Nostalgia, be damned - Google and the legendary Taito Corporation have joined forces to create a new augmented-reality version of the '70s classic Space Invaders. The iconic shoot 'em up arcade game is set to make a grand return with the slick new avatar venturing out of the arcade machine and into a city near you.
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The new game, dubbed, Space Invaders: World Defense, will take advantage of high-tech Google tools like ARCore and Geospatial Creator. This implementation allows the creators to unleash AR versions of Space Invaders aliens onto real-world locations, thus transforming your "city into a virtual playground".
The game will also take into account the time of day, your location and even the weather conditions around you, however, how these things will actually influence gameplay still remains to be seen. Google's Streetscape Geometry API will give developers access to "the geometry of terrain, buildings, or other structures in a scene" that will be captured via one's smartphone's camera, which will allow the aliens from outer space to fly behind buildings or other structures.
As cool as it sounds, it's also meant to serve some real gameplay functionality. The buildings or cover objects will shield aliens from your attacks, thus requiring you to plan your strategies and come up with new ways to outsmart them. If that weren't enough, the space invaders will also use warp holes to appear out of nowhere, adding a whole new element of surprise to the battle. Paired with the announcement, Google and Taito released a brief video for the upcoming AR game which shows off some neat little tricks and the overall scope of the game, but doesn't show any actual gameplay.
'Space Invaders: World Defense' | Image: Taito Corporation
The official description for Space Invaders: World Defense reads, "For the last 45 years, SPACE INVADERS have tried to conquer the world. They are back and this time coming from another dimension. As one of Earth's top pilots, you must use your spaceship's advanced technology and your expert skills to travel between dimensions and defend the planet. The future of the Earth is in your hands! This unique, immersive game is powered by ARCore and Google's Geospatial Creator to create a real-world playground in AR and 3D. Enjoy the classic gameplay in a whole new dimension: explore, find, and defeat SPACE INVADERS in your neighbourhood!"
No exact release date has been shared yet but the game's promo video does mention a summer release window, so chances are we'll learn more about it in the near future.
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