Ingress: How Google is gamifying Map Data collection and Augmented Reality offerings

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The launch of Ingress by Google in November 2012 has actually made many people pondering about gamifying data collection and augmented reality offerings. It left people wondering about the mysterious strategy behind Google launching a free android game. It is a game which describes two shadowy sides grappling for dominance namely – Enlightened, the team which is trying to creating portals and controlling people’s minds and the Resistance, the people who are stopping the Enlightened.

First, let us check out what this Ingress game is…
According to Wikipedia, Ingress is an augmented reality massively multiplayer online video game created by NianticLabs@Google, released for Android devices.
Based on the report of an investigation, Ingress is a game that involves struggle to save the planet. The game is said to be enhanced everyday unleashing the secrets of the game every passing day to make it more engrossing. The users have access to carry pockets of energy that they can use to complete virtual missions. It is real-time place where people can advertise their products and services. It provides links to real businesses and locations which helps gaming champs to reach people in a highly localized and targeted way. Google’s primary motive seems to be data collection, secondary being revenue from advertisers.
The game is always prompting the player about his location. In this regard, Michael Carney from PandoDaily said, “To capture a Portal, and harvest the “energy” contained therein for his respective team, a user must physically go to a location and check in. additional energy is available by travelling specific walking paths, bike paths, and inner-city routes dictated by the company, all while the user’s Android device is transmitting GPS and accelerometer data. In some cases, the user will be required to photograph locations or objects along those routes.”
Google is going to collect mapping data when people are going to walk through the trails or bike paths, etc. And the photos shot and videos recorded by the gamer will be used to get a crucial order to the geo data.
If you are a user who is very strict about privacy, you might find it very alarming with gamified data collecting. Though there were apps that were using augmented reality data, nothing could make use of the valuable information available. While Google’s Ingress has been spreading like wild fire. The game is getting to be a lot more fun and addictive. The game actually makes people physically move from one place to another in the real world to add more points, while does its work by collecting your data from GPS wherever you go to understand your habits.
Hope this game is going to be a smashing hit without any controversies.