Well, a very slow week in terms of augmented reality comes to an end. Though the Where 2.0 conference was held this week, there is still no video of the mobile reality panel Ori attended. The slow week also explains why the top post on Game Alfresco was “Top 10 augmented reality demos that will revolutionize video games” for the third week in a row, and on Augmented Times it was the post about the new SREngine video.
Anyway, here are some more augmented-reality related news from around the web:
South Korea is investing twelve billion won on augmented reality research. It translates to about 10 million US dollars. Interestingly, South Korea is behind 24% of the world’s AR related patents (just after the US and Japan, and twice the number of EU patents). Thanks David for the tip!
From the Where 2.0 – “Wearable Sensory Substitution Devices for Navigation“. Augmenting other senses (other than sight) for those who are vision impaired or suffer from Alzheimer. One of my first posts was about this topic, and I’m glad to see that AR is used for helping others.
Finally, the video clip of this week comes from this Coca Cola campaign, making the rounds on Twitter. Looks fun, I guess:
Kudos to Different Game studio and their creation: Ghostwire, an augmented reality game where players can use the camera on their mobile device to find ghosts.
Just in time for Halloween. How felicitous. Arg…
Different Game is walking away 40,000 EUR richer. Back to Sweden to complete the game and make it a mega success.
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Update: Stephan from Int13 unearthed the trailer of Ghostwire, and he claims it isn’t a real augmented reality game because it doesn’t register in 3d.
He’s right. But is the experience breaking away from traditional virtual games and encouraging the player to explore reality?
See for yourself in this clip. Or read an interview with creator Tom Soderlund on PoketGamer
This year’s list seems to have been influenced somewhat by which companies could adapt with the times…most of the publishers in our top 20 have a decided console focus, demonstrating that the adaptation of new forms of games into the existing model will take some time.
Sure. When a game title costs upwards of $20M to develop (not including marketing) you got to sell a whole load of it. You can’t take risks.
Darvin said that if you can’t adapt, you’ll die. I will argue that in 10 years these publishers (and affiliated studios) will disappear from the list. That is unless they open their minds and wallets to reality games.
I have raved this month about a flood of augmented reality games coming to the iPhone, Google’s Android, and Nokia mobile devices. So what am I ranting about today?
Well, these mind-blowing games are not coming from the above top publishers; they are emerging from the fringe. Tiny boutique studios aren’t trying to predict the future; they are bringing it forward by pushing the envelop of game experiences.
If I were a betting man, I’d say these risk-taking-tiny-boutique-studios will top the charts in the future.
Forget the iPhone. Forget Google’s Android. Today is Nokia’s day.
As of Today, Nokia is playing in the big leagues of Augmented Reality. It just announced the top 10 finalists in its Mobile Game Innovation Challenge.
Guess what type of games made it to the top?
Augmented, augmented, and more augmented.
To make my point, I have filtered out the “traditional” games and put on the list only games that smell like augmented reality spirit. Here they are:
1. Active Tecnologia e Consultoria Ltda. (Brazil) with Cinemarena – set in a movie theatre, controlling avatars on the big screen
Sounds pretty augmented to me.
2. CreatePlayShare (India) with Ball – play any ball game on your mobile or even create your own new game
Reminds me the legendary SymBall, one of the first augmented reality games on a phone.
3. Different Game (Sweden) with Ghost Wire – use your mobile device to communicate with ghosts
Blurring the line between real and virtual couldn’t be more spooky.
4. Eclipse Interactive (UK) with Watchers – conspiracy adventure game that uses Nokia Maps and other real world tools to find locations
Sounds more like a mixed reality game, but hey – let it benefit from the doubt. Today, we are celebrating.
5. Int13 (France) with Kweekies – augmented reality virtual pet game
We were expecting Stephan and the Int13 team to come up with great augmented reality games on the iPhone. Well, they have first delivered for Nokia. Wish them success.
6. TechnoBubble (Spain) with Fun Cam – a mixed reality game that connects your camera on your mobile device to the TV
I don’t really get it – but since it’s a self-proclaimed mixed reality game, we’ll include it.
There you have it: 6 out of the 10 top games in Nokia’s “Mobile Innovation Challenge” fit in the augmented reality category. That’s a landslide victory!
And it’s not all: the three most innovative game concepts will be offered by Nokia Publishing pre-production contracts. The first winner will be awarded 40,000 EUR, the second 20,000 EUR, and the third 10,000 EUR.
Congratulations to the top 10 finalists (including the non augmented reality games…). The winners will be unveiled at Nokia’s Game Summit in Rome next week. May the best win.
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It’s been a good month for AR games; news have been embracing the iPhone, Google’s Android, and Today – Nokia.
Which begs to say: ready or not – here comes a groundswell of games to a reality near you.
So far we have looked at demos of augmented reality gameplay and investigated preferred hardware devices. That was just the warm up. Now we’re getting into the real beef: who offers the best software engine that can augment our reality (and our spirits)? Who will spearhead the creation of a totally new gaming experience?
Games alfresco brings you the unofficial roundup of the top 10 best augmented reality engines.
We will look at one engine at a time (enough with these looong posts!) and at the end of the round up, will rank them based on the feedback from you, the community. This is collaborative work in progress of group of passionate contributors on facebook. If you want to take part of the fun, join us at: augmented reality games.
Here is a sneak peak at some of the engines that we may or may not review:
In my last post, I proposed a countdown of the top 10 augmented reality demos that are poised to revolutionize video games. That collection focused on concepts that inspire a totally new kind of gameplay. Novice readers testified it was a great introduction to augmented reality, while AR savvy insiders found some newly discovered ideas quite inspiring. Thank you all for the great feedback.
Now, let’s talk hardware: how in the world are we going to play these games? Courtesy of “Window to The Future” By Steve Kosareff
AR game devices run the gamut from 20 lbs-backpack-and-head-mounted-display-systems to tiny handheld cell phones.
Once again, Marshall McLuhan’s legacy (“the medium is the message”) guides the discussion: The evolution of AR hardware devices changes the game mechanics and opens the door for a revolution in game experience.
Scholars have studied it at length (sidebar); I propose a simplified view spanning 3 generations:
The Past: Generation “Kit Bag” Tinmith epitomizes generation “kit bag”
* took place over the last 10+ years
* custom built backpack with laptop, accessories
* head mounted display
* used exclusively in research
* groundbreaking experience yet –
* heavy, complex, and expensive
* started in 2003 with a horizon of 2010
* mass production: banking on the ubiquity of mobile devices
* aspiring for larger screens with more powerful devices
* easy to carry, ergonomic, affordable, yet –
* occupies hands, limits immersion
The Future: Generation “No Bag” Leonard Low’s concept eyewear for augmented reality
* next 3-15 years
* eyewear: glasses and later contact lens
* handsfree; immersive
* in short: nirvana…(also means in Hindu – the end of suffering)
So, what’s the perfect device for mobile augmented reality games?
Experts argue that it depends on the type of game.
I buy that. Here’s the revised challenge: if game developers want to build a game like Roku’s Reward – what handheld device should they zero in on?
Looking at present and future generations, here is my countdown of the top 10 AR mobile devices with which developers will reinvent video games:
10. PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) MIT’s Environmental Detectives PDAs knocked out the “kit bag” generation and signaled the dawn of the “hand bag” generation. They delivered mobility and extensibility (it’s easy to add a camera, GPS or other accessories) and it offered reasonable processing power.
However, with the convergence of devices such as cell phones, cameras, and the miniaturization of computers – PDAs are becoming obsolete.
Notable PDAs for AR include: iPAQ, Dell Axim, Fujitsu-Siemens, and Asus
9. UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) Outdoor tracking with a UMPC at the University of Cambridge UMPCs are the most powerful handheld devices out there. Its Windows operating system makes it a familiar and practical platform for development.
Sony Vaio UX is used often by researchers; Raon Digital Everun is another candidate.
UMPCs would have been at a higher position on this list – had it not introduced 2 barriers for adoption as an AR game device: price (upwards of $1500) and size (needs a sizable bag). After all, the UMPC is designed for business – not games.
8. Smart Phones C-Lab’s KickReal runs on a Siemens phone
If you’re after the masses, smart phones are your best bet thanks to their ubiquity (out of 1.14 billion cell phones sold in 2007 – 10% were smart phones according to IDC) . In two or three years, it will be nearly impossible to buy a conventional cell phone (as agreed at the CTIA wireless show 2008.)
So, almost everyone has them, cameras are getting better, they’re adding accelerometers, and positioning capabilities and some games have proven to work on this type of devices.
Popular mobile phones (sorted by OS popularity according to canalys) include Symbian, Microsoft, RIM, iPhone, Palm (Acquired by Access), and Linux.
Google’s Android phone has ambitions to carve its niche, but has still a long way to go (too slow, not stable). It may emerge as a viable option in 2009.
One AR company suggests the HTC P6500 as “a good approach [for augmented reality games] with faster and easier development tools.”
But because of its small screen, low end processors, and major market fragmentation – smart phones cant leap beyond the 8th spot.
Though considered a smart phone – owing to its unmatched user experience – the iPhone deserves its own category.
Its form factor, touch screen, accelerometer, more modern technology, and now with an open SDK – it’s irresistible.
Although Apple is not known as a great gaming company there are currently 373 games listed under iPhone webapps.
Apple’s total control of the whole product compared with Gphone’s patchwork of multiple companies will result in a better experience.
6. Handheld Game Devices (PSP, Gizmondo, Nintendo DS) Gizmondo used for the Caleb project at Graz University
Handheld game devices are leading the growth in the game hardware market. Some people believe they will cut into the console market. Devices such as Sony’s PSP, Nintendo DS (and Gizmondo assuming it will indeed reemerge) have a great form factor – and the fact that they are designed specifically for games, gives them an edge over general purpose devices. But here’s the caveat:PSP and the DS need to be complemented with accessories such as camera, as well as accelerometers, positioning and ubiquitous connectivity capabilities – to be able to play in this game.
Haven’t we already covered smart phones at #8?. Well, Nokia isn’t just another smart phone company. Through extensive research, it pushes the envelop of augmented reality experiments on phones more than any other manufacturer.
Notable devices include N-81, N95, N-810.
The feature packed multimedia heavy N95 stands out as the most popular among researchers despite some limiting factors:
* runs on symbian – not great for heavy programming
* small 2.6” screen with 240 x 320 pixels only
* Expensive (above $500) and not really for mass market
4. MID (Mobile Internet Devices) Intel announced these MIDs to be released in 2008
Intel is putting its muscle behind the MID. The MID is designed for multimedia consumption on the go. It’s extremely portable with an ideal screen size (4-5”); it’s fully connected and armed with a strong (low power consumption) processor. The fact that it runs on a scaled down Linux makes it accessible and fast. But, what really separates it from the UMPC is its sub $500 target price.
Before year end ,Intel hardware partners are planning to release these products: LG Xnote, BenQ, Aigo, Lenovo MID.
Although experts have no real world experience with the MID – it’s shaping up as the preferred choice; if you plan to develop an augmented reality game this year – I would single out the MID as your #1 device.
When the flood of MIDs comes upon us, here is the criteria I suggest to separate the wheat from the chaff:
* screen size between 3.5″-5.5″ (4″-5″ ideal)
* min 65K colors, 800×480 pixels
* strong processor – min 400MHz
* with CGI acceleration (e.g. NVidia APX2500, TI OMAP 3)
* ubiquitous connectivity with cell (3G) and wifi/wimax
* high quality video camera: resolution (640×480), 30 fps
* positioning capabilities (GPS or software based locationing)
* inertial sensors, accelerometers, digital compass
* blue tooth for adding essential accessories
* touch screen – nice too have
* price – below $500; $200 would be ideal for the masses
Now let’s delve into the future; here devices become more conceptual, which means – not proven, yet stimulating. Prepare to be audaciously hopeful.
3. Looking glass (design concept)
In its designer Mac Funamizu’s own words:
“This is what I wish the Internet search will be able to do with a mobile device in the NEAR future. Touch screen, built in camera, scanner, WiFi, Google map (hopefully Google earth), Google search, image search… all in one device. Like this way, when you can see a building through it, it gives you the image search result right on the spot.”
Will anyone ever build it? I don’t know – but it sure looks cool.
2. Glasses Mirage Innovations is one of the contenders for the future generation
Nokia dubbed mobile phones as the 4th screen (following cinema, TV, PC). According to this count, glasses will be the 5th screen. It spearheads the next generation of augmented reality: the “no bag generation”. This is when we become liberated. Handsfree. The interactive overlays on top of reality surround us anywhere we look. Can we start developing games for glasses? not quite yet. They still lack built in cameras, eye tracking, and tend to cause dizziness. Should we start thinking about it? Absolutely. Rolf Hainich has dedicated a book to this concept and aptly called it the end of hardware. Ben Averch writes about this market in his future-looking blog.
Companies to watch:
Microvision is working on lightweight eyewear for augmented reality
Lumus Optical has just launched their new and slick eyewear
Here is the criteria I recommend to use to evaluate the progress of contending eyewear companies:
* looks and weighs like regular sun glasses
* see thru, high resolution display
* integrated camera
* eye tracking
* position and movement sensors
* integrated sound
1. Contact Lens Darpa project for the creation of micro- and nano-scale display technologies
Apart from topping the list of “things you wouldn’t borrow from a friend”, contact lens leap to the top spot of AR devices. Normally, the mere thought would be scientifically dismissed as “too far off”, but this Darpa project makes it slightly more conceivable. In Vernor Vinge’s Rainbows End near future novel – everybody (except retreads) wears them. It becomes a natural extension of human intelligence, with user interface that can be summed as squint and gesture. It gives itself away only due to the occasional blank stare which is typically confronted with: “are you googling again!?”.
The story is taking place in 2025. Not too far off.
Back to the present: Scientists at the University of Washington have already created a proof of concept – see video below.
Didn’t make the list * Laptops – laptops were used extensively during the “kit bag” generation as a key ingredient of the back pack, but during the hand bag generation – no one wants to the roam the streets tethered to a laptop. First implementation of Plundr ran on a laptop – but gamers soon clamored for the Nintendo DS version.
* Zune – should it be?…
* Brainchips – beyond the horizon of contact lens lies the world of brainchips . I am not touching this one with a 12 foot pole…I consider myself a technology enthusiast, but this makes me feel uneasy. I want to always have the choice to de-augment my reality when I’ve had enough. Hard connections into my brain may deprive me from that right.
Games Alfresco 