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Augmented Reality is Not Dead, It Just Got Even Better

Courtesy of Clash & GO

We saw an increase in the popularity of augmented reality (AR) last year when Nintendo released their game Pokemon GO. If you saw a person on the streets glued to their phone, seemingly following something, you know they were playing Pokemon GO.

Because of this, a game has shown what possibilities AR can provide to the industry of gaming. It's more than just a video game, and unlike virtual reality, you are interacting with the real world instead of blocking it out. It brings back the kid in you where you're able to play as a different character, explore the real-world and share what you find.

Pokemon GO's Hype Disappeared. What's Next?

Pokemon GO's hype may have died but make no mistake, many players, the true fans are still playing the game. Other companies have taken note bringing their own flavor of augmented reality.

There's Hasbro, the world's largest toymaker, who created their own augmented reality games such as the Star Wars Jedi Challenges and the Iron Man red helmet and gauntlet. For the younger players, there's a product called Parker which is a teddy bear. Pair it with an AR app and kids can play doctor with the bear.

Meanwhile, there are the advanced AR games which combines geolocation with strategy building. Such game is called Clash & Go which was released in August 20 2018 by Ukrainian games maker, Elyland.

You might be familiar with the name. The company released a game similar to Pokemon GO last year too called Draconius GO which caused a conflict with Niantic. This was largely due to the fact that the game was widely preferred by users for its superior game mechanics.

They created one of the richest experiences available to mobile gaming, providing better accessibility to rural areas and smoother distance tracking. Gamers even called it "the game Pokemon GO should have been". Ouch!

Clash & GO: When Clash of the Titans Does What Pokemon GO Didn't

Clash & GO combines open-world geolocation with strategic city-building and real-time battles. It's a completely unique mobile game genre of its own where players battle to compete for real-life local landmarks.

If you know how to use the map on your phone, you'll find it easy to adapt to the game and incorporate it into your lifestyle whether it's walking to work, doing errands or meeting up with friends. You get to meet and interact with other players via chat, clans and group tasks .

As a player, you will not be limited to the four corners of your phone. The arena is as big as planet earth itself where you and other players can capture unoccupied landmarks. Team up with other players or opt to play solo, conquering landmarks, trading artifacts, and solidifying your base.

Clash & GO doesn't stop when you close the app. Every time you launch it, expect to see a new environment caused by the changes made by other players of the game. It's a highly engaging game that forces you to really pay attention and think strategically.

What this Means for the Game Market

AR games such as Clash & GO show no signs of slowing down with the industry projecting an increase of $48.2 billion in software sales by 2025. That's a steep rise compared to this year's $2.4 billion sales. Currently, the market is worth around $57.9 billion with Elyland determined to take a share of that market.

What makes Clash & GO work so well is that it combines the best of both worlds: the profitability of strategy games and real-world engagement of AR. We are slowly moving away from technologies that's keeping us on LCD screens and more into the real world. This is just a taste of what's to come for augmented reality gaming.

Here's what Andriy Semenyuk, founder of Elyland had to say about their new creation:

"In Clash & GO city-building strategy and AR geolocation enrich each other, opening previously unimaginable gameplay possibilities. The game area is not constrained by the edges of the smartphone's screen. It is as big as planet Earth itself. This has never been offered by any Base Building mobile game before."

Clash & GO is one of the many successful AR apps Elyland has released. Later this year, they plan to launch another AR app, this time revolving around social networking. It'll be hard to put your phone away as companies like Elyland develop mobile apps that bridge the virtual world with reality.