OPEN

Oh yeah, you read that headline right.

A company called Toyspring has developed a game for the Treo smartphone which allows you to play shoot’em up video games on your phone using the real world around you (via the camera) as their 3D backdrop. It’s part of a trend for “augemnted reality” games.

Here’s a video demo from YouTube:

It’s almost enough to make me want a Treo to try it out, but it can’t be long before people start developing this sort of thing for every cameraphone. Imagine it crossed with one of those crazy alternate reality games and you’re going to have a lot of creative options for designing games.

 As with all games, though, there are bound to be serious applications of the approach to this, and specifically for the . Real world GPS directions and tagging locations with notes or reviews would seem obvious applications.

Thanks (again) to Nicola Davies for uncovering bringing this gem into my mobile reader. She rightfully speculates about the potential for branded gameplay experiences. Could really bring a new dimension to the sorts of online puzzle/treasure hunts that fans of series like Prison Break are enjoying (that one courtesy of Nicola’s agency VCCP Digital) at the moment.