One of the cool things about iOS gaming has been seeing how developers incorporate Apple’s new technologies into the games that they offer. At first, it was features like the accelerometer and now, thanks to the TrueDepth sensors used for Face ID, Apple’s face tracking tech is set to be incorporated into next-gen titles.
One of the first out of the gate is the upcoming Reigns: Game of Thrones. According to a new report, the title will use facial tracking technology in an innovative way: by asking you to carry out stare-downs with the various characters.
As per VentureBeat, the game will feature a smart game dynamic in which players must stare into the eyes of computer-controlled players to try and work out whether or not they are trustworthy. The report notes that:
“The face-tracking abilities, dubbed Face ID, can bring you deeper into the game, as characters who trust you will lock their gaze directly on your eyes, even as you tilt the device. The suspicious characters will look away from you.”
I’m particularly intrigued by this concept due to the improved facial recognition features offered by the new iPhones. Facial tracking isn’t totally unexplored as a game dynamic for iOS. As far back as early 2014, the game Umoove Experience allowed gamers to have a go at piloting a 3D avatar flying over a village, controlling the navigation by face and head gestures.
However, it hasn’t really caught on as a mainstream control interface for iOS games, partly because it is fiddly compared to alternatives like on-screen virtual buttons. With the TrueDepth camera, though, this gives developers the opportunity to use more advanced versions of this tech as part of their titles.
Game of Thrones meets… Tinder?
Beyond this, the new Game of Thrones game sounds quite a lot of fun, with a Tinder-style swipe-based narrative in which you swipe left or right to choose your course of action. With the TV series coming to an end, and the next novel in the series nowhere in sight, Reigns: Game of Thrones could be just the Westoros fix you’re after.
It’s available to pre-order now, priced at $4 in the App Store. Look for it to be made available on October 18.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHZzz67ES2w
