What is the impact of Augmented Reality on the games industry? – Inglobe Technologies

Augmented Reality has brought a revolution to the world, especially to the games industry. The video game sector is the main consumer branch for AR technology, as they are now within everyone’s reach, without the need to buy expensive headsets, and they are really immersive thanks to the possibility of being able to explore the world by generating a feeling of adventure. 

Augmented Reality games create a realistic image together with sounds and other sensations to offer imaginary experiences that stimulate the player’s physical presence in the environment. As the user becomes more demanding and looks for ever more immersive gaming adventures, they will discover through AR a complete virtual world that replaces the real one, controlled by body movements. This is, therefore, an extraordinary beginning of AR technology. In recent years, the online games industry has evolved tremendously, reaching a record of $175 billion in revenues with more than 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, and is expected to grow even more in the future.

The relationship between AR and the games industry is one that is destined to grow more and more; according to Newzoo‘s new report, an interesting fact emerges: 69% of PC gamers engage in mobile gaming at least once a week. But that’s not all: since 2016, mobile has accounted for the largest share of the gaming market. And it will continue to grow faster than PC and console, driven by an increase in average spend and the fact that more and more consumers will have access to smartphones in the future.

 For the past three years, this is a trend that has evolved to the point where it is setting record after record. Seventy-nine per cent of the users surveyed said they had tried AR when playing video games in the past six months. Among gamers, 81% of respondents have used AR several times, 67% of those who enjoy AR more than once a month have played Pokemon Go, which remains undoubtedly the most successful and downloaded game of all time. Since its launch (July 2016) it has earned almost $2 trillion in total between iOS and Android platforms ($748 million on Apple and $1.2 trillion on Android). 

How will AR bring revolutionary changes to the world of games?

Augmented Reality games have reached a level of sophistication that truly engages players. Manufacturers in the gaming industry have introduced innovation beyond imagination to offer users a smooth and immersive experience.

The benefits are numerous:

– Real-time interaction: AR technology is known to unite the real and the virtual, creating a dreamlike journey for users. Real-time interaction will enhance the perception of players around the world and encourage the creation of more immersive levels;

– Changing lifestyles: Gaming is not only entertainment, but the evolution of augmented reality has also made its way into lifestyles. Sectors such as medicine, tourism, education and entertainment have turned towards AR interactions to increase user engagement;

– Creative content: AR is only distinguished by their ultimate experience, but also by their versatile and engaging content, well coded by game developers. To better cater to the target market, developers offer superior custom content.

What is Gamification?  What is it for?

Gamification is the process of using game mechanics and game thinking to engage users and to solve problems. It is used to apply game elements in non-game contexts with the aim of influencing user behavior, increasing motivation and encouraging participation. 

There are many fields where Gamification can be applied. The most significant ones are education, in-company training and marketing. 

In the field of education, Gamification enables innovative teaching methods on the part of teachers and learning methods on the part of students. Gamification mechanisms stimulate participation, even in the absence of specific rewards, just to challenge oneself or others and have an engaging learning experience.  Thanks to Gamification, subjects are transformed from passive observers to active participants. In fact, when participants in a game face a challenge and fail to overcome it, their self-esteem, unlike in a normal situation, is not undermined, rather they are stimulated to try again. 

In companies, ‘Workplace Gamification’ is used to create work environments, processes and tasks that stimulate and inspire employees, but also to create systems for their training. In the field of marketing, the integration of gamification logic in advertising campaigns and ‘lead generation’ allows potential buyers to be more engaged with the product and thus increase the conversion rate.

Gamification has the ability to keep the user’s attention high and to constantly challenge him/her. This mechanism, thus, forces everyone involved, be they students, company employees or workers, to think transversally in order to find a solution, and it has been proven that this enables them to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills and, in some cases, change their behavior. 

What are the best Augmented Reality games on iOS and Android?

Like ‘normal’ video games, Augmented Reality games also fall into different genres. Adventure games are the most popular genre in the world of AR games: thanks to geolocation, the user’s location in the real world becomes the game environment, combining a unique storyline, fantastic creatures and incredible quests. With a GPS-enabled smartphone, the player can move around the real world carrying out the most incredible missions. Even fans of sports games will be able, thanks to the use of AR, to play basketball or go hiking simply by using their smartphone. 

1. The Walking Dead: Our World – Best Augmented Reality games on iOS and Android

 The concept of The Walking Dead: Our World is similar to Pokémon GO. Based on the popular TV show and comic series, this AR survival game will take the player out and explore to accumulate supplies, discover valuables and rescue survivors. New characters can be unlocked throughout the game, each with different abilities and characteristics. In addition, you can team up with friends for co-operative challenges. The Walking Dead: Our World also allows you to record mission highlights and share them on social media.

2. My Tamagotchi Forever

This game revives a fad from the past: the Tamagotchi, the world-famous virtual egg, reintroduced in a completely new form. Colorful to look at, with iconic stylised graphics, and extremely easy to understand.  The objective is to keep the pet alive and happy by feeding it, washing it, and putting it to sleep at the right times. This game is simple and really suitable for everyone. 

3. Harry Potter: Wizards

Also created by Niantic, this is the newest game based on the Harry Potter series, and allows everyone to feel a bit like a wizard or witch. The game has only been available for a very short time but already has millions of downloads on Android and iOS. The camera on your phone will bring wizards, magical objects, creatures and more into your life. As you advance in levels, you can earn rewards that will help you level up and strengthen your wand. In addition, the player can meet his favorite Harry Potter characters in AR. 

With the speed of development of AR technologies for smartphones, there will be many surprises, with new categories of games.

An exciting future for gaming that will touch and exceed its limits.