Augmented reality and mobile serious games: what GDC 2011 showed
At the 2011 Game Developers Conference, augmented reality got a keynote mention, dedicated talks and product demos, and Qualcomm promoted its AR developer tools with a contest won by a game. The conference continues, and the Ogmento domain is now for sale.
Updated
Augmented reality at GDC 2011
Augmented reality (AR) lays virtual content, such as graphics, over a camera view of the real world. On a phone, the device acts as a looking glass onto the real surroundings. Uses range from games and play to interactive marketing and instructional serious games.
As reported by the AR Games website, AR games at the 2011 Game Developers Conference were welcomed by the industry: they were mentioned in a keynote for the first time, had several dedicated talks and appeared in major product presentations on the exhibition floor. Terrance Cohen of Ogmento, formerly head of engineering at the console developer Insomniac, said conditions were ideal for AR games, and added that designers needed time to learn what makes a good one.
Qualcomm's developer challenge
Qualcomm, the San Diego telecommunications research and development company founded in 1985 by UC San Diego professor Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and others, was a visible champion at the event. Jay Wright of Qualcomm gave a Monday morning session on mobile AR, showing the company's AR software development kit, mobile AR games, services and best practices, and the show floor held demos from Qualcomm's AR developer challenge.
The contest announced three winners at Mobile World Congress, and all three were games. Paparazzi took first place and a $125,000 prize; two people built it in six weeks using Qualcomm's tools and Unity. According to the Gamasutra report of Wright's talk, Qualcomm's kit processes the camera video, recognizes objects and fits graphics tightly to them, which makes AR games simple to build. Submissions to the 2010 challenge ranged from a paparazzi game to a motorcycle stunt rider and rescue helicopters, and included educational applications and interactive marketing concepts.
What is true today
The Game Developers Conference continues: its website announces GDC Festival of Gaming for March 1 to 4, 2027, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The program page promises more than 700 sessions, workshops and summits, a Business Hall for publishers and investors, and the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival ceremonies. One of the listed topics for 2027 is the use of AI and smarter workflows in production.
The domain ogmento.com now shows a listing that offers the name for sale.
Questions about AR at GDC 2011
What is augmented reality in games?
It is the layering of virtual graphics over a live camera view of the real world, so that a phone or tablet becomes a window onto a mixed scene.
Who won Qualcomm's augmented reality contest?
Paparazzi took first place and a $125,000 prize. All three winners announced at Mobile World Congress were games, and the contest was open to mobile developers.
Is the Game Developers Conference still held?
Yes. The next edition is announced for March 1 to 4, 2027, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with more than 700 sessions, workshops and summits listed.