HARDWARE // GOOGLE GLASS | BETA
platforms and bring our games to the customer whatever device they have in their hand or in front of their eyes. For instance, we have games on Bada, Windows Phone 7 and even on Tizen.” A sister company of Gameloft and Ubisoft,
and co-founded in 2004 by a range of individuals including Ubisoft’s Guillimot brothers, AMA has also worked on Vita, Kinect, smart TV and numerous other mobile OS projects. “But coming back to Glass, we are very
lucky to have a close relationship with Google,” continues Campion. “On Android, we are the top developer since last November. On Google TV, we were in the first batch of developers to deliver games on this new platform. So when, at Google I/O 2012, we were offered the opportunity to enter the Glass Explorer programme. Well, we didn’t hesitate too long.” The Glass Explorer early adopter initiative
saw both developers and carefully selected consumers given the chance to take part in testing of the hardware, as long as they could commit to a trip to one of three US cities for the device’s pre-release launch, and stump up $1,500. AMA made it through the process.
BUILT TO GLASS Through making Escape, AMA has increased not just its interest, but investment in wearable technology, which has a surprisingly long history. The history of head-mounted displays that
augment reality stretches back well over 30 years. Meanwhile, productised optical head-mounted displays like the Glass, defined by sporting a display that the wearer can see through or view the reflection of projected images in, have been available since the 1990s. And a whole plethora of high-tech adornments and wrist-mounted computers have long existed, starting with ring-abacuses in China’s Qing Dynasty in the 1600s. And now AMA is willing to bet that history will continue. “AMA believes in wearables and, now that it is happening, we are more than excited to be part of this new frontier. Google Glass is a
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key element of it, but not the only one. Christian Guillemot our CEO, just decided to build up a fully wearable-dedicated development studio in Rennes, in Brittany,” reveals Campion. “So we are heavily investing and welcome any partner or games developer to join us.” As well as looking for partners, AMA is also
recruiting individuals across numerous fields from artists to designers. It’s a tempting proposal, and one that may have daring developers flocking to AMA’s door. What’s more, Campion is confident that the opportunity for making games for wearable tech is not the exclusive reserve of a few highly specialised studios.
CHORD LOOPS Campion admits Google must make Glass a great deal more easy to purchase before it can be guaranteed success, and he is frank in asserting that, initially at least, games developers are best focusing on ‘mobile-like’ titles as the platform establishes itself. But, based on the experience
AMA have had making Escape, Campion has some encouraging advice for developers designing their first Glass game: “Think outside the box. Make it unique for Glass by choosing gameplay you were never able to do before.” It may turn out that Google Glass is the
precedent – and not the breakthrough product – for optical head-mounted displays that are embraced by the public. But there is one thing Campion and the AMA team seem sure of. “I strongly believe in wearables,” concludes the head of production. “But I don’t know what will be Google’s final product, price or content, so there are still many question marks. But again, get ready for wearables.” Will wearables really become a normal destination for the games today’s developers
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conceive? It’s hard to predict. But considering how commonplace wearable technology like the wristwatch is, consumers appear absolutely comfortable with the concept of carrying hardware on their bodies. And it is those consumers that may one
day be playing your games through technology like Glass. So, if AMA is to be believed, you would be wise to consider supporting the platform.
www.ama-studios.com
A sense of glass? How stylish Google Glass is (above and below) is a matter of opinion, but the unusual nature of the game design challenge it presents is certainly an appealing one
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