Augmented reality gaming is something of a compromise, really; the virtual reality envisioned in the ’80s and attempted by Nintendo in the ’90s is slowly becoming a less and less realistic path for technology’s evolution in the future. Unwieldy headsets look ridiculous, even in a world where each of Lady Gaga’s latest outfits is hailed as a gorgeous innovation, and we’re not at a stage yet where we can mass-produce contact lens displays. As is often the way of technology, consumers and manufacturers have reached a compromise: augmented reality.

Utilising cameras, accelerometers, compasses, and global position system technology, augmented reality attempts to give you the next best thing. We’ve seen it in non-gaming applications already: mobile apps like Layar create a heads-up display by overlaying the camera input with information and images. You can use it to find information about a restaurant just by pointing your camera at the building; you can compare prices of accommodation just by looking at a row of hotel buildings. It’s futuristic stuff with a potential place in gaming.

Obviously, this is something best suited to hand-helds. While Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360 builds off the same basic principle, it uses a static camera and requires you to stay in more or less the same general area. On top of that, you have to be able to see the screen to really interact with the software. As much as Microsoft would hate to admit it, Kinect is held back by the structures of traditional gaming just as much as its competitors are. The only real platform in which we can explore the concept of augmented reality gaming.

Currently, the only gaming-specific hand-held on the market on which creating an augmented reality experience is feasible is the Nintendo 3DS. The PS Vita sports cameras too, but as an unreleased product, we can’t say whether or not developers will be taking advantage of its potential. The 3DS, on the other hand, comes pre-loaded with a range of “AR Games” that use the “AR cards” included with the console. Face Raiders is another pre-loaded 3DS game based on the concepts of augmented reality gaming.

With an autostereoscopic screen, the 3DS even gives the stereoscopy aspect expected from the virtual reality headsets of speculative fiction, delivering a different image to each eye. It’s not perfect in a context that involves motion; for games like Face Raiders, which require users to rotate their whole body, remaining inside the effective area for viewing an autostereoscopic image is somewhat difficult. As technology develops, though, might we see this improve? Some say yes, some say no. At the very least, marrying a game to a stereoscopic camera is a challenge we’ve overcome.

The Hidden, which was released today in North America, is an example of an augmented reality game at retail. It’s a Nintendo 3DS exclusive and sees players use the camera to hunt ghosts in real-world environments. The game is published by Majesco, and their CEO, Jesse Sutton, clearly sees the value in the platform, saying “the new genre of augmented reality is an exciting direction for video games because it combines the real and virtual worlds in an unprecedented way”. If all goes well, the game could pave the way for many more.

It’s not the virtual reality of which we dreamed when the Virtual Boy was conceived, nor the holograms of Minority Report, but augmented reality might just be the natural progression of our current technology, and developers are edging closer and closer to fully embracing it. When the Vita launches, and as we see more and more portable devices, including phones, equipped with cameras, sensors, and the APIs developers need to access them, we’ll hopefully see further exploration into this exciting fledgling platform.

The photograph used in this article, taken by Phillie Casablanca, is licensed under the Creative Commons license. You can find the original photo here.

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Colbydude
Still waiting for the point in time where we can put our self consciousness into a video game.
4th November 2011, 7:14 AM - reply - report

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cb43569
I hope you meant consciousness, because I don’t need to feel self-conscious in my escapism.
4th November 2011, 7:25 AM - reply - report

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Colbydude
Yeah. xD
4th November 2011, 7:30 AM - reply - report

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Steveonapiece
Would be awesome, but yus Connor, consciousness.
4th November 2011, 4:53 PM - reply - report

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asmallmoon
Complete immersion would be nice although, I really don’t need it to become lost in a game. I can easily get lost in a monitor screen but I guess that’s just me.
4th November 2011, 6:49 PM - reply - report

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renoredhead
I agree, however, I feel an interest towards complete immersion. Like being able to control a dream.
5th November 2011, 9:53 PM - reply - report

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Capt Price
Don’t talk of the impossible mate.
7th November 2011, 11:12 PM - reply - report

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asmallmoon
Lucid dreaming?
10th November 2011, 5:02 PM - reply - report

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