As I am researching augmented space for brief #2, I found a lot of examples of apps which present an augmented reality for users. The most interesting one that I found is an Android game called Ingress.
Ingress uses the real world around us as it’s playing field. Users must choose a side (Enlightened or Resistance) and go out into the street in search of ‘Portals’, which are mostly located at landmarks, sculptures and buildings. People must then ‘hack’ these portals to gain control over them. Essentially, Ingress overlays virtual information onto the real world, blurring the distinction between reality and the game.
I downloaded Ingress last weekend and had a turn at playing. I chose to be a part of the Enlightened. My phone told me there were three portals close by to my house, so I decided to walk to the closest one, in a park just down my street. I was surprised to find that someone from the opposite side to which I chose (the Resistance) already owned it, and this player was only a few hundred meters away from me. I tried to take control of the portal but was not able to due to my low level (I think). I forgot about the app until a few days later when I was in the city. I opened it and was amazed by just how many ‘portals’ were located in the city and how many people were online.
This game is a perfect example of augmented reality and space, especially relevant to the Ghosts and Space studio as it uses Google Maps technology as it’s foundation. There has also been some skepticism as to why the game was created, considering it is entirely free to play. What exactly is the company that created Ingress (‘Niantic’) doing with the information they undoubtedly obtain from players?
