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Location-Based Mobile Gaming and QR Codes

22 posts · Aug 2008 – Jul 2016

What this trail covers

This feature thread tracks Google's exploration and support for location-based mobile gaming and the integration of technologies like QR codes and BLE beacons to enhance these experiences. Early efforts focused on enabling developers to build innovative mobile applications that leverage location data and interactive elements, such as the Google Earth API. Subsequent developments have explored platforms like SCVNGR, which uses QR codes for location-based mobile gaming, and now includes the integration of Eddystone and Google Beacons to provide enhanced location and proximity capabilities for developers. This allows for more sophisticated context-aware applications and interactive experiences.

All Google trails
  1. I/O session: Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces Eddystone and Google Beacons as technologies that extend location-based capabilities beyond QR codes and BLE beacons. It highlights how these can be used to create 'Location and Proximity Superpowers' for developers, enabling more advanced context-aware applications and interactive experiences. The session focuses on the practical applications and developer benefits of these technologies.
  2. Travel through space with the Project Tango app, Solar Simulator - Google Developers BlogIntroduces the Project Tango app and its Solar Simulator, showcasing how the Tango device's 3D sensing capabilities can be used to create immersive augmented reality experiences, specifically a solar system simulation. This expands the thread's scope to include advanced spatial computing and AR for mobile gaming.
  3. Project Tango I/O Apps now released in Google Play- Google Developers BlogThis post announces the release of Project Tango I/O Apps in Google Play, making the advanced 3D sensing and spatial understanding capabilities of the Project Tango platform available to a wider audience of developers and users. This signifies a step towards enabling more immersive and interactive mobile experiences leveraging depth sensing, motion tracking, and area learning.
  4. Project Tango Tablet Development Kits coming to select countries- Google Developers BlogThis post announces the availability of Project Tango Tablet Development Kits in select countries, providing developers with access to advanced 3D sensing and spatial awareness capabilities for mobile applications. It highlights the potential for creating immersive experiences, indoor navigation, and advanced augmented reality applications.
  5. Connect With the World Around You Through Nearby APIs- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the Nearby APIs, a new set of tools that allow devices to discover and communicate with each other directly, even without an internet connection. This significantly enhances the potential for location-aware mobile experiences, including games and other interactive applications, by enabling peer-to-peer communication and proximity-based interactions.
  7. Lighting the way with BLE beacons- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces Project Beacon, a platform for leveraging BLE beacons to create interactive and location-aware experiences. It details how BLE beacons can be used to trigger actions, deliver context-aware information, and enhance user engagement in mobile applications, extending the capabilities beyond QR codes for location-based interactions.
  8. Sun Surveyor brings augmented reality to photographers using Google Maps APIs- Google Developers BlogIntroduces Project Sun Surveyor, an application that leverages Google Maps APIs and augmented reality to provide photographers with tools for visualizing celestial bodies and planning shoots. This expands the thread's scope to include AR applications for photography and the use of mapping APIs for specialized tools.
  9. Open Google Maps from your iOS app- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces a new capability for iOS developers to open Google Maps directly from their applications. This enhances the integration of location-based services within mobile apps, allowing for seamless transitions to map views for navigation and location discovery.
  10. Building a scalable geofencing API on Google’s App Engine- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the development of a scalable geofencing API on Google App Engine. This API allows developers to define geographic boundaries and receive notifications when users enter or exit these areas, enabling the creation of location-aware applications and enhancing mobile gaming experiences by triggering events based on user proximity.
  11. Maps made easier: GeoJSON in the JavaScript Maps API- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces GeoJSON support to the JavaScript Maps API, allowing developers to easily visualize geographic data like points, lines, and polygons directly on Google Maps. This enhances the ability to build more sophisticated location-aware applications and data visualizations.
  12. Geoip geolocation with Google BigQuery- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the use of Google BigQuery for performing geoip geolocation, allowing for advanced analysis of location data. This capability can be leveraged for understanding user locations in mobile gaming contexts and for optimizing location-based features.
  13. Visualizing airport delay correlations with Google BigQuery and Maps API- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the use of Google BigQuery and the Maps API to visualize correlations in complex datasets, specifically airport delay data. This extends the thread's focus beyond gaming to include data analysis and visualization capabilities that can be applied to real-world problems, leveraging location-based services.
  14. Introducing GTFS-realtime to exchange realtime transit updates- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces GTFS-realtime, a new protocol for exchanging real-time transit updates. This extends the thread's focus on location-based services and mobile applications by providing a standardized way for transit agencies to share live information, which can be integrated into various location-aware applications and games.
  15. Latitude API helps your users find themselves- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces the Latitude API, enabling developers to integrate location-finding and sharing capabilities into their applications. This allows users to find themselves and their friends, enhancing location-aware experiences and user engagement within mobile applications.
  16. With the New Google Latitude API, Build Latitude and Location Into Your App- Google Developers BlogIntroduced the Google Latitude API, enabling developers to integrate real-time location sharing and user presence into their applications. This allows for features like location-based social networking, friend finding, and location-aware content delivery.
  17. SCVNGR and QR codes in location-based mobile gaming- Google Developers BlogIntroduces SCVNGR, a platform that uses QR codes for location-based mobile gaming, allowing users to check into locations and earn points, thereby bridging the physical and digital worlds.
  18. Two new ways to location-enable your web apps- Google Developers BlogThis post introduces two new ways for web applications to leverage location data: the Gears Geolocation API and the Google Maps API. The Gears Geolocation API allows web applications to access the user's location through various sources, including Wi-Fi, cell tower IDs, and GPS. The Google Maps API provides a JavaScript interface for embedding interactive maps into web pages, enabling developers to display user locations, create custom markers, and build location-aware features.