For a while, augmented reality games were the wave of the future. With the Kinect, the PlayStation Move, and the 3DS, we could use a console’s cameras to read our surroundings and put a game over it. This sounded like the coolest thing ever.
We saw it implemented in a few small games. The 3DS could use AR cards to play a couple minigames. The Vita could too. This usually involved using the camera to look at a card, then bringing that card to life in the game world. A few small monster capturing games were made for the vita, but these never really caught on. The PlayStation Eye gave us the EyePet , which was really just a waste of time, and the Kinect spent most of its time building motion controlled game worlds inside the TV, like with Kinectimals.
We have barely seen any ARGs created since, so I’m asking, where did they all go?
We heard no end to the big ARG dreams when the technology was still young. Game developers were talking about partnering with Wizards of the Coast to create a version of Magic: the Gathering come to life, or Konami to create the same with Yu-Gi-Oh. Other plans included the ability to aim your camera at a board game that was being played like Settlers of Catan, and not only would the console keep track of the game’s stats and points, but it would also render nice looking buildings over the wooden game pieces for everyone to see on the TV.
I’m being honest here, I don’t know. Did we just give up on them? Did we decide that they weren’t worth our time? Were they just Peter Molyneux-esque flights of fancy where developers promised far more than they could ever hope to deliver on?
I’m particularly disappointed because this sort of stuff has so much potential with the new prevalence of streaming platforms in consoles. Imagine this. You, living in New York, and your friend, who lives in California, both sit down to play some Magic: The Gathering . You aim the PS Eye or the Kinect at your table and your opponent does the same. You get to see your opponent’s play area, and he gets to see yours. Then, as you play cards, the game animates them and keeps track of your life. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
I may be one of the only people going to E3 this year hoping to see more ARGs, but I really do think they stand for an interesting and innovative future for the gaming industry. What do you think? Do you want to see more ARGs in gaming? Are you disappointed that we haven’t taken advantage of more ARG technology? Let us know in the comments.