The augmented-reality game, in which people roam the real world to capture territory, will expand from Android to iOS next year, ATD reports. October 14, 2013 2:46 AM PDT Ingress lets people from two teams capture special spots called portals then link them to enclose areas (Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET) Ingress, an augmented-reality Android game from Google's Niantic Labs unit in which players try to conquer territory in the real world, will come to iOS in 2014. Ingress arrived a year ago, and the closed-beta software has been gradually updated with bug fixes and new features. One thing that hasn't changed, is the absence of an iPhone version, even though Google generally tends to support Apple's mobile operating system. Related stories Ingress adds a traditional twist to its augmented-reality MMO Google Glass finds fellow traveler in Field Trip Inside Ingress, Google's new augmented-reality game Next year, though, Google will release Ingress for iOS, Ingress product manager Brandon Badger told All Things D. In Ingress, players join one of two teams, the Enlightened or the Resistance -- jokingly nicknamed frogs and Smurfs, respectively, for their green and blue colors. Players then roam around the real world trying to capture or defend "portals" that are tied to real-world points of interest such as public works of art or libraries. Portals can be linked to draw shapes on the map that enclose geographic regions; conventional gameplay encourages large shapes that enclose a lot of real-world population, but some Ingress players have gone out of their way to turn maps into something of an artistic canvas. For those who want to go beyond completing missions with teammates, a sci-fi backstory also fleshes out the real-world part of the game.
The augmented-reality game, in which people roam the real world to capture territory, will expand from Android to iOS next year, ATD reports.
Ingress lets people from two teams capture special spots called portals then link them to enclose areas
(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Ingress, an augmented-reality Android game from Google's Niantic Labs unit in which players try to conquer territory in the real world, will come to iOS in 2014.
Ingress arrived a year ago, and the closed-beta software has been gradually updated with bug fixes and new features. One thing that hasn't changed, is the absence of an iPhone version, even though Google generally tends to support Apple's mobile operating system.
Related stories
- Ingress adds a traditional twist to its augmented-reality MMO
- Google Glass finds fellow traveler in Field Trip
- Inside Ingress, Google's new augmented-reality game
Next year, though, Google will release Ingress for iOS, Ingress product manager Brandon Badger told All Things D.
In Ingress, players join one of two teams, the Enlightened or the Resistance -- jokingly nicknamed frogs and Smurfs, respectively, for their green and blue colors. Players then roam around the real world trying to capture or defend "portals" that are tied to real-world points of interest such as public works of art or libraries.
Portals can be linked to draw shapes on the map that enclose geographic regions; conventional gameplay encourages large shapes that enclose a lot of real-world population, but some Ingress players have gone out of their way to turn maps into something of an artistic canvas.
For those who want to go beyond completing missions with teammates, a sci-fi backstory also fleshes out the real-world part of the game.
