[OSM-talk] Can we utilise the popularity of Pokémon Go for OSM?

[Blake Girardot]

Hi Polyglot,

Have you seen the mobile game "Ingress"  https://www.ingress.com/

That is an augmented reality, outdoor game related to mapping somehow.
I am seeing it mentioned in relation to this new pokemon game too, not
sure how they are related.

It was also developed by a subsidiary of google so I am sure someone
has contemplated how it might be used to improve map data.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingress_(video_game)

I do not know exactly how it is played, but there are portals which
are typically PoI's and businesses (part of the funding model).

But ingress looked like a great app to help with OSM mapping in some
parts of the world if it could be adapted or partnered with.

Now how you go about getting the exposure and network effect of
something like pokemon, that is a different story. Ingress looks super
cool and has been around for 4 years and I bet almost no one has heard
of it. (note they claim 7 million players, but i wonder is that is 7
million signups really)

cheers
blake

On Thu, Jul 14, 2016 at 2:06 PM, Jo <winfixit at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm not playing the game, as it would get in the way of making Mapillary
> pictures...
> If you could convince the creators of the game to include making pictures
> (and sending them out when back on wifi) to gain extra points of spots where
> we need such pictures, then yes. Without their cooperation, you'd need to
> convince them to install another app and it wouldn't make the players win
> extra points in the Pokemon game, so I don't think they'd be very
> interested.
>
> Now, if we could launch a game of our own and hype that...
>
> Polyglot
>
> 2016-07-14 13:46 GMT+02:00 Svavar Kjarrval <svavar at kjarrval.is>:
>>
>> Hi.
>>
>> Now that Pokémon Go[1] is gaining popularity, people in general will
>> spend more time outside walking around with their phone in hand (and
>> some with mobile USB chargers). I'm wondering if there might be
>> opportunities for OpenStreetMap to utilise that activity to encourage
>> the gamers to collect (non-infringing) data for OSM while they're
>> playing the game anyway.
>>
>> I'm not claiming I have any specific ideas at this point. Just wanted to
>> bring this point forward.
>>
>> [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Go
>>
>> With regards,
>> Svavar Kjarrval
>>
>>
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>
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