by Catherine Mitchell T
hanks to Pokémon Go, the augmented reality game by Niantic Labs that took off like a Jolteon
and kept going long after predictions for its fizzle passed, businesses can look forward to more games that include their locations as destinations for players. How can you be prepared to take advantage of the next big craze? Fortunately, the options for using mobile games and apps to promote a business can range from very expensive to free, which is good news for small businesses that don’t have Big Brand bucks. New augmented reality or AR games will also be using the GPS tracking feature of mobile phones that you see in Pokémon Go and that will make it possible for businesses that rely on foot traffic to play along. Let’s use Pokémon Go as our template for creating a buzz around your business with an AR game or app.
26 AR versus VR
First, you should understand that AR is different from virtual reality or VR, which is a completely immersive experience, as if you dropped into a new environment. At present, VR requires a headset that focuses the player on scenes through the headset only. AR games, on the other hand, add to the existing real environment by showing the player the AR content on a phone or Google Glass (an optical head-mounted display in the shape of eyeglasses). Te content can appear when triggered by elements in the environment such as location, which is how the GPS tracking feature comes into play, or a motion like swiping your hand over a screen. Let’s see how AR works. Your first step
will be to download and create an account with Pokémon Go. Using the GPS tracking system in the player’s mobile
phone, the game creates a map of the player’s location. Te game then displays elements from the game – the elusive Pokémon themselves, the nearby Gyms where Trainers (as Pokémon Go players are called) can work with their Pokémon to help them evolve, and PokéStops where Pokémon could appear.
Be on the Map
In AR games, the players will be using locations to activate gameplay, so you want to be on the map. In Pokémon Go, these are called PokéStops. If there’s not a PokéStop or two near you, you can submit a request to the game’s maker to add them. Submit online (go to support.
pokemongo.nianticlabs.com and click
“Submit a Request” for a dropdown menu of choices) or in the game itself. Niantic Labs stopped accepting requests during the summer, so keep checking if you want one. Tis is also where you can request
ISI EDGE WINTER 2016
It’s an Augmented World! Learn How Your Business Can Benefit
elp, the online review platform, recently created a filter that identifies PokéStops, asking reviewers to note whether a business is near a PokéStop.
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