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