A new augmented reality (AR) game teaches players about endangered animals and is just the thing to keep young and old busy during lockdown.
Kenyan augmented reality game developer Internet of Elephants launched the game, called Wildeverse, in partnership with conservation science experts from the Borneo Nature Foundation, Goualougo Triangle Ape Foundation, Zoo Atlanta and Chester Zoo.
‘Ape populations are being decimated across the world. Wildlife protection will only become a global priority if enough people take an interest, said Internet of Elephants company founder Gautam Shah.
‘Conservationists on the ground are fighting an uphill battle with the support of only a handful of people. We are on a mission to turn the 2 billion people playing games today, into wildlife lovers and supporters of conservation efforts.’
The game consists of players acting as conservationists on a mission to find endangered animals in a virtual forest.
A timer keeps track of how long it takes to complete a mission and once a mission is complete, the player runs through a scripted interaction with an actual conservationist who provided research assistance and supported the developers in creating the animals represented in the gameplay.
Challenges include searching for the animals themselves or their footprints, food leftovers or droppings to looking for illegal human activity and threats to the habitat of four orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas and gibbons.
The game can be played on any iOS or Android device that support ARKit or ARCore.
Source: TechCrunch
Image: Instagram
