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If you grew up playing Space Invaders, have you ever wondered what it might be like to play the game in an AR format? Well if you have, then it looks like you’ll be able to find out.
At Google I/O this week, Google announced that it has partnered up with Taito to make an AR Space Invaders game. It’s called Space Invaders: World Defense, and it’s launching later this Summer. Which is, perhaps the absolute best time for a game like this to launch. At least in climates where the Summer heat is manageable. With good weather, you’re more likely to take a stroll through your city and check the game out.
And since this is an AR game, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do if you want the full effect. Take a walk outside and imagine yourself as a defender of earth fighting off aliens trying to invade.
The Space Invaders AR game will adapt to your environment
Google doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail here about this aspect of the game. Or rather any aspect of the game for that matter. The details about Space Invaders: World Defense are scarce, but not completely absent.
It’s built using the ARCore Geospatial API to make your real-life world a “digital playground” for the game. Google is also utilizing the Streetscape Geometry API so that the game will adapt to your environment. It’s not clear how the game will adapt. But our guess would be that this simply means aliens can invade in different locations based on the types of structures and landscape in your area.
It seems like there will be high score boards which is fitting given this was a trait of the original game. Not to mention just about every arcade game from the era.