Developers explore how iBeacon can be used for gaming

iBeacon is an interesting piece of technology that so far has been used in retail settings. Can iBeacon be used in the gaming context as well? As it turns out, it can. The folks at The Tap Lab have unveiled a demo for a game called Tiny Tycoons, and basically what it does is that it allows gamers to purchase properties and buy them as well, allowing them to transform themselves into virtual real estate moguls.

Apple’s iBeacons have a lot of potential for inclusion in location-based games, according to The Tap Lab CEO Dave Bisceglia, who spoke to Re/code in an interview. Currently, iOS game developers who want to incorporate location into gameplay are limited to determining location via Apple’s internal GPS system, which is not designed to deliver precise information, especially indoors. iBeacons, on the other hand, are physical Bluetooth low-energy transmitters that are able to provide micro-location information to nearby apps, with an accuracy range of a few feet. For this reason, iBeacons could be incorporated into a whole new category of games that offer multiplayer interactions and other features at specific real-world locations.