About Niantic Labs :

Niantic Labs is a mobile app lab within Google, operating at the intersection of smartphone adoption, social platforms and location information.

Vision behind Ingress :

We live in a world of abundant information and ubiquitous computing--why not play in it? For the first time, the world, not the screen, can become the basis for a mobile game--it’s a controller in the palm of your hand.

Ingress, the game :

Ingress is a massive multi-player, location-based game that launched globally in a closed beta on November 15th, 2012. Rather than taking place on the screen of your phone or game console, Ingress turns the real-world into the backdrop of the game. Players use their smart phones to “see” a game world which overlays the real world, while uncovering a complex backstory at www.nianticproject.com.

Having launched globally on Android, Ingress has been adopted in many countries with players experiencing the benefits of movement (due to its location-based nature), discovery of sights & destinations and a truly social gameplay mechanic (community gatherings, group play).

Ingress is helping to define a new genre of games that are mobile, location-based, and bring players together to interact in the real world. We want people to start seeing the world around them with new eyes; to experience the benefits of movement.

Next generation of immersive gaming based on geo-fencing technology: No longer an avatar, the player directly impacts the game board through his activities.

The world is the game: Using phone’s location, Ingress brings gaming alive in the physical world by interacting with real-world landmarks, businesses, etc. Based on where they are, players can acquire objects to aid in their quest, deploy tech to capture territory, and ally with other players to advance the cause of their faction.

Trans-media storytelling: Ingress' narrative develops across platforms, devices & technologies. Using a non-linear, dynamic narrative, the backstory of the game is explained through a combination of videos, audio clips, redacted documents and memos. The game - Ingress - is explained as technology used to harness "Exotic Matter" (an energy) that was discovered by scientists in Europe. The origin and purpose of this mysterious energy is unknown, but some believe it is influencing the way we think. 2 factions emerge:

- “The Enlightened” seek to embrace this new-found power.

- “The Resistance” struggle to defend, and protect what’s left of our humanity.

The game continues as a battle for territorial dominance between the two factions, as players seek to capture landmarks and regions around them. Players track progress of other players around the world, plan strategy, and communicate with others using an Intelligence map (based on Google geo-platforms).

This kind of immersive next-gen gaming gets endorphins running through movement, lead to discovery of societal landmarks and will eventually make players community conscious (and, in effect better citizens).

Google enables small teams working in cutting edge areas to pursue opportunities outside of our main product areas. With the rise of the multi-screen user, powerful wearable devices such as Google Glass we see a big evolution coming in mobile gaming. We’re testing what’s possible, and we think it’s only the beginning.

Our primary focus is on building a fun and engaging game experience. Location-based, and truly social - players meeting, exploring and having fun in the real world.

We’ve begun exploring opportunities for players to engage with real-world businesses such as Duane Reade, Zipcar or Hint Water. In the long-term, these partnerships may turn into an advertising model whereby products and businesses are integrated.

Though in closed-beta, Ingress is currently played by more than 500,000 players worldwide. Players don't play alone, as of March 2013, there are more than 1,200 user-created Ingress Communities around the globe. Many players reported to have lose weight playing Ingress or to have discovered things in their city that they had never seen before.

The broader goal of the game is to build a platform where developers can create and publish multi-player, mobile, location-based games using a set of APIs and hosted web services.