Proximity-based augmented reality social network games and how they improve communities

It's an exciting time to be a gamer. In the next year or two there will be an explosion of new games for augmented reality and Articulated Naturality-capable devices. One of the most interesting is the potential for a hybrid between a first person shooter game and a social network game.

Imagine the Zynga game Mafia Wars. Millions of people connect every day to button click their way to the top. In areas with a high density of Mafia Wars players there is a possibility that two people will walk past each other as they go about their day. Knowledge of location and predicted location means the users' smartphones can sound a proximity warning and the users quick draw their phones in a show down to see who's the best mobster. The game is also based on having a mafia, i.e. other players who are part of the individual's network, and this could extend into the proximity game by providing a boost to attack power based on the number of local mafia members. This creates a reason for people to add local players to their account much like social network gamers often collect other gamers on their Facebook profile.

The new games aren't just for kids. The trip to the office can be an opportunity to have a little excitement. People who often walk past each other have a new way to break the ice. This new form of gaming will make for many more of those serendipitous moments that lead to strangers becoming friends. The social network game has also significantly broadened the age group and demographic of gamers such that these new games could be a way to make business contacts or even find the love of a lifetime.

The benefits for an enhanced real social network allied with an online social network is exciting. Whole new gaming communities and social groups located near each other will be created and there will be a significant increase in social cohesion through these new forms of games.