Comment & Opinion

How Ragtag plans to use augmented reality as more than just a gimmick in amazeballz pool

People "more inclined" to point a camera and enjoy AR than use VR

How Ragtag plans to use augmented reality as more than just a gimmick in amazeballz pool

UK studio Ragtag Developments has been working on new mobile pool game amazeballz poolfor years, despite being a space where dominant leaders are already apparent.

But the studio has a few new tricks up its sleeve that it feels can differentiate its game from the pack.

It's spent those years creating a full-fledged 3D pool experience and has also played around with augmented reality.

Its AR experiments aren't just a gimmick though. The team has already won an innovation award for its efforts and is working hard to bring a new experience that matches the hype of the tech popularised to general consumers by Pokemon GO.

To find out more about the studio's plans for amazepool pool and exactly what its AR ambitions are, we caught up with Ragtag Developments Creative Director Rich Hancock to discuss why AR shouldn't simply be a gimmick and how it compared to virtual reality.

Much of the team has previously worked in the console space. What made you decide to go to mobile?

Given the ever increasing power of modern mobile devices, there’s no reason not to support many platforms. Our game engine is platform agnostic from a technical perspective, the real challenge is integrating a wide variety of interfaces.

Whilst our initial releases are commonly targeted at PC and mobile, it’s likely that console versions as well as others will appear too.

Many premium console developers have often found it difficult to cross over to mobile. Why do you think that is and why do you think you can make a success of mobile?

If premium console developers are pushing out mobile ports of console only suited titles verbatim, they may want to rethink their strategy.

There are certain games which are better suited to console or mobile, but we aim to build experiences which work well regardless of platform.

How long has amazeballz pool been in development? Has much changed along the way?

We started developing amazeballz pool a few years ago and have been advancing it ever since. The visuals have changed a lot along the way and whilst the current version has a minimal appearance, the game didn’t always look like that.

We are approaching close to one hundred revisions of the environment and have a lot to reveal.

You’re going in with 3D graphics. Do you think there’s a real appetite for “better” graphics on mobile by casual audiences now?

Using 3D graphics doesn’t necessarily mean they are “better”, but we have an extra dimension to use when it comes to player customisation.

The use of AR is commonly only a gimmick, augmenting an existing experience which will work fine without AR.

This means players are not limited to only being able to customise the baize or the top of the table. A variety of customisations will be available for anything on, under and around the table. More than ever in a pool game players will be able to personalise their experience.

One of the top grossing games on the app stores is 8 Ball Pool. With a leader in the space, what are you bringing to the table that’s different that you think will attract users?

Other advantages for going 3D are the additional gameplay possibilities. Balls can jump around the table and bounce around in pockets, and skilled players can perform masse' shots allowing them to jump the cue ball over other balls.

The current crazy mode puts obstacles on the table and players must take into account the effect these have on ball direction as it rolls over them. The features here will be developed further and allow players to create their own crazy tables and challenges.

You’ve previously said you plan to use AR in some way to make the experience more social and immersive. How would this work on mobile and what are your plans here?

The use of AR is commonly only a gimmick, augmenting an existing experience which will work fine without AR. We realised a method of using AR in a way which gives experiences only possible with AR.

We created a prototype and the idea garnered an innovation award. That’s all we’re saying on this right now as we don’t want to spoil the surprise!

Have your plans in AR been affected at all by the success of Pokemon GO? Or is Pokemon GO a red herring for AR experiences?

The success of Pokemon GO has changed nothing with regards to our plans for AR.

The use of AR in Pokemon GO is a nice addition, but the game can be played without AR. I’m not sure red herring is the right term, but AR is an addition to something which works fine without it.

How big do you think AR can be for mobile games?

When used correctly AR can bring people together in new and interesting ways.

It seems people would be more inclined to simply point a camera and enjoy AR whilst staying present in the real world.

The very nature of mobile devices means people will have more opportunities than ever to enjoy AR and feel connected to others. It’s possible that the use of AR will become as commonplace as text messaging.

When it comes to mobile, what do you think has more potential for games in the long-term, augmented reality or virtual reality?

Due to the fact that VR takes away the view of the world, users can feel isolated from those around them.

With mobile AR, users have a complete view of the world and those around them, allowing for more social experiences.

It seems people would be more inclined to simply point a camera and enjoy AR whilst staying present in the real world and being able to move around freely.

When it comes to using VR, the experience is deferred as users have to stop and attach their mobile device to a headset before donning it. Once inside VR, users are then isolated from the world around them and attempting to move is not advisable.

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Craig Chapple is a freelance analyst, consultant and writer with specialist knowledge of the games industry. He has previously served as Senior Editor at PocketGamer.biz, as well as holding roles at Sensor Tower, Nintendo and Develop.