Since the launch of the iPhone App Store, we’ve seen a wave of geo-aware social networks that make use of the phone’s GPS (or in the case of the original iPhone, pseudo-GPS). Each of these apps aims to help facilitate social interaction by locating nearby friends, points of interest, or people you might be interested in meeting (but might not know yet). There’s little doubt that some incarnation of one of these apps will help shape the future of social networking, but there’s still a huge geo-aware market that has yet to be tapped: Games.
Parallel Kingdom, launching at the end of the month, is set to become one of the first massively multiplayer online games (MMO) to hit the iPhone platform and Android platforms (both platforms will share the same in-game network). MMO’s have been tremendously popular on personal computers with mega-hits like World of Warcraft, and have proven to be lucrative with subscription models that feed off their addicting gameplay. Parallel Kingdom is hoping to take this success to a mobile platform.
At first glance, Parallel Kingdom doesn’t seem very impressive – at least from a visual stance. The game’s interface consists of basic sprites that are overlaid on top of a Google Map. Each icon depicts a player character, an enemy, or an item. But while the game could use some drastic graphical modifications (especially given the 3D games already available on the iPhone), the technology and concept behind it is where the real excitement lies.
The game uses your phone’s GPS to detect your movement across the map, and each change in physical location corresponds to a change in the game’s location. For example, our local Starbucks might be shown to be infested with monsters, but a drive down the street may reveal an area loaded with riches and friendly characters. And while the game uses physical location to determine your in-game location on a macro-level, you’re still allowed to move within a designated area without having to leave your seat (you could explore a few blocks around your workplace without having to leave the office).
For now your actions are pretty limited: you can pick items (like weapons or gold) off the ground, talk to people, and attack things. The game currently lacks a skill or level system, so all combat is dictated by how much you’ve upgraded a weapon. This may be fun for a while, but the game won’t be nearly as addictive as World of Warcraft until it implements more advanced leveling systems, giving users an incentive to play more often (the game’s Director Justin Beck says that these features are on the way). The game is going to be free at launch, with plans to release a subscription based version in the future once the game’s feature set is more fleshed out.
I think Parallel Kingdom and similar games have a chance to be huge – perhaps even more popular than the social networks described above. While geo-enabled social networks may be fun for networking and dating, many people will probably only use them casually. Online games have the potential to be much more addictive, and lucrative (most games can charge around $15 a month). That said, I think if Parallel Kingdom is going to be the game to really break this market open, it will need to adopt an entirely new graphics engine that can leverage the iPhone and Android’s power to display the 3D graphics these gamers are accustomed to.
So sick of violent games.
Isn’t there more to life and recreation besides murder, mayhem, death, monsters etc….
Why in the Hell are intelligent people so proned towards virtual hell – isn’t there enough real life horror around for everyone
Yes.
That is so true.
I remember thinking that, back around 86, when Ultima IV was released, the next generation of computer RPGs had finally arrived… Well, I was wrong.
I like WoW well enough but, please, I am sick and tired of having to kill everything that isn’t on my side, so to speak.
Maybe games are a reflection of our own (bleak) reality ?
Calm down.
Just go smell some flowers you fairy. You sound like you got a lot of anger in you…
Bad habits are not changing easily…who knows if it will ever change.
One underlying issue is that unless you find yourself in an area saturated with fellow players (which could happen on campus or urban cores for instance), the density of players and activity spots around you might mean _driving_ to get to places were the action is. And with $4 gallon gas… are people really going to do that? I sure hope not…
What are you guys talking about? it’s a game, don’t play it if you don’t want to.
you gonna have folks while playing this game ending up in the wrong neighborhood no telling what might happen. O NO we are in south central LA helpppppppppppppppppp!
I certainly think that games will steadily be more location centric. More and more social networks are emerging that take advantage of converging technologies, so why not games? I recently came across a site that lets people build their own location centric games called Cipher Cities. The future of gaming sure is exciting.
Can’t wait for the first news report where, when a player kills a fellow player in the game, they get a gun pulled on them in real life.
Looks awesome!!! Can’t wait!
I don’t like playing games… but my son like it very much… I’m done if he realize this new game!!!
Good look for the guys from parallel kingdom.
For the one of you who want to check out other GPS Games without killing go to http://www.gpsmission.com . You can play that game already in 46 countries. User generated treasurehunts, timetravels, crime stories,…
Let us make location-based gaming big together and still believe in new businesses.
Hilarious…now the WoW users might actually leave their chair, or probably not.
Not exactly a massively multiplayer online games (MMO) because is on mobile phone.
PK is a MMTRG : Mobile Multiplayer Trans-Reality Games like vitruve project, wifi army or city slikkers.
yes its a MMTRG like iTycoon for iphone or Vitruve Project and Wifi Army.