play using a special, saliva-resistant touch-screen console, with treats being dispensed when the dog wins.

According to Joipaw, ”it all started with a puppy called Kawet and us wanting to keep him busy and happy when we weren’t home. Given our love for video games, outdoor activities and healthy lifestyles, it didn’t take long before Joipaw was born.”

“Our goal with this venture is to push for a better understanding and inclusion of dogs and animals in human societies by showing the world how intelligent they are,” the website continues.

While there’s no release date or recommended retail price, the console is available to reserve now for $6 (£5).

Speaking to Axios, Joipaw co-founder Dersim Avdar said that “the most difficult step” has been getting dogs to start playing without peanut butter on the screen but, when they do, it’s “the magic moment where you see the light in their eyes.”

Avdar went on to say that the console could have health benefits for dogs with Joipaw’s scientific advisor Clara Mancini saying that research into touch-screen brain games for dogs is young but “very promising.”

There are also plans for a global leaderboard with Avdar adding: “I can totally imagine dog esports.”

In other news, Warzone Caldera returned last night (November 28), after being taken offline on November 16 in preparation for the launch of Warzone 2.

However, the original Warzone is missing several features and maps that it used to have. Fortune’s Keep, Warzone‘s smaller map, has been removed – leaving only the Caldera map available to play.