New Virtual Graffiti Game Lets Players Avoid Trouble with
Real Cops
TagDis, an Award-Winning
New iPhone App, Blends Augmented Reality with Social Networking to
Provide a Fun, Location-Based Game Played on Streets and Buildings in
the Real World.
San Francisco, California (PRWEB) -- Create your own
graffiti tags. Drop them around town. Battle other taggers to become
King of the streets. Those are the rules in the street art underground,
and that's also how you play TagDis, a brand-new iPhone app by e23
Games. A virtual graffiti game that's played in the real world, TagDis
combines Augmented Reality with social gaming mechanics to provide an
innovative and immersive game experience unlike anything the industry
has seen before.
Now available as a free download from Apple's App Store, TagDis lets
players design their own graffiti and street art with gritty fonts,
gorgeous stencils, and colorful cans of digital spray paint. Players can
then apply their tags all over town as many times as they want. Using
Augmented Reality technology, TagDis players see their tags ? and those
of other players ? in the real world. It's simple: just look through the
iPhone camera via the TagDis app, and TagDis graffiti is displayed on
real buildings and streets.
But watch out: it's a jungle out there. Players who tag frequently can
become the King of the block... or own an entire neigborhood. To remain
King, they must compete with other players, who can add their own tags
to the same streets and buildings. Players can vote other taggers up or
down, or enlist their own friends as fans to build more street cred. The
basic rules are simple: Develop your own graffiti style, bomb your
street, and do what it takes to rule your territory.
TagDis received its first award June 2nd, on the same day it was
launched, at the Augmented Reality Events 2010 (ARE2010) Conference held
in Santa Clara, California. In the ARE2010 "Startup Launch Pad"
competition, TagDis was selected as the most promising augmented reality
product by a panel of industry experts. As part of the prize, e23 Games
received $10,000 in working capital.
TagDis is among the first games to combine four of the most significant
trends in digital media: mobile applications, social networking,
location-based services, and Augmented Reality. The TagDis platform
encompasses location-based data, virtual object selection and placement,
a social gaming infrastructure, and strong connections to existing
social networks via Facebook. A global game that can be played in any
location with a clear GPS signal and 3G or wireless access, TagDis
harnesses Augmented Reality technology to deliver a new kind of gameplay
that's creative, competitive, and pleasantly addictive.
"We don't want to wait until Augmented Realty technology becomes
perfect," said Joe Dunn, CEO of e23 Games. "It works as a casual and
creative medium right now, so that's how we use it with TagDis. This
game realizes our vision of enabling audiences to engage with new
worlds, return to them frequently, and have a blast when they do."
The technology is impressive, but TagDis is more than just a game.
Building on the success of location-based social networks such as
Foursquare, TagDis adds competitive game dynamics that encourage players
to interact with physical locations in new ways. By combining
location-based data with computer-augmented imagery, TagDis enables
players to engage with physical space in ways that support several
industry-proven business models.
"The interaction of content and location is what creates the critical
sense of 'magic' in alternate environments," said Dunn of 23 Games. "We
think alternate environments want to be shared, so being able to invite
your friends, or meet new friends, in an alternate world is a compelling
thing. It's also the foundation for a good business, because it's
viral, with the game providing incentives to engage with the content on a
regular basis."
TagDis Highlights:
| | - Virtual graffiti
requires no clean-up. Added Bonus: Players won't get busted by the cops!
- Seamless interaction of iPhone camera, GPS, and compass lets
players project virtual graffiti onto real street scenes via Augmented
Reality.
- Easy, one-button integration with Facebook profiles.
- Players can create tags from dozens of fonts, stencils, and
colors of virtual spraypaint.
- Social management of virtual
objects enables direct interaction with user-generated game elements.
- Detailed tracking of player activity and virtual object
geolocation data fosters persistent real-world interaction.
- Engaging
gameplay encourages players to compete for territory, build reputation,
vote on other players' tags, and fatten their virtual wallets.
- Built-in
game mechanics engine tabulates and ranks players' scores in realtime.
- Direct-from-app integration with a dedicated game website (www.tagdis.com).
- Global scale via GPS technology and 3G wireless networks.
|
TagDis Technical Requirements:
| | - iPhone 3GS or above
- iPhone OS 3.1 or later
- 3.9 MB storage space
|
About e23 Games:
Based in San Francisco, e23 Games (e23games.com) is a software
development company that integrates the accessibility of Augmented
Reality on mobile devices with the mechanisms of social gaming. e23
Games believes that virtual worlds should be highly creative, fun to
experience, and intrinsically social. The E23 Games platform enables
virtual object placement and selection in the real world, combining it
with a social gaming infrastructure and strong connections with existing
social networks.The E23 Games team has an extensive background in 3D
design, casual games, console games, consumer digital media, and
professional creative tools, with expertise that spans technology, art
and management.
Contact:
Todd Lappin
e23 Marketing
415-378-7719
todd(at)e23games(dot)com
Lisa Loud
e23 Marketing
408-390-6963
lisa(at)e23games(dot)com
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