Pokemon Go is almost always used as the premier example of augmented reality gaming. It’s no wonder, Niantic certainly created a hit with that one. On the other hand, there are plenty of other great examples of AR-based games. These include Temple Treasure Hunt, Army of Robots, Knightfall, and of course, Zombies, Run!
There are AR games for virtually every genre. You can even find AR games being used in the classroom. Done right, an AR game can really make an impact. So, why aren’t there more of them? Sure, there are a lot of cool games, but the volume of AR games is still relatively low. Why are companies a bit slow to create new games using this technology?
As it turns out, there are some unique challenges that AR game developers face. In order for their games to be a success, they’ll need to overcome these.
Storage, Battery, and Temperature are a Still a Challenge
AR games ask a lot of your phone. They use your camera, gyroscope, GPS, and other resources. The result of this can be a strain on your battery, and rising temperatures. Many games also take up quite a bit of space. This is a real problem because in many games, mobility as absolutely necessary. It’s difficult to play when you’re tethered to your wall charger. The temperature and battery issues are also a bit comorbid as battery charging often halts when smartphones reach a certain temperature.
Lack of Full Hardware Support for AR Gaming Features
When Pokemon Go was first released, everybody looked forward to being able to lifelike Pokemon standing right before them as they played. Many were fortunate enough to actually experience this. These were the folks who had the higher-end, more advanced phones. Others were a bit disappointed with their experience.
Many people downloaded the game only to realize that their phones weren’t capable of providing them the much-touted experience. AR play only works on phones that have a gyroscope. These players were relegated to playing a still fun, but not nearly as cool, on-screen version of the game. This shows that it’s imperative that designers test their AR games thoroughly, and that they manage player expectations.
Ensuring Games are Safe, Sensitive, and Responsible
One of the positive aspects of AR gaming is that it often encourages people to be out, active, and interacting with their environments. This is great, as long as an effort is made to be sensitive about where people may be gaming and the impact that their gaming could have on others. Most people are aware of several embarrassing instances where sacred and sensitive areas were designated as Pokestops, or of players intruding in areas where they weren’t welcome.
There are also potential issues with safety depending on the nature of the game. Any AR game that requires moving around in public is going to have some potential of distracted players getting injured.
Game developers must be aware of this. If they use geolocation, they should be proactive in ensuring that they aren’t leading players to be intrusive. They must also issue appropriate safety warnings.
Inability to Establish a Controlled Gaming Environment
The nature of AR itself may be what presents the greatest challenge. Rather than creating an entirely controlled world on a television, phone, or computer screen, you create a game that must exist within the user’s own reality. Once an AR game is released, there’s often no control over where that game is played.
Now, there are some exceptions to this. There are several games in the Ed Tech space that utilize physical triggers that are placed within a classroom or other controlled environment. Still, for the most part, gaming is going to happen where people choose. As a developer, you might have to consider, “How do I create a game that provides an amazing experience for someone playing at a neighborhood park, but also for someone playing inside their apartment.
Final Thoughts: Challenges and Opportunities
There’s no doubt that AR developers face some unique challenges. In spite of this, AR technology gives developers the opportunity to develop some really engaging games across a variety of genres. With a great idea and a great tech team, we think there are some amazing opportunities in the AR gaming niche.