Android game turns Linux phones into paintball guns
A new game for Google's Linux-based Android platform uses WiFi, GPS, and phone-camera technology, along with Google maps, to create a first-person shooter game you can play "anytime, anywhere -- against real people," according to publisher W2Pii Entertainment.
Once a user downloads and activates the Java-based WiFi Army, says W2Pii, the game scans for other users within 300 feet and sets up a direct WiFi connection, swapping photos of each player for identification purposes. The user tracks the other player via continually updated GPS coordinates on a Google map interface, and when a positive identification is made, the user can shoot to kill using the phone's camera. The photo is then uploaded to the W2Pi site to see if there's a match, and if so, the user is awarded points.
Chicago-based W2Pi eventually hopes to use facial recognition software to confirm the "kills," said the developer, 23-year-old Peter Wojtowicz, in an interview. He also announced some fresh news since the game was demonstrated at CES last week: W2Pi will create a single-player mode in addition to the WiFi-based version.
"We will create artificial targets for them so they can practice," said Wojtowicz, who often goes by his screen name, Peter Whatanitch [Editor's note: reminiscent of Wanda Tinasky's psuedonym, Ivan Awfulitch]. WiFi Army will be free for the downloading, he said, but different weapons, armor, ammunition, radar jammer, and grenades downloaded from the WiFi Army site will cost a few cents each.
"Each weapon would have a different benefit feature, so a handgun, say, would have a range of fifty feet, whereas an Uzi might have a sniper scope for longer range," said Wojtowicz. "In the beta, it will be die or no die, but eventually we want to add different levels of player status [severity of injuries]. Players will also be able to create and join guilds on our site, so you could have an army of a hundred users that could play team vs. team."
Wojtowicz plans to eventually offer prize money for high scores, as well as set up tournaments and make the site into an advertising-driven social network site for gamers, somewhat like Halo's bungie.net. Other plans include voice-over-WiFi, avatars, privacy controls, and developing a virtual reality, multiplayer online version.
The public can sign up now for a beta, but each city will initially be limited to 500 users.
About This Video
How will wifiarmy stand out from all the other games out there? What can we look forward to?
Below are some of the modules we are working on. * WiFi Battle Engine * Local GPS User Status * Account Upgrade Modules * Voice over WiFi
We are modeling wifiarmy.com much like bungie.net where players information, stats and online communication takes place. Eventually we will have prizes, tournament and a community. Currently we are running a joomla php script. * Personal Stats * Kills * Deaths * Community Stats * Most kills * Most kills to different players * Deadliest army * Army * Users will be able to create or join an army * Up to 100 members per army
Once a user downloads and activates the Java-based WiFi Army, says W2Pii, the game scans for other users within 300 feet and sets up a direct WiFi connection, swapping photos of each player for identification purposes. The user tracks the other player via continually updated GPS coordinates on a Google map interface, and when a positive identification is made, the user can shoot to kill using the phone's camera. The photo is then uploaded to the W2Pi site to see if there's a match, and if so, the user is awarded points.
Chicago-based W2Pi eventually hopes to use facial recognition software to confirm the "kills," said the developer, 23-year-old Peter Wojtowicz, in an interview. He also announced some fresh news since the game was demonstrated at CES last week: W2Pi will create a single-player mode in addition to the WiFi-based version.
"We will create artificial targets for them so they can practice," said Wojtowicz, who often goes by his screen name, Peter Whatanitch [Editor's note: reminiscent of Wanda Tinasky's psuedonym, Ivan Awfulitch]. WiFi Army will be free for the downloading, he said, but different weapons, armor, ammunition, radar jammer, and grenades downloaded from the WiFi Army site will cost a few cents each.
"Each weapon would have a different benefit feature, so a handgun, say, would have a range of fifty feet, whereas an Uzi might have a sniper scope for longer range," said Wojtowicz. "In the beta, it will be die or no die, but eventually we want to add different levels of player status [severity of injuries]. Players will also be able to create and join guilds on our site, so you could have an army of a hundred users that could play team vs. team."
Wojtowicz plans to eventually offer prize money for high scores, as well as set up tournaments and make the site into an advertising-driven social network site for gamers, somewhat like Halo's bungie.net. Other plans include voice-over-WiFi, avatars, privacy controls, and developing a virtual reality, multiplayer online version.
The public can sign up now for a beta, but each city will initially be limited to 500 users.
About This Video
How will wifiarmy stand out from all the other games out there? What can we look forward to?
Below are some of the modules we are working on. * WiFi Battle Engine * Local GPS User Status * Account Upgrade Modules * Voice over WiFi
We are modeling wifiarmy.com much like bungie.net where players information, stats and online communication takes place. Eventually we will have prizes, tournament and a community. Currently we are running a joomla php script. * Personal Stats * Kills * Deaths * Community Stats * Most kills * Most kills to different players * Deadliest army * Army * Users will be able to create or join an army * Up to 100 members per army
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