Guns of Boom – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

March 20, 2018

Guns Of Boom AR Spectator Mode Makes The Jump To ARCore And Android

If you’ve been following all the news from this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco on VRFocus – and I hope you have been – you will no doubt have noticed that the last couple of days have been rather heavy on augmented reality (AR) news. This is principally due to ARCore 1.0 being officially unveiled at the event and so we’ve had a score of updates from developers of videogames and apps revealing how they are utilising the platform and often unveiling new modes and tools targeting Android.

ARCore In this sense Game Insight are no different. The Lithuania developer, founded in 2009, has long been focused on the development of videogames for mobile and social platforms and is the driving force behind the critically-acclaimed 4 versus 4 multiplayer shooter. The team has travelled to GDC 2018 and revealed a new AR mode, created by utilising ARCore, that targets the eSports audience. The new Guns of Boom AR ‘Spectator Mode’ is available as part of the new AR section of the Google Play Store and is set to allow fans a new angle on things.

“We’ve worked closely with Google to bring a truly unique eSports spectator experience to Android devices,” said CEO of Game Insight Anatoly Ropotov. “Built with ARCore, Guns of Boom‘s Spectator Mode gives fans the ability to watch their friends and clanmates do battle from an outside perspective. They’ll get to see the entire experience unfold in front of them at once, focusing on whatever action they choose. It’s like setting up a real-time diorama with plenty of firepower on any surface.”

This follows on from an announcement last October where the first-person shooter (FPS) launched the same Spectator Mode for iOS users, made using Apple’s ARKit.

Guns of Boom AR Mode

Game Insight also confirmed that they have partnered with both Xiaomi and Huawei to bring the Spectator Mode to Guns of Boom players on Android devices in China. “People love the action and fair competition that Guns of Boom offers,” adds Ropotov. “Whether they’re watching or playing.”

VRFocus will bring you more from GDC 2018 throughout the week.

October 12, 2017

Mobile FPS Guns of Boom Goes AR With new Spectator Mode

Last month mobile videogame developer Game Insight announced it would be enhancing two of its titles with augmented reality (AR) using Apple’s ARKit, My Country and Guns of Boom. Today the studio has updated the latter adding an AR Spectator Mode for the first-person shooter (FPS).

Using the new mode, players can watch matches unfold in real-time, being able to view the entire map on any surface they choose. So whether they want to watch pro players to learn some tips or just follow how well their friends are doing, AR Spectator Mode lets viewers experience the action from every angle, taking in the entire battlefield at once.

Guns of Boom AR Mode

While companies like Intel and Valve are making esports like CS:GO or Dota2 more immersive to watch by utilising virtual reality (VR0 for spectators to view the action, Game Insight’s new AR Spectator Mode is one of the first use cases of AR as an immersive viewing experience.

Guns of Boom is a frantic team-based FPS for iOS and Android devices, that features 48 weapons to choose from, including machine guns, assault and sniper rifles, shotguns, and more, plus an auto-fire system so players only need to aim their crosshairs in the right direction.

For the latest ARKit developments, keep reading VRFocus.

September 28, 2017

Game Insight Enhances Two Videogames with ARKit

Since the launch of Apple’s ARKIt, several companies have begun to take advantage of its enhanced augmented reality (AR) capabilities. Some chose to develop new applications, others entirely rebuilt their programs with ARKit, and some added ARKit features to existing applications.

Mobile videogame developer Game Insight has build one new title using ARKit, and added a new ARKit-based feature to another. Simulation title My Country lets players build a tiny world using an iPhone or iPad, containing people, airports, trains, roads and buildings. Players can overlook their city, or zoom in closer to solve problems such as traffic jams to make sure the citizens are happy.

AR capabilities have also been added in to multiplayer action-shooter Guns of Boom, with a new AR ‘spectator mode’ which allows people to watch the action going on within the videogame with a type of AR diorama.

“ARKit has enabled us to create experiences within My Country that blur the line between the player’s world and their creation. This has always been the nirvana of city building games, and we’re ecstatic to help players feel like a real part of their cities,” said Anatoly Ropotov, CEO of Game Insight. “And with Guns of Boom, it has also given us the opportunity to look at unique AR possibilities beyond gameplay. With the growth of eSports audiences on the rise, we were able to use ARKit to rethink how viewers can experience watching their favorite games. With Guns of Boom AR spectator mode, eSports fans can watch a living diorama of gameplay unfold before their eyes.”

Both titles are available through the Apple App Store, the AR update to Guns of Boom is due for release in October 2017.

VRFocus will continue to report on new and innovative uses for AR technology.

August 20, 2017

Guns of Boom in Augmented Reality mit Apples ARKit

Der First-Person-Multiplayer-Shooter Guns of Boom gehört mit über zehn Millionen Downloads zu den erfolgreichen Smartphone-Spielen. Nun zeigt das Studio Game Insight eine kurze Demo, bei der man das Spiel aus der AR-Perspektive betrachten kann. Es soll die Zukunft des eSports sein, glauben die Entwickler. In Zukunft sollen alle Guns-of-Boom-Übertragungen hunderprozentig in Augmented Reality stattfinden.

Guns of Boom goes AR mit ARKit

Noch muss man sich bis zum Herbst gedulden, bis Apple mit iOS 11 Augmented Reality via ARKit für iPhone und iPad freigibt. Aber bereits jetzt lässt sich absehen, dass gleich zum Start eine Schwemme von Anwendungen bereit stehen werden. Eine davon wird laut Game Insight der AR-Modus für Guns of Boom sein, den die Entwickler mit Erscheinen von iOS 11 freischalten wollen. Der Modus ermöglicht es, Kämpfe aus der „Gott-Perspektive“ zu betrachten. Dabei können Spieler das iPhone oder iPad frei bewegen und die Wiederholung damit aus jedem Blickwinkel anschauen.

Guns of Boom ist kostenlos für Android und iOS erhätlich und finanziert sich wie viele derartige Spiele über In-App-Käufe. Wohl mit Erfolg. Die 2009 gegründete Firma hat laut VentureBeat inzwischen rund 300 Angestellte. 50 davon arbeiteten angeblich an Guns of Boom. In dem First-Person-Shooter treten Spieler in Clans gegeneinander an, insgesamt stehen 48 Waffen von der Schrotflinte bis zum Maschinengewehr zur Verfügung. Apple wird das erstmals auf seiner Entwicklermesse WWDC im Juni vorgestellte ARKit in iOS 11 voraussichtlich offiziell im Herbst veröffentlichen. Schätzungsweise 300 Millionen Anwender können dann auf einen Schlag Augmented-Reality-Apps mit Positional Tracking nutzen. Der Clou: Im Gegensatz zu Googles Lösung mit Tango ist keine spezielle Hardware erforderlich. Allerdings setzt ARKit einen A9-Chip oder besser voraus, womit die Software erst ab iPhone 6s und iPad Pro/iPad 2017 funktioniert.

(Quelle: VentureBeat)

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