JOYity reality platform taking Android by storm

There's a helluva buzz this week around JOYity, a new reality games platform for Google Android.

It's the work of German firm Zelfi, and allows people to set up and play their own location-based games using the T-Mobile G1 handset (and, as they're released, other Android phones).

In a nutshell, JOYity runs games that are played using the GPS and mapping features of an Android handset, not to mention its connectivity.

Examples can be scavenger hunts, where you run around a city finding clues, or tag-style games where you have to hunt down other players before you get hunted.

But the really exciting thing is the way anyone who's downloaded JOYity can create their own new games using the platform, and share them with other players.

It could be huge. The openness of the platform is the key thing, leaving it to users to come up with innovative games based on it.

We're looking forward to bagging a G1 next week and trying it out. Meanwhile, the company's website says iPhone and J2ME versions are on the way too.