The startup that began its life with the search engine giant is leaving its parent company.
The internal startup at Google, Niantic Labs, which is best known for having developed the augmented reality game app called Ingress, is going to step out on its own to become a company unto itself.
The announcement was made by Niantic Labs, this week, having first been mentioned on its Google+ page.
The announcement explained that Niantic Labs intends to head off on its own so that it will bring its “unique blend of exploration and fun to even bigger audiences.” That said, just because it won’t be a part of Google, anymore, it doesn’t mean that the two companies won’t be continuing their relationship. In fact, the creator of the Ingress augmented reality game app has already named Google as one of its prime backers and collaborators, “along with some amazing new partners.”
Aside from Ingress, Niantic Labs has also developed another mobile augmented reality game app.
Back in 2012, Niantic had initially launched a mobile app that it called Field Trip. That application was created for Android device users. It functioned by assisting them in being able to discover nearby places of interest. Not long after, it put out its first version of the Ingress AR technology based game. In that app, players choose to be a part of one of two different factions, through which they are supposed to explore locations in the real world and help to claim them for their side.
According to the announcement from earlier this week, that game has already been downloaded over 12 million times by users of Android and iOS based mobile devices. Moreover, it has managed to bring over 250,000 people to attend various types of events that have been held worldwide.
Earlier in 2015, the developer also put out another augmented reality game app called Endgame: Ancient Truth. That app continued on for a number of months and linked in with the broader science-fiction based Endgame universe, including the books that were written by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton. The future plans of Niantic Labs, free of Google, are not yet publicly known.
The popular Ingress location based game is opening itself up to Apple smartphone players.
Niantic Labs from Google has managed to produce an exceptionally popular augmented reality mobile gaming experience for Android smartphone users, but the next step is going to be a launch for users of iPhones, as well.
This will allow the Apple device users to enjoy the same experience that uses geolocation technology.
This augmented reality mobile gaming opportunity begins as a location based MMO, which uses positioning in the real world in order to impact the various events that are going on within the game. From there it expands into a type of broad scale virtual reality event that continues to grow the more the Ingress players continue to unravel its mysteries.
As a part of the celebration of this growing augmented reality mobile gaming experience, Niantic Labs has gone a step further.
Niantic Labs has now released a video series that is made up of two parts in the form of a retrospective. The purpose is to show the creation of the geolocation game experience and to document the way that the story has progressed until this point. The name of the official documentary that has been released is “Ingress Report: Ingress Year One.”
The videos are both interesting and informative, even to those who have never before played the Ingress game. It is a fascinating way to catch the viewer up with the latest in this experience which has become an event unto itself.
This will be certain to attract iPhone users who are looking forward to being able to take on the game for themselves once it is released in a format that is compatible with their own devices. Rumor has it that this will not be long off and that the release for this version.
That said, this remains big news in the augmented reality mobile gaming world, as Google had previously made the experience available only to users of devices based on its own Android operating system. However, the more players there are of the game, the better it gets. Therefore, this could lead to a considerable influx of players that could greatly improve this already highly enjoyed game.
