It can be difficult for young people to understand deep-rooted social or political issues, but an immersive iPhone app dubbed NYC Haunts is here to spark important conversations.
Successfully bridging the online and offline worlds, NYC Haunts tasks young people with playing the role of a ghost detective. Players must travel around the city to uncover facts about New York's history. The mobile game features a geo-locative alternate reality, meaning the players can navigate through the city streets, while immersing themselves in an alternate world.
During the game, players are tasked with learning the underlying social or political conditions that have caused the ghost their following to haunt the city. Some of the ghosts spark discussions of class struggle, homelessness, environmental conditions and more.
Haunted Geo-Locating Apps
NYC Haunts Helps Youth Uncover Social or Political Issues
Trend Themes
1. Immersive Gaming - Creating immersive gaming experiences that merge the digital and physical worlds to educate and engage users in important social or political issues.
2. Geo-locative Technology - Developing geo-locating technology that allows users to navigate real-world environments while accessing augmented reality content, enhancing the gaming experience.
3. Socially Conscious Gaming - Focusing on gaming that addresses social or political issues, encouraging dialogue and awareness among players, particularly younger generations.
Industry Implications
1. Education - Utilizing immersive gaming technology to revolutionize educational approaches and make learning more engaging and interactive.
2. Mobile App Development - Exploring the potential of geo-locative technology in mobile app development to create unique and immersive experiences for users.
3. Entertainment - Integrating socially conscious gaming into the entertainment industry to entertain and educate audiences, fostering a deeper level of engagement.