So you guys know for like a few years now, I have been talking about this AR/VR experience I’ve wanted to bring to Phoenix. Well, Google launched the product I need to understand in order for that to happen. Now that I have a development team in India who is not only willing to research projects but willing to partner with me on an international startup. This might actually happen. Read more for why I’m so excited.
I thought I would need to spend hours perfecting my Sketchup skills then even more time learning how to import those models into Unreal Engine. Turns out, Unity and Google Cloud already done modeled the Earth and have up to date cities just ready for augmentation. Don’t want to give away all the secrets.
Here is more information directly from the Google Cloud Blog. Read below for a quick synopsis of the platform.
Just over two years ago we launched our gaming solution to bring real-world games to life, starting with a limited group of game studios. Since then, 10 games, played by more than 11 million players each month, have been built with Google Maps Platform. But almost immediately after launch, we recognized the interest from independent game studios and developers to build their own real world games. So we set out to build a scalable infrastructure that would extend access to all developers and allow them to sign up and quickly get started online. Starting today, we’ve opened our gaming solution to all mobile game developers to create engaging, immersive real-world games.
Get started in minutes
For the first time, game developers can get started online to quickly build mobile games with Google Maps Platform. Just follow the onboarding flow to create a billing account, set up a Google Cloud Project, and then download the Maps SDK for Unity. Once you do that, the Semantic Tile API and Playable Locations API will be automatically enabled for you. Our quickstart documentation will guide you through the SDK installation so you can start building games.
Customize game worlds and determine the best places for gameplay
Our gaming solution gives you the flexibility to either bring the real world into your game or take your game out into the real world. The Maps SDK for Unity gives you the tools to create and customize a game world based on real world locations, while the Playable Locations API helps you find the best locations to place real-world gameplay. Since the initial launch, we’ve added features like Mixed Zoom and Pathfinding to improve the in-game experience for your players.
Mixed zoom renders a high level of detail for areas close to a player, while areas further away display progressively lower levels of detail. Rendering vector tiles at distance-dependent zoom levels, with a horizon in the far distance, helps you generate maps that span thousands of meters or more, while using considerably less processing. You can also create game worlds that not only occupy a bird’s eye view, but that zoom out to much larger areas.
Pathfinding enables you to bring new life to your in-game characters–anything from directing monsters to chase a player around, to flying a plane to drop off supplies at a safe house, to collaborating on missions through a futuristic city. We help you connect game worlds with the real world.
With access to hundreds of millions of 3D building geometries and urban settings like parks and roads as objects in Unity, you can create immersive gameplay personalized for each player. And our coverage of more than 220 countries and territories means you’re able to do this at a global scale.
See the original article in full at the link below.
https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/maps-platform/google-maps-platform-gaming-services-now-available-everyone[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]