Clash of Clans is still one of the biggest and most profitable mobile videogames out there, even five years after its initial release. Add to that one of the more popular ways to interact with augmented reality (AR) through the use of AR filters, and you have the new Clash of Clans AR filter, available through Facebook’s AR Studio.
Developer Supercell released a video a few weeks ago in which one of the characters from Clash of Clans, the Builder who is responsible for creating the structures in the title decided to leave to find a place where his buildings would not be destroyed. The video got more than 38 million views, and to extend the promotion, Supercell teamed with Facebook to create an AR filter featuring the character.
When the Facebook camera is used in ‘Selfie’ mode and the filter is applied, users can see themselves as the Builder, with his clothes, fluffy ginger eyebrows, hat and big grin. By turning the camera around users can place the character in the real world and take photos to show the character in unusual locations and situations.
“This is a way to celebrate the game through the camera,” said Leo Olebe, director of global games partnerships at Facebook, speaking to GamesBeat. “As Facebook, we always look at engagement. One clear measurement will be how much this gets used, and how much people share it. Another measure is brand engagement, like how are we having conversations about this.”
AR has seen a large boost in interest from various companies since Apple’s entry into the sector, alongside the resurrection of the Google Glass AR smartglasses technology for enterprise use.
VRFocus will continue to report on new AR projects and experiences.