A Photography Game App

[KC7NEC]

With the wildly successful breakout launch of Pokemon GO, the concept of AR and Location based gaming are finally going mainstream. Taking from its success I have begun working on the development of a photography based mobile application.

The goal of the new app is to give current photographers various challenges and also to teach those that are new basic concepts, tips, and techniques. There will be "gameplay" functionality and some other items that will help to incentivise people to get out and shoot. Players would have to go into the real world to take pictures of certain things, locations, or using certain techniques.

just to list a couple of current possible examples: There could be "photo spots" that can be captured based on ratings, votes, or other methods from your picture at the location. There may be a "photo store" where users can have photos sold that they take in the game. Players may be able to unlock powerups such as filters or editing functions.

I know these are a bit vague but we want to keep things under the radar until we are ready to go beta. With that all being said let me get to my main point here:

What would YOU like to see in a game platform like this? Would you play? What expectations might you have? Any other ideas, comments, questions, or feedback?

 

[tecboy]

Can I able to connect to my DSLR?

 

[robbins.photo]

So I can go to the location listed in the app and capture photographers, then train them to fight?

 

[waday]

Some comments below.

With the wildly successful breakout launch of Pokemon GO, the concept of AR and Location based gaming are finally going mainstream. Taking from its success I have begun working on the development of a photography based mobile application.

Just a quick reality check and note here, but what has made Pokemon Go wildly successful has more to do with it's existing fanbase's nostalgia for the franchise than augmented reality and location based gaming. Pokemon is the third best selling game franchise ever (with over 279 million sales) after Mario/Super Mario and Tetris.

Ask random people if they've heard of Ingress. My guess is not many.

The goal of the new app is to give current photographers various challenges and also to teach those that are new basic concepts, tips, and techniques. There will be "gameplay" functionality and some other items that will help to incentivise people to get out and shoot. Players would have to go into the real world to take pictures of certain things, locations, or using certain techniques.

Photography is very subjective, not objective. I'm interested in how the gameplay will work, and how it will consider a picture to be "good" versus "bad".

just to list a couple of current possible examples: There could be "photo spots" that can be captured based on ratings, votes, or other methods from your picture at the location. There may be a "photo store" where users can have photos sold that they take in the game. Players may be able to unlock powerups such as filters or editing functions.

I'm not likely going to buy someone's shot of a local landmark when I could go to any number of websites and get one from a professional photographer. But, if I'm really being honest, I'd like to know how many would actually pay for one rather than just ripping one from Google Images.

Also, you'll need to look into the rights of photos. Many photographers will not be happy with giving you the rights to their photos, and they may not be happy giving photos away for a couple of bucks.

I know these are a bit vague but we want to keep things under the radar until we are ready to go beta. With that all being said let me get to my main point here:

Under the radar? You just posted this publicly on the internet, where, um, there is no privacy?

What would YOU like to see in a game platform like this? Would you play? What expectations might you have? Any other ideas, comments, questions, or feedback?

Again, I'm interested in how it works. Take a quick gander at this site when someone posts a picture for comments. You'll quickly see that the comments received are typically not objective in nature, they're subjective.

I likely would not play, because I'd be too busy playing with my camera, not a phone.

I'm interested in how this is going to make people better photographers, and how you're going to make your money. On ads? Purchasing filters? I already have free Instagram and Flickr. I don't use filters, and I use my dedicated camera for most shots that I want to post on social media or share with the photography community.

I'm not trying to pick this idea apart, just trying to give you some honest feedback.

 

[table1349]

Oh I don't know, sounds like fun, especially if they include a part where you have to take nudie pictures at a nunnery. Bet that part makes the papers.

 

[KC7NEC]

Can I able to connect to my DSLR?

Would for sure like to be able to do this and will look at possible methods. That will be difficult as almost every camera brand uses a different way to communicate with a phone. Worst case scenario wold be that you would have to transfer your picture in some other methid supported by your camera and then add it.

So I can go to the location listed in the app and capture photographers, then train them to fight?

Thanks for the chuckle. In a sense though yes. righ now we are flusinhing out the gameplay of how fights, teams, and things like that may work. Adding a compettive element though is one thing we definately want to add in order to enage users.

Some comments below.

With the wildly successful breakout launch of Pokemon GO, the concept of AR and Location based gaming are finally going mainstream. Taking from its success I have begun working on the development of a photography based mobile application.

Just a quick reality check and note here, but what has made Pokemon Go wildly successful has more to do with it's existing fanbase's nostalgia for the franchise than augmented reality and location based gaming. Pokemon is the third best selling game franchise ever (with over 279 million sales) after Mario/Super Mario and Tetris.

Ask random people if they've heard of Ingress. My guess is not many.

The goal of the new app is to give current photographers various challenges and also to teach those that are new basic concepts, tips, and techniques. There will be "gameplay" functionality and some other items that will help to incentivise people to get out and shoot. Players would have to go into the real world to take pictures of certain things, locations, or using certain techniques.

Photography is very subjective, not objective. I'm interested in how the gameplay will work, and how it will consider a picture to be "good" versus "bad".

just to list a couple of current possible examples: There could be "photo spots" that can be captured based on ratings, votes, or other methods from your picture at the location. There may be a "photo store" where users can have photos sold that they take in the game. Players may be able to unlock powerups such as filters or editing functions.

I'm not likely going to buy someone's shot of a local landmark when I could go to any number of websites and get one from a professional photographer. But, if I'm really being honest, I'd like to know how many would actually pay for one rather than just ripping one from Google Images.

Also, you'll need to look into the rights of photos. Many photographers will not be happy with giving you the rights to their photos, and they may not be happy giving photos away for a couple of bucks.

I know these are a bit vague but we want to keep things under the radar until we are ready to go beta. With that all being said let me get to my main point here:

Under the radar? You just posted this publicly on the internet, where, um, there is no privacy?

What would YOU like to see in a game platform like this? Would you play? What expectations might you have? Any other ideas, comments, questions, or feedback?

Again, I'm interested in how it works. Take a quick gander at this site when someone posts a picture for comments. You'll quickly see that the comments received are typically not objective in nature, they're subjective.

I likely would not play, because I'd be too busy playing with my camera, not a phone.

I'm interested in how this is going to make people better photographers, and how you're going to make your money. On ads? Purchasing filters? I already have free Instagram and Flickr. I don't use filters, and I use my dedicated camera for most shots that I want to post on social media or share with the photography community.

I'm not trying to pick this idea apart, just trying to give you some honest feedback.

1: Yes indeed. Not many people knew what Ingress was or what AR Location gaming was for that matter. Pokemon GO has changed that. Sure it brought in everyone based on its previous successes. but now the door is open showing people what it can be about.

2: We are working on community-based crowdsourced methods that would allow multiple users to provide the subjective feedback while also preventing as best possible any cheating.

3: the photo selling is just a concept example. It may or may not be implemented, in getting feedback from other groups it was one thing that several people mentioned being interested in having the option to do. As to rights and such that will all be laid out later in the EULA. Though we will not force people to give up their rights.

4: Yes under the radar. We have not released any details of the project just the general concepts.

5: The app will likely be more geared to amateur, and hobbyist photographers not professionals. We are working out the details of how the "learning" portions will function. One of my personal goals is to get new people more interested to the point they actually want to get a DSLR or similar camera and move into more advanced skills. We do have a monetization plan but are not getting into that publicly as if yet.

# I appreciate the honest feedback. Most of your questions are ones we already have answered to ourselves. We have also done some similar discussions within other photography groups. Part of the goal of these discussions is to get feedback on things people would be interested in, something you did not provide at all. We want the app to be wide-ranging in who uses it, and have the app be a gateway to new photographers getting into the hobby.

 

[waday]

It's hard to give meaningful feedback on vague, general concepts.

Garbage in = garbage out.

Good luck with your venture.

 

[SCraig]

I'm one of the minority, I guess. I have never had an urge to play any kind of game on my cell phone and probably won't start in the foreseeable future.

 

[robbins.photo]

Thanks for the chuckle. In a sense though yes. righ now we are flusinhing out the gameplay of how fights, teams, and things like that may work. Adding a compettive element though is one thing we definately want to add in order to enage users.

Anyone using an 80-200mm 2.8 beercan should be the automatic winner of any fight. Those things are serious clubs.

As for the rest... eh, gotta be honest. I think your looking at a lead balloon here. But I'll wish you luck.

 

[PersistentNomad]

I would totally do it if it were like a scavenger hunt.