Games with Reality - iPhone Game Blueprints - page 323

Meeting AR games
The number of AR games on iTunes is not that big; they are still a niche product. This
can be considered as a form of advantage, since any new title in this domain gets
special attention. It is a good way to make a name for yourself. The term augmen-
ted reality sounds so great! The funny thing is that although the technology itself can
be very complex, some of the game elements may be much easier to produce than
traditional games because they require less graphic assets. Many AR games require
fewer assets since only general characters are needed; but game scene decorations
will be taken by players from the real world.
One of the famous examples of AR games for iOS is the AR Defender franchise
from int13 ( http://www.ardefender.com/ )—a smart tower-defense game series that
looks especially breathtaking when a player uses outdoor environments as their back-
ground or when several people are playing in multiplayer mode, sitting at one desk.
The game process is very balanced and addictive (it does not look like a plain tech-
nological demo application). AR, in most cases, does not cause frustration and works
pretty reliably. The product can be easily considered one of the best demonstrations
of fiducial-based AR.
The fiducial marker used in AR Defender game series and a screenshot of the game
NASA's Spacecraft 3D ( http://www.nasa.gov/connect/apps.html ) is not entirely a
game, rather it's an educational tool. However, the process includes some gaming ex-
perience. The application is free and allows you to control various spacecrafts, includ-
ing the Martian Rover. Authors of the application have used a very creative approach
to designing the marker; it looks like a photo of a grain of sand taken by the Curiosity
rover.
I like the idea implemented into ARSoccer ( http://labs.laan.com/products/arsoccer/ )
by Laan Labs . The game tracks the motion of the player's feet and adds a virtual soc-
cer ball, so a juggling game can be played in AR. The concept and realization is so
brilliant! There should be more games with such mechanics.