Local vs Remote AR Multiplayer
Mobile AR now has both local multiplayer by Google and Apple and remote AR by ARnDAI, but the mechanics of AR multiplayer are different than that of traditional non-AR games. Here’s what you need to know.
Local Multiplayer
Local multiplayer is called collaborative or shared AR. It can be integrated in your product using ARCore or ARKit, AR frameworks made by Google and Apple, respectively. Of course there are other solutions too, but those two are the most popular and most technically sound. This kind of interaction appeared about two years ago, so there already a decent number of apps in the App Store and the Google Play store that feature the technology. In short, the tech allows you to interact with a few people in the same augmented reality while also being in the same physical location. Let’s say there’s a table in front of you. You can track it in the app, then share it with other people nearby. As soon as they have joined the multiplayer session, they can see the same AR content from different angles and positions. Your interactions are synchronised across devices, so you can experience real-time collaboration. I’m not going to dive into the technical details here, as there are already plenty of articles that cover them as well as official documentation for ARCore and ARKit.
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Certainly, this sort of interaction is necessary and useful. First, it lets us play with friends who are near us in the real world. Second, collaborative entertainment is something that we have enjoyed for a long time on PC and mobile, so it makes sense to bring it to AR as well.
Remote Multiplayer
Remote AR multiplayer allows users to interact in the same AR space while being in different physical locations. In short, the tech analyses users’ environments to understand the world around them, then it matches users with similar surroundings into the same AR session. The third step is synchronisation across devices. While in local multiplayer we have exactly the same object as a virtual space, in remote interactions the environments are always different, so the tech needs to generate the virtual space specifically for the current users. As soon as all of the steps are complete, people can see and interact with each other in the same AR from any part of the world.
The use case here is very obvious — we are not always together with our friends and family. To make our AR collaboration happen, we need a specific technology. Recently I wrote an article about remote AR multiplayer to explain it in more detail. This technology was released recently, in fact in July this year, by ARnDAI.
Local versus Remote AR Multiplayer
The first thing I want to say is that local and remote AR are both important tools for bringing great experiences to people. Certainly, you can find use cases that may only make sense to implement with local or remote AR multiplayer, but most apps can benefit from both. I know a very simple example — Fortnite. Sometimes a group of friends may sit together and play this game, but more often people are battling remotely with their mobiles. For mobile gaming, it’s obvious that you can be anywhere and still play your favorite games, but for AR there are two very different technologies with the same goal — making augmented reality experiences sharable.
Not so far ago I wrote that there are just a few collaborative AR apps, so the tech cannot be considered popular. I think that this is down to the matter of use cases. Of course, remote multiplayer is more social and allows you to interact from anywhere, but if there is a really great use case then both approaches might be used.
I believe that the combination of local and remote multiplayer will have the following results:
- User engagement with the app will rise stratospherically
- Remote multiplayer will encourage people to use the app more frequently
- Apps will be significantly more monetisable, as social mechanics are the main driver of the top grossing apps
Let’s think about a very basic example. You’ve probably heard about Minecraft Earth. The game is about building things with blocks, and now it’s available in Augmented Reality. This game could surely suit both remote and collaborative AR multiplayer. With Remote AR, you can invite your friends to visit your building right in your room. At the same time, with collaborative AR, you can create something in a nearby garden and others can even help you. Adding these technologies will drastically increase the time players spend in the app. When you are able to go out and build something and then virtually invite your friends to your house, the app becomes a more integral part of your life.
Multiplayer is vital for Augmented Reality and it’s basically the only thing in the near future that will raise user interest, bring catchy new apps/content and finally engage users. From the point of view of many developers, social mechanics are an almost sure-fire way to increase revenue and grow user numbers.
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