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Google's Multiplayer Augmented Reality Game 'Ingress' Launching for iOS in 2014

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Ingress, a mobile-augmented reality game created by Google for Android devices, is set to launch on iOS devices next year, reports AllThingsD.

Plans for the iOS version of the game were confirmed by Ingress product manager Brandon Badger, with the Android version experiencing over ten thousand active players a month and one million activations total since Google launched a closed beta for the title last November.

As described in the Google Play description, the multiplayer gameplay of Ingress centers around two sides, The Enlightened and The Resistance, who compete against each other for clues about a mysterious new technology. The story is set in real-time with Google delivering new clues every week, with players claiming local landmarks around them in the real-world, which earns them points for their respective team in-game.
Ingress transforms the real world into the landscape for a global game of mystery, intrigue, and competition.

Our future is at stake. And you must choose a side.

A mysterious energy has been unearthed by a team of scientists in Europe. The origin and purpose of this force is unknown, but some researchers believe it is influencing the way we think. We must control it or it will control us.

Move through the real world using your Android device and the Ingress app to discover and tap sources of this mysterious energy. Acquire objects to aid in your quest, deploy tech to capture territory, and ally with other players to advance the cause of the Enlightened or the Resistance.
Click to expand...
An unauthorized version of Ingress was released for iOS earlier this year for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices, however the port's creators warn that players may be banned for using an unofficial app. A new Ingress story titled "13Magnus" began today with live events planned for 38 cities, concluding in San Francisco on December 14th. Ingress is set to launch for iOS in 2014, but Google has not specified when.

Article Link: Google's Multiplayer Augmented Reality Game 'Ingress' Launching for iOS in 2014
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/13/googles-multiplayer-augmented-reality-game-ingress-launching-for-ios-in-2014/
S

shnapsi

macrumors newbie
Jul 9, 2012
7
0
Yes! Have been waiting for this game for a long long time. Really interesting game. Have been banned from it because I used the unofficial version.
 
L

lucastatic

macrumors regular
Jan 25, 2013
113
0
Lots of naysaying. I think this looks pretty cool, and I'm happy to see Google bringing it to iOS.
 
japanime

japanime

macrumors 68030
Feb 27, 2006
2,916
4,846
Japan
The story is set in real-time with Google delivering new clues every week, with players claiming local landmarks around them in the real-world, which earns them points for their respective team in-game.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the "players" are being played.
 
A

Aye

macrumors regular
Sep 27, 2013
113
0
What? Who?

Who cares? Not me. Okay, I cared for 2 minutes reading that and typing this.
 
A

androiphone

macrumors 65816
Dec 13, 2009
1,000
1
Having played it, it is a pretty fun game, I really like the 'real world' aspect of it, it adds a nice dimension when you go out for a walk or go visit a new place, I don't play it obsessively but it's quite nice to play casually, I think there could be room for more augmented 'reality' based games like this.

But (stating the obvious) all games can't appeal to everyone, if you are a type of person who requires instant gratification, to beat a game in a few hours or have no intention of leaving the house then it's obviously not for you.
 
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ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,612
6,148
Am I the only one who thinks this sounds like it's going to be one of the weirdest marketing ideas? The game will end with Google revealing that they've made family unit nuclear reactors or something so you can take your family off the power grid?

IDK, I can't see Google being into nuclear power... And I can't think of anything else from that plot description that would make sense to describe as a "new energy source".
 
mfram

mfram

Contributor
Jan 23, 2010
1,354
401
San Diego, CA USA
I've been playing Ingress for a couple months and enjoy it. I suspect many people on this forum would take swipes at the game since it is Android-only at this point. I acquired an Android device purely to play the game and use my iPhone as a hotspot to bridge the data service to the device.

One of the major goals of the development staff was to get people "off the couch" and out into the outdoors. That's the huge plus of the gameplay. Anyone that plays Ingress will do a lot of walking. You will see other parts of your city you have missed if you travel out to see other portals. And if you only stay in areas where you are familiar you will gain an appreciation of public art and other landmarks people typically submit as portals.

It is much like an MMORPG except instead of moving your avatar in a virtual world, you actually drive, bike, and walk to locations in the real world. Instead of chatting with your teammates over voice-chat, you will be able to meet up with people in your area face-to-face.

The gameplay itself is very simple at this point. There's really only two aspects of the game: acquiring resources and using the resources to take over territory from the other side. There are some subtleties of the game you will have to learn, but once you learn them you can reach max level in as little as a month if you play a lot. It took me two months. Two months of a lot more exercise than I was getting in the past.

The developers have put this whole story together for the players. If you're into that type of fantasy, awesome. I personally don't pay a whole lot of attention to it and rely on other players to let me know how the gameplay changes over time. The developers have listened to the players and improved the game. They also occasionally tweak the game parameters to try and influence player behavior. Probably as experimentation.

I don't play nearly as much anymore. But every once in a while I'll get out, do some more walking, and take back a few more portals. In the process of playing the game I've seen more parts of my community and met lots of people on both sides. I've been very happy with the experience.
 
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simonmet

simonmet

Cancelled
Sep 9, 2012
2,666
3,664
Sydney
I don't know, I just don't trust Google. It seems like they've got to be mining users for some sort of locational data. It's not like they haven't tried things like hijacking Wi-Fi or exploiting privacy holes in Safari before.

This can't be just about being a fun game and getting users out and about and enjoying some exercise. Google can't be that innocent...can they?
 
D

DisMyMac

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2009
1,087
11
ArtOfWarfare said:
Am I the only one who thinks this sounds like it's going to be one of the weirdest marketing ideas? The game will end with Google revealing that they've made family unit nuclear reactors or something so you can take your family off the power grid?

IDK, I can't see Google being into nuclear power... And I can't think of anything else from that plot description that would make sense to describe as a "new energy source".
Click to expand...

The point is, it's not a game.

I don't know what Google is "really" doing, but people should see the blatant irony of the premise and rules, of being lead and manipulated, all in the name of freedom and better worlds.
 
9

9000

macrumors 6502a
Sep 29, 2013
519
0
Hyrule
"players may be banned for using an unofficial app" Banned from what?

This game doesn't sound very fun, to be honest.
 
tbayrgs

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,094
mfram said:
I've been playing Ingress for a couple months and enjoy it. I suspect many people on this forum would take swipes at the game since it is Android-only at this point. I acquired an Android device purely to play the game and use my iPhone as a hotspot to bridge the data service to the device.

One of the major goals of the development staff was to get people "off the couch" and out into the outdoors. That's the huge plus of the gameplay. Anyone that plays Ingress will do a lot of walking. You will see other parts of your city you have missed if you travel out to see other portals. And if you only stay in areas where you are familiar you will gain an appreciation of public art and other landmarks people typically submit as portals.

It is much like an MMORPG except instead of moving your avatar in a virtual world, you actually drive, bike, and walk to locations in the real world. Instead of chatting with your teammates over voice-chat, you will be able to meet up with people in your area face-to-face.

The gameplay itself is very simple at this point. There's really only two aspects of the game: acquiring resources and using the resources to take over territory from the other side. There are some subtleties of the game you will have to learn, but once you learn them you can reach max level in as little as a month if you play a lot. It took me two months. Two months of a lot more exercise than I was getting in the past.

The developers have put this whole story together for the players. If you're into that type of fantasy, awesome. I personally don't pay a whole lot of attention to it and rely on other players to let me know how the gameplay changes over time. The developers have listened to the players and improved the game. They also occasionally tweak the game parameters to try and influence player behavior. Probably as experimentation.

I don't play nearly as much anymore. But every once in a while I'll get out, do some more walking, and take back a few more portals. In the process of playing the game I've seen more parts of my community and met lots of people on both sides. I've been very happy with the experience.
Click to expand...

Very well explained. I've also been playing on and off since last winter and while the gameplay itself isn't complex, it's a refreshing change from typical gaming in that, <gasp :eek:>, you actually have to get your a$$ of the couch to play. God forbid anyone actually get a bit of exercise, or maybe socialize face to face with someone. ;)

I've made some new friends, both teammates and opposing players, and seen parts of my city that I probably wouldn't have been to otherwise.

Google have some ulterior motive? Possibly, don't really care, enjoyed playing it regardless. You think all the big video game houses are making games for everyone to play out of the kindness of their own heart? There doing the same thing any corporation is doing, trying to make money. And you could be certain that all the Google bashers in here would be praising it to high heaven if Apple had created it. :rolleyes:
 
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T

twigman08

macrumors 6502
Apr 13, 2012
478
1
The "gamers" of today won't like it at all. Though people who are looking into trying something new then they may really like it.

I've played it on and off. It can some fun and it is interesting and different to play.

Though of course the people who are terrified of Google or are terrified in meeting new people physically rather than virtually won't like it at all. Though Google is just trying to do what any other company in the world is trying to do: make money. They're just trying to do it in a "different" way (not really different just not how most companies do it nowadays).
 
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