Location-Based Gaming by Dale Leorke

Author:Dale Leorke
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

Shadow Cities (Grey Area, 2011–13)

As I noted in the previous chapter, Shadow Cities gained recognition as one of the first mainstream location-based gaming apps, with some critics declaring it ‘the future of mobile gaming ’ (Schiesel, 2011). Although it is predated by Parallel Kingdom: Age of Ascension (PerBlue Entertainment, 2008–16) and Seek ‘n Spell (Retronyms , 2009–unknown) as likely the first location-based gaming apps, the attention and commercial success it attracted makes it a significant moment in location-based gaming’s history.

I played the game over an approximately four-month period in 2012 on the iPhone. After opening the app, I was prompted to choose between two competing factions—the ‘Animators’ and ‘Architects’. According to the game’s story, these are two ancient civilisations that have been at war for millennia. The goal of the game was to capture territory on behalf of my chosen faction and defend it from the opposing faction. I had to accomplish this by levelling up my avatar to become more powerful and by teaming up with other players from my faction.

The game environment was presented as a Google Maps-like virtual recreation of the immediate area surrounding my location. Streets, landmarks, and buildings all appeared on the map along with their real names. The area depicted was roughly equivalent to a city block. The iPhone’s GPS also tracked my location as I move. For instance, I played the game mostly at my office at the University of Melbourne. As such, the building I was in, nearby landmarks (such as ‘Professor’s Walk’, a path lined with notable academic luminaries’ names), and nearby streets and alleyways all appeared on the game map (see Fig. 5.1).

Fig. 5.1The Shadow Cities game map, showing my avatar at the University of Melbourne. Screen capture by the author. Copyright Grey Area, used with permission

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