Niantic Labs

Google-owned Niantic Labs has opened beta registration for its new mobile-meets-real-world game, Endgame:

Proving Ground. The game is built on the same platform used for the phenomenally popular game Ingress, which has more than 8 million players from all over the world.

Endgame: Proving Ground is just one part of an epic transmedia project created by bestselling author James Frey. Frey is also writing a trilogy of novels that accompany the game and both will be followed next year by a film. The idea is to allow the audience to immerse themselves in the story of Endgame through more than just one medium. "Whenever I am doing a novel now I think about how I can use the technology available to make it more than just a book," Frey told WIRED in a recent interview. "I approached John Hanke, who runs Niantic, and he said, 'We've been thinking about the same things.'"


The story has already kicked off on a website AncientSocieties.com, but when users download the full game -- which will soon be available on iOS and Android -- they will have to join one of twelve lines, which are like tribes, and choose a male or female character to represent them.

Niantic Labs

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"Everyone who is reading the book can be part of this whole

Endgame universe, I think this is what makes us special,"


Anne Beuttenmueller from Niantic Labs tells WIRED.co.uk.

Like Ingress, players will have to fight over real-life landmarks. If they go to these landmarks, they will gain artefacts and weapons that will help them to duel with players from other lines to win tokens. Rather than "portals", the landmarks in

Endgame will be referred to as "key spots".

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"If you want to claim a key spot for your line, it's good for you to team up with other players," says Beuttenmueller.

To help you coordinate with other players from your line, there's an in-game chat feature that is built directly into the mobile game and will allow teams to plan missions. It's impossible to say yet whether Endgame will spawn the same kind of cult following and far-reaching friendships as Ingress just yet, but Beuttenmueller feels positive. "We give you a reason to team up with other players, so it's easier to claim the key spot, so I definitely think this is going to happen," she says.

Gallery: Endgame: Proving Ground is Ingress for James Frey's universe Gallery Gallery: Endgame: Proving Ground is Ingress for James Frey's universe + 6

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Also new to Endgame is an in-game buying system, which will let people purchase weapons. "We don't want to have a pay-to-win situation, so you also get them when you go to key spots and find them," explains Beuttenmueller. It's an interesting decision given that one of the things that has made Ingress so thrilling is that it forces people to be active to get involved.


Activity and physical movement is an important part of playing

Endgame too of course, but duelling will be incredibly important part of achieving success in the game.

If you want to be one of the first to use Endgame in closed beta, head to AncientSocieties.com to sign up.