UlasanAnime.com – Google’s foray into the world of video games is marked by Ingress, a title that can be considered their first true gaming product. Unlike previous ventures, Ingress is a fully realized game, not merely a supplementary feature. The game is played on smartphones, currently for Android users, and presents players with a map populated by various landmarks.
Players are tasked with visiting these landmarks to engage in gameplay. The primary objective involves establishing “fields” by connecting different landmarks with lines. The side that encompasses the most players within their fields is declared the winner. Additionally, players are encouraged to follow a trail of clues disseminated through Google’s Ingress social media channels to unravel the overarching narrative of the game. The game is presently in an invite-only beta phase, with more information available through dedicated guides.
A compelling interview has surfaced, featuring the game’s lead discussing the core concepts behind Ingress. John Hanke, the game lead, elaborates on how this new generation of mobile games not only encourages players to venture outdoors but also fosters a deeper connection with the world around them. The game, facilitated by increasingly compact, portable, and location-aware devices, aims to integrate the player experience with their external environment rather than isolating them.
This concept strongly resonates with the narrative presented in Robotic;Notes. The combination of IRUO and Airi can be seen as analogous to the core mechanics of Ingress. The Kimijima Reports function similarly to the in-game “intel” items found in Ingress, or the information disseminated through platforms like Google+ and Twitter. While Ingress features a less elaborate unlock mechanism compared to the expectations set by Robotic;Notes, it relies on intricate, developer-level ciphers. The stakes in Ingress, involving XM and the conflict between the Enlightened and the Resistance, do not appear to mirror the doomsday scenario depicted in Robotic;Notes, which plays with potential mechanical, time-traveling elements tied to solar flares.
One can only speculate on Chiyomaru Shikura’s thoughts regarding Ingress. This convergence of ideas seems almost inevitable, given the trajectory of existing technology, evolving user behaviors, and the media’s portrayal of how individuals interact with portable electronics. It’s plausible that individuals working independently across various sectors might independently arrive at similar conclusions when exploring these themes. Furthermore, Robotic;Notes still retains the KillBallad angle, which promises to be a significant plot development in the latter half of the story, in addition to the giant robot being constructed and the conspiracy hinted at through the robots club, Frau’s mother, and Gunvarrel.
Fortunately, the narrative of Robotic;Notes is sufficiently complex that it has only recently begun to resemble the puzzle-gathering, real-world gameplay of Ingress. It is hoped that this resemblance will be transient. On the other hand, Ingress possesses tangible real-world applications, as highlighted in an interview with a member of the Google Maps team concerning the future of mapping. It is hardly a coincidence that Google’s Field Trip app is developed by the same team responsible for Ingress. The next logical step would be to integrate a feature akin to Airi/Kugyuu into one’s phone, providing real-time recommendations, such as identifying the highest-rated Greek restaurant within a 500-mile radius.
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