Like reality, only better

I think it's safe to say that the future is here. No longer will people look out of their windows into the world around them, but will use technology to change reality; to augment it, if you will. No, I'm not talking about Virtual Reality, that early-90s vision of gaming in the future, but Augmented Reality (AR), the late-2000s vision of gaming in the future.

So what exactly is AR? Well, imagine you have a digital camera. As you move the camera around, the image on the screen displays what it can see. AR involves the insertion of video game elements directly into this video feed, essentially creating a game in the world around you. A good example of this would be the Singapore-based research group who, back in 2004, created a special backpack and pair of goggles that would project a Pacman-style game into the nearby area, complete with Power Pills and ghosts. A more recent example would be Ghostwire, a DSi title brought to us by Swedish developer, A Different Game. In this title, players use the DSi cameras to locate wandering spirits, and hopefully send them on their way.

Even more impressive that these, though, is a tech demo from Georgia Tech Augmented Environments Lab and the Savannah College of Art and Design. It shows off a game called ARhrrr, in which the player flies around a city in a helicopter, blasting zombies that are wandering the streets. The cool part is that the city appears on your tabletop, and changing your view is simply a case of moving the device in your hands. Although they're using a new Invidia prototype for the demonstration, this technology could potentially carry over to any number of handhelds, including the DS, PSP, and iPhone.



Isn't that cool? I realize that it's nothing more than a tech demo at this stage, but really shows off the potential for future applications. Imagine all the awesome titles AR could bring us in the future, from first person shooters set in your living room, to more unique games such as Beer Goggles, in which all girls around you look really hot, and, er.... I haven't quite figured out what comes after that yet. Either way, the possibilities are huge, and should bring us some never-before-seen experiences in the upcoming years.

Oh and by the way, if we're going to be using candy as bombs, then my house is a potential Hiroshima waiting to happen!