You’ll soon be able to hunt ghosts on your Android or iOS phones when “Ghostbusters AR” slimes its way to market later this year.
A new augmented reality (AR) game from Sony Pictures and publisher 4:33 promises to unleash “specters, poltergeists, full-roaming vapors, and more” on your iOS and Android phones later this year. Following in the footsteps of successful AR games like Pokémon Go, the new game sends you on a quest to capture hundreds of ghosts from the Ghostbusters universe.
Ivan Reitman of Ghost Corps, who directed the original movie, said in a release announcing the new game, “The Ghostbusters Universe is rich in characters and Ghostbusters World is the perfect medium to get to know these characters in a whole new dimension.”
More information, including a hands-on demo, will be revealed at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona.
Google is emphasizing AR technology with the announcement of its ARCore mobile AR platform ahead of the MWC, as an exclusive report in Variety detailed. ARCore allows third-party developers to create AR apps for Android phones. “Ghostbusters is the perfect brand and best content to utilize AR technology,” said Jamie Stevens of Sony Pictures.
After announcing ARCore last year, Google has been testing preview versions of the new tools on its own Pixel devices. The company previously said that it plans to reach its goal of 100 million ARCore-enabled phones by March 2018. Samsung has already teased “immersive new experiences” in a joint statement and some Samsung phones are already equipped with developer versions of the new software.
Other manufacturers that will include ARCore are LGE, ASUS, and OnePlus. Google also announced new partnerships with Sony, Huawei, Xiaomi, and other companies as part of the ARCore rollout.
Although it won’t be available when ARCore debuts, Ghostbusters World promises hundreds of ghosts to battle and capture from all elements of the franchise, from films to comic books to the theme parks.
Sung-Jin Han, CEO of 4:33, said, “Fans will have the opportunity to take a walk through an immersive game environment that merges our everyday world with the many ghosts from the Ghostbusters Universe. It’s an unparalleled experience!”
If we get our hands on the game at the MWC and give ghost hunting a try, we’ll be extra careful not to cross the streams.
