Google Debuts Ingress, A Massive Augmented Reality Mobile Game For Android

Many have said that smartphones and tablets will change the gaming experience for ever. The higher computing power in today’s smartphones and tablets is a case in point. However, we have been used to standard gaming formats like FPS, TPS, MMORGs and so on and so forth. However, the new mobile games that are being developed or will be developed in the future will be radically different from what we are used to now and it involves much more than throwing birds at pigs.

A step in this direction would be Google’s latest massive augmented reality game called Ingress. Developed by Niantic Labs within Google, the game is very cryptic as to its plot except for the fact that some scientists have discovered a strange source of energy which is all around us. Your mission as a player is to get to the depth of this strange new occurrence. You will be playing in co-operation with many other players who download the app. Check the video below for more information.

The game is ambitious and uses your camera and GPS components to feed data into the app. You can uncover locations and clues by pointing your camera at structures like museums and historical buildings, based on the clues that you will get. The game allows you to choose between 2 factions – The Enlightened and The Resistance. The best part about the game is that it actually involves physical movements and outings to said places as opposed to sitting in front of a console and whiling away a few hours. The game is free to download but is currently in a closed beta. You need to sign up for the beta invite on Ingress’ website. The game works on Android phones with 2.3 and above. I am not sure what to expect from it since I don’t know whether India and Mumbai are covered in the game. I will only know when the beta invite comes through.

I like this concept. Gaming on a massive level like this could be very enjoyable and engaging. The storyline looks awesome with all the cryptic clues and hints of a major revelation. Will other developers take a leaf from Google’s book and develop some never seen before gaming mechanisms using the mobile platform? I believe they will, because that is where gaming is evolving towards.

Share your view on Ingress and its concept with us in the comments.

App Download | Ingress

Top Image Source | T3

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