Ingress - Google's Augmented Reality MMORPG


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Ingress is just a game. A massively multiplayer alternate-reality game, one that that overlaps with the real world ? so like you walk to actual places (a museum, or library) with your phone to do things in the game, in which you're on a team with potentially millions of people competing against a rival, equally massive team ? but a game nonetheless.

Still, there's something slightly unnerving about the fact that it's Google launching this alternate-reality game as it diligently and publicly pursues the augmented-reality future with its Project Glass concept. Google already creates or dictates a lot of reality in an abstract sense ? whenever you search for something, Google gives you the answer. That is reality according to Google, and it's one you probably accept. With Ingress, Google is toying with reality even as it gets ready to create aspects of it in a real sense with Project Glass, highlighting in a weird way the kind of power Google will have once everybody's got a pair of its glasses strapped to their face.

I'm sure the game is a lot of fun, though! I can't wait to play it. Invite-only for now, and it's out on Android first, but it'll likely make its way to other platforms. And I wouldn't be surprised if it's this kind of massive, reality-warping game that'll end up being the next World of Warcraft ? highly engaging, with millions of totally enraptured players and a sizable place in pop culture. Like Lost, but you're in it.

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Never really been into augmented reality games, since I live in quite a rural area there is no point in me playing it but if you are interest you can request an invite from the official site :)

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w00t... awesome, thanks for the heads up!

Requested an invite, maybe I'll have one when I have an secondary Android based smartphone sometime sooner or later. :)

Glassed Silver:mac

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I wonder if it would be possible to make a social networking type thing where you have an avatar that walks around in Google street view and you can chat to other people that you meet, basically an MMOG but with the real world as the surrounding and no fighting :p. Could also include some special meeting places like a zoo, and provide really high quality images with links/videos/info so people could do some learning as well, i would be pretty simple to slip ads in too.

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For the rest of us that don't live in a highly populated City with lots of android users, you might be better off playing qonqr. Same idea, already out and you take over cities around you. http://qonqr.com/ The interface isn't as 3D, but the idea is the same.

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I wonder if it would be possible to make a social networking type thing where you have an avatar that walks around in Google street view and you can chat to other people that you meet, basically an MMOG but with the real world as the surrounding...

Wow, that'd be awesome. They could call it, I dunno, "real life", or something...

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I wonder if it would be possible to make a social networking type thing where you have an avatar that walks around in Google street view and you can chat to other people that you meet, basically an MMOG but with the real world as the surrounding and no fighting :p. Could also include some special meeting places like a zoo, and provide really high quality images with links/videos/info so people could do some learning as well, i would be pretty simple to slip ads in too.

You know the navigation app Waze has a feature VERY similar to this idea and it works great. I know its possible its just a matter of if they implement it in this or not. Great idea though

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Put in my email the day they put up the request page. Not sure it would be all that good if I were chosen as I live in a very rural area and the game probably would not have anything in my area.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Got my invite last night.

Installed and took a walk to the shops in the snow. I like the idea, but it's bloody cold outside.

Apparently there are a few portals around Aberdeen (Scotland) but not in my vicinity. I'll need to actually take a walk...but again, it's snowing. Not fun!

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Got any extra invites? Should we get an invite thread going? I'd love to try it out.

Edit: Hmm... apparently users may not get invites for this. I've signed up, I'll have to watch the devs on G+ too.

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Can't really see me walking around with a 10" tablet, but I`ll signup all the same, look like something I might do when very very drunk :p

Thanks

FYI: They have an app for smartphones for now... not tablets.

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My only Android is a tablet :)

I understand that but here is an quote from their app store: (in the description section near the bottom of this section)

NOTE: This app is optimized for smartphones, not tablets.

You might not be able to install it which it will tell you that your tablet isn't compatible. You try it.

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I understand that but here is an quote from their app store: (in the description section near the bottom of this section)

You might not be able to install it which it will tell you that your tablet isn't compatible. You try it.

Ah right, yea I have it installed and it runs, it said compatible from the play store for my tab, I can't remember if I made an account yet though

EDIT - Its asking for an activation code so I need to wait for the invite

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Not surprisingly (considering my luck with D3, and various other betas I wanted to get into), I am yet to get an invite. Signed up the day the site went live, and a couple times after that.

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Not surprisingly (considering my luck with D3, and various other betas I wanted to get into), I am yet to get an invite. Signed up the day the site went live, and a couple times after that.

Seems like only 1 person in this thread actually got their invite from a quick read of the thread

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Got my invite last night.

Installed and took a walk to the shops in the snow. I like the idea, but it's bloody cold outside.

Apparently there are a few portals around Aberdeen (Scotland) but not in my vicinity. I'll need to actually take a walk...but again, it's snowing. Not fun!

Can you play with others?

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Seems like only 1 person in this thread actually got their invite from a quick read of the thread

Yea, I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing it based on location too (higher populated areas).

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