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Google releases Mini-Games, their new video game compilation for Google Glass [VIDEO]

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While we patiently wait for our monthly software update, Glass Explorers are being treated to some new Glassware from the Project Glass team by way of a video game compilation dubbed Mini-Games. “Hacked together” by the Google Glass team themselves, the mini games more or less serve as a proof-of-concept or basic framework to help get developers’ creative juices flowing when it comes to gaming on Glass. With all those sensors and a screen always attached to your head — it’s easy to see how Glass can provide for a gaming experience matched only by more “extreme” VR headsets like the Oculus Rift or Epson’s Moverio Smartglass.

Mini-Games is a bundle of 5 pick-up-and-play games designed to get Glass users in and back to the real world with a swipe of the touchpad. Featuring simple graphics, musical soundtrack, and gameplay — Skyrim this is not — but then again, it’s not supposed to be (at least not yet). Games can be pulled up in Glass by speaking the command, “Ok Glass, play a game with… (and then the corresponding game). Here’s the lineup.

Tennis

Google Glass Mini-Games - Tennis

Your face is the racket, and simply point your head in the direction the ball is moving to volley the ball back to the opponent. In our brief time with the game, it seemed to work well, only there wasn’t much of a challenge involved.

Shape Splitter

Google Glass Mini-Games - Shape Splitter.jpg

Like a simplified Fruit Ninja, players swipe their hands in front of their Glass camera to cut blocks, avoiding bombs that occasionally pop up during play. The game definitely doesn’t have as much precision as Fruit Ninja as big, long swipes will cut everything in sight. Still kind neat to see a game working in conjunction with the camera.

Balance

Google Glass Mini-Games - Balance

One of our favorites, the players tilts their head in the real-world in order to keep the falling blocks balanced on the virtual head. One wrong move, and they topple over. This was definitely one of the more difficult games of the bunch.

Clay Shooter

Google Glass Mini-Games - Clay Shooter

Using voice commands, players shout “PULL” and launch a clay pigeon, and aim their sites by tilting their head, shouting “BANG” once they’ve lined up their shot. While this sounds like it’d be the funnest out of the 5, lag issues on Glass kept everything from working smoothly.

Matcher

Google Glass Mini-Games - Matcher

A simple game of match 2, players move their heads around a 3D prism, selecting cards by tapping on their touchpad. The Glass team mentions they used the Photosphere camera mode to map everything in 3D which makes us wonder — where the heck is Photosphere for Google Glass?

More to come?

While games on Glass aren’t anything new (back in August, we showed you guys a Missile Defense-inspired game called Psyclops for Google Glass), it’s nice to see Google officially making even the smallest push in that direction. Hopefully this is only the beginning, and soon Glass will catch the eye of gaming bigwigs like EA, Sony, and/or Microsoft where they’ll include some level of second-screen connectivity in games like GTA or Halo. Maps, HUDs — just think of the possibilities..

Google Glass users can activate Mini-Games in their usual Glassware web portal (or through the MyGlass app).

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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9 Comments

  1. I think I’d be up for gaming on Glass more than my phone after seeing this. There’s a lot of potential.

  2. Google glass rocks!!! http://www.xperiazii.com

  3. imagine Ingress!

  4. Personally I’m grabbing the Atheer One’s they’ve got proper full screens and not have to worry about the tech going out of date :D

    http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atheer-one-what-it-feels-like-to-have-superpowers/x/4042531

  5. Locking Glass in place on a human head makes all the sensors mounted on Glass more valuable. Position, velocity and acceleration of linear and angular motion of the head can be combined with eye movements and Glass mounted camera data to change computer commands in wonderful ways. Head games are to Glass as Solitaire was to the mouse: great ways to teach new gestures and mussle memory to Glass and GUI users respectively.

  6. More lag for my cheap goggles

  7. Google has released a bundle of mini games. Features of these games such as sound, graphics etc are amazing. One can play them to entertain them. For more details about video game one can visit
    http://wordswithfriends.net/

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