I stumbled across a game called Ingress the other day on Google Play. Turns out it's very interesting on many levels.

First, to my knowledge it's the first augmented reality game for mobile phones. Not just real-time but real-space.

Second, it's run by Google.

Third, Google are now starting to market it after a year in beta. They're bundling promo stuff about it with new Android phones.

Fourth, given there are already a good number of people playing it (in Bristol, UK, where I live the main areas around town are live battlegrounds) you can bet your bottom dollar Google will start trying to make advertising money from it at some point.

Fifth, until they start making advertising money from it there are opportunities to get free marketing for your local business by setting up a portal next to your premises.

http://searchengineland.com/ingress-googles-ar-game-a-stealth-local-data-effort-175417

Ed

PS It's also a very addictive game. I feel like James Bond sneaking around hacking into portals.

Yeah, I read about this quite a few months ago.

Very interesting, really, but a bit too close to having to actually get up and go outside.

Seriously tho, who has time for this? Bored, single peeps I guess?

Young people (of which I don't really count myself).

The get up and go outside aspect is one of its strengths. Plays into the fitness/live well sphere.

You also get a lot of people in their faction meeting up, so has a huge social element which I'm sure could include making new friends, dating etc.

Personally, I wouldn't bet against anything that Google are starting to push this much.

I'm registered as a player, but live in the sticks which makes the game pointless.  One of my guys is big-time into it though.

My take is that the game is there as an advertising platform.  It is there to build local data.  The portals are all landmarks. People submit photos to propose new portals.  Google gets loads of pictures + geo data + more through it. 

And Google gets to track your every step

This is out of beta now. Anyone still using it?