Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a while now, but only recently has it been applied to gaming. Unlocking the potential of AR in gaming can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you understand what it is capable of, you’ll be amazed at all the opportunities it can offer. In this article, we will explore some of the most exciting possibilities that AR brings to gaming!
Introduction to Augmented Reality In Gaming
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are “augmented” by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory.
The first commercial augmented reality game was GeoSweep, which was released in 2008. Since then, AR games have become increasingly popular, with many different titles available on various platforms.
One of the most popular AR games is Pokémon GO, which allows players to catch virtual creatures in the real world using their smartphone camera. Other popular AR games include Jurassic World Alive, Ghostbusters World and The Walking Dead: Our World.
AR gaming has many benefits over traditional gaming experiences. For example, AR games can be played in any location, at any time. They also provide a more immersive and realistic gaming experience by blurring the lines between the virtual world and the real world.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that enables digital information to be superimposed onto the real world. This results in a enhanced or “augmented” view of the world around us. AR has been used extensively in gaming, with popular games such as Pokemon GO and Ingress using the technology to create an immersive and interactive experience for players.
AR gaming is not only limited to mobile devices; there are also dedicated AR gaming consoles such as the PlayStation Vita which have special AR capabilities built-in. The potential for AR gaming is huge, with many innovative and exciting possibilities yet to be explored.
Examples of AR Games
There are a number of different types of AR games available, each with their own unique gameplay and mechanics. Here are just a few examples of the many different types of AR games that are available:
First Person Shooter Games: These types of games place you in the middle of the action, allowing you to experience the game world in a completely immersive way. One popular example of a first person shooter AR game is “The Walking Dead: Our World”.
Puzzle Games: These types of games challenge your mind as you try to solve complex puzzles within the game world. One popular example of an AR puzzle game is “Ingress Prime”.
Strategy Games: These types of games require you to think carefully about your moves in order to achieve victory. One popular example of an AR strategy game is “Clash Of Kings”.
Card Games: These types of games use physical cards that are placed on a real-world surface, which are then scanned by your device in order to be used within the game. One popular example of an AR card game is “Pokemon Go”.
Benefits of AR in Gaming
AR in gaming allows for a more immersive experience that can bring the game to life. AR can also provide a more realistic and interactive gaming experience by adding digital content on top of the physical world. This can include adding virtual objects, characters, and environments. AR can also be used to create an interactive map or HUD (heads-up display) to help players navigate their way through the game.
Challenges of AR in Gaming
One of the biggest challenges of AR in gaming is that it requires a lot of processing power and memory to render digital objects in the real world. This can be a problem for mobile devices that don’t have as much power as dedicated gaming consoles.
Another challenge is designing AR games that are fun and challenging without being too difficult or frustrating for players. Developers also need to take into account how players will interact with the real world environment while playing an AR game.
Application of AR in Gaming
The use of augmented reality in gaming is still in its early stages, but there are already a few examples of how it can be used to enhance the gaming experience.
One example is the use of AR to create an interactive map that can be used by players to navigate their way through a game world. This can be particularly useful in large open-world games where players need to find their way around a vast environment.
Another example of the use of AR in gaming is the ability to place virtual objects into the real world. This can be used for a number of purposes, such as creating obstacles for players to overcome or providing hints and clues that would otherwise be hidden from view.
AR is also being used to create more immersive and realistic gaming experiences. For example, some games now allow players to view their in-game characters in 3D using AR headsets such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. This gives players a much more realistic experience of what it would be like to actually interact with their game characters.
As technology progresses, it’s likely that we’ll see even more innovative uses of AR in gaming. The possibilities are endless and it’ll be exciting to see how developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with this exciting new technology.
Trends in the Development Of AR Games
The development of augmented reality games has been on a steady rise in recent years. With the release of Pokemon Go in 2016, the popularity of AR games skyrocketed and more developers began to take notice of the potential of this emerging technology.
Since then, we’ve seen a number of new and innovative AR games released, each with its own unique twist on the formula. 2018’s Hololens game Fragments was one of the first fully-fledged AR games that offered an immersive and realistic experience. 2019’s The Walking Dead: Our World brought the popular zombie franchise into the AR world, allowing players to battle hordes of zombies in their own neighborhoods.
And 2020 is shaping up to be another big year for AR gaming, with several highly anticipated titles set to release. Niantic’s Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is one of the most eagerly awaited AR games, and promises to bring the magic of Hogwarts into the real world.
Other promising titles include Ghostbusters World, an AR game that tasks players with catching ghosts in their town or city, and Transformers: Earth Wars, an action-packed game that lets players fight as Autobots or Decepticons.
With so many new and exciting AR games on the horizon, it’s safe to say that this burgeoning genre is only going to continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.
Conclusion
Augmented reality gaming has transformed the ways in which gamers can interact with their environment. Whether it is by bringing a game to life through enhanced visuals and sound, creating an immersive virtual world for players to explore, or adding an extra layer of challenge and fun to existing games, AR has opened up amazing possibilities for gamers.
The future looks bright for AR gaming as more developers are beginning to embrace this technology and create ever-more innovative experiences. With each passing day, we look forward to seeing what new possibilities augmented reality will bring us!