Eventually, Google’s Niantic Labs will have to wind down Ingress’ storyline. However, that won’t be the end of the developer’s augmented reality efforts. Niantic says that it’s working on programming kits that would let aspiring coders build their own games with chat layers, location info and, if necessary, in-game ads.
Every week, players of the global augmented-reality game Ingress receive an email that starts the same way. “Greetings Agent,” it begins. “The global struggle for control of XM and human Mind Units continues.” To an outsider, the emails can come across like low-rent basic-cable sci-fi. But to the game’s thousands of hardcore players, they’re a rallying cry to get out of the house and wage virtual war. After a year in beta, Ingress opens fully to the public tomorrow after events in 14 cities that are serving as a kind of season finale.
