Analysis: AR is on the move
Augmented reality (AR) is all the rage these days. Just check out Pokémon Go, which has been dubbed as the most viral app ever
While AR isnât a new technology, you need to have a killer app to appeal to the market. Pokémon Go has captured a huge mass market following due the social components of the game: the blending of the virtual and the real, geo-location and the success of existing Pokemon culture.
One of the strengths of the games, which requires players to walk around to catch Pokemons, is that it highlights the power of an AR platform as a shared, social experience. According to The USA Today, Pokemon Go has been downloaded at least 15 million times.
While AR has yet to make an impact in the egaming world, the potential is there. On the front cover of our latest issue of EGR magazine, Microgaming demonstrated the ability to bring a slots game character to life using AR.
The supplier has been experimenting with AR for the past seven years as a way to stand out in what is a crowded gaming market.
In timing with the upcoming release of its slots game Dragonz, due out in November, Microgaming is showcasing exactly how AR can bring gaming characters to life. âWe chose Gobble from Dragonz, as we felt his interactions during the game, such as hovering and learning to fly, would lend themselves perfectly to a 3D environment,â explained John Quinn, head of casino, Microgaming.
While the AR work has been purely conceptual so far, Microgaming is confident of the potential commercialisation of AR gaming products.
In egaming, Quinn believes AR could be disruptive and appeal to different segments of the industry in different ways. âAR has the potential to make games even more interactive and will give operators unique opportunities to deliver real-time information, content and promotions to players,â he added.
And itâs not just big news in entertainment, AR is also growing in popularity across other sectors. In retail, AR is being used by shoppers who want to browse a virtual catalogue of clothes while it can also been used in the healthcare sector alongside robotic medical machinery to assist with tasks during surgery. The use cases are limitless and it looks like AR is here to stay.