The folks from Google have all sorts of crazy projects going on at any given time. From Project Glass, Android, and probably tons of things we’ll never know about. Google’s Niantic Labs earlier this year released their Field Trip App for Android, and now they’re back with a worldwide mobile game based on AR, and it’s called Google Ingress.

Last week we told you about an odd viral campaign called The Niantic Project, and this is the end result of that project. We guessed it would be some sort of App or Augmented Reality game, and today it has actually launched as a closed beta on the Google Play Store. So what is it exactly? It’s still hard to tell but the video below might pique your interest.

“The world around you is not what it seems”

Everything is still a bit cryptic, but essentially a team of Europe Scientists have unearthed a mysterious and powerful energy that is taking over the planet. Users worldwide will be able to use their Android smartphones rear camera, and the Ingress augmented reality app to tap certain landscapes and other things around the world or in their City. As you find things you can harness and discover sources of this mysterious energy. Think of it as a giant AR real-time strategy game in a way. Players are all playing in the same world like World of Warcraft, and you’ll be able to harness that energy — called “XM”.

Users can tag, acquire, and collect objects around the world. Use these objects to aid you in your quest, and even capture entire territories and protect them with said objects and energy. Weird right? Is anyone confused yet? The players worldwide will be known as the “Resistance” to save earth from this mysterious energy. You can work with fellow players, track stats, plan and coordinate your next steps or territory grabs, and communicate with others using an Intelligence map.

This is using mobile technology to its finest. A brand new type of open world game, but on mobile where users can interact with the world around them. It really is quite interesting, could be loads of fun, but is still a little confusing at first. Google’s Niantic Labs states the game will evolve daily, secrets and technology will be unlocked and more. For now this is only a closed beta, but you can sign up at the link below and get started soon. The original Niantic Project ended on November 30th, so we expect the beta to open to the public around the same date.

Interested? Get started at Ingress.com

[via SlashGear]

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