Google Beta for New Augmented Reality Smartphone-Based Conspiracy MMO: 'Ingress'

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This mind-bending bit of news has quite a few surprises and twists both in its inception, its source, and its content. The first surprise is that Google's own Niantic Labs is actually developing an MMO (massively mutlplayer online) video game.

The second surprise is that although this game works like an MMO with millions of users across the globe playing together in real time, it doesn't use a traditional interface. This is a smartphone based augmented reality game.

The third surprise is the content of the game will be a paranoid laced, global conspiracy theme that uses real world landmarks as points of reference to help move the story along. (It looks like they found some unique uses for Google Maps.) Here's a quote with the story description to help nail down the concept,

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It seems to me that this game is like FourSquare, only it wraps it in an interesting plot and more interactivity. We knew that those Google engineers were crafty and creative, but who knew they could come up with a mind-bending concept like this, or that they were even working on a game? The only thing that might be a concern about this idea is that some folks who already have a problem distinguishing reality from fantasy might have a problem extricating themselves from this "game." Get out your tin-foil hats everyone, and que up the X-Files theme music!

Here's a link to the Google Play Store where you can request an invite to the currently closed beta test of the game: Google Play Store - Ingress

 

can anyone invite me to this?

 

You'll have to meet me in Times Square. Wear a white carnation on your lapel so I can recognize you. The pass phrase is "I must have made a wrong turn in Albyquirky." This post may self destruct....

 

man I wish I knew how to do that so I could get invited.