Apple

The Machines AR for iPhone 8 Looks Better Than Pokémon GO

Published

6 years ago

09/13/2017

The Machines, a new iPhone and iPad game that stunned watchers of Apple’s iPhone 8, iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 3 event this week, makes even Niantic’s Pokémon GO mobile game look a bit underwhelming.

Directive Games revealed The Machines as part of a demonstration of Apple’s ARKit technology during Apple’s September 12th event. Short for Augmented Reality Kit, the software layer built into iOS 11 and coming to iPhones and iPads, allows developers to program their games with sensors in mind. Games can use the device’s camera to let players see characters and worlds overlaid on real world objects, for example.

The Machines is an ARKit game built for iOS 11.

Read: iOS 11 vs iOS 10: What’s New in iOS 11

The Machines takes augmented reality a step further than we’ve seen from other games. Demonstrators overlaid the game’s battlefield on an empty table and the game added the environment on screen. As the player moved forward, the game world on the screen moved closer. When the player changed moved the phone around the table, they saw rock formations and the game’s battleground from a direction they hadn’t before. Navigating a battle looked effortless and natural.

The Machines is a real-time strategy game. Players position their units and defend their bases from an onslaught of rival enemies. Being able to see around rock formations and get a different perspective of what’s happening on the battlefield is what makes the game so amazing.

For comparison, Pokémon GO uses a phone’s GPS signal to track the player’s location and its camera to let them pretend as if they’re catching a Pokémon right in front of them. Aside from those things, the game does very little with a smartphone’s sensors. The Machines is far more realistic than Niantic’s game, and Pokémon GO kick-started AR gaming when it debuted in 2016.

Directive Games confirmed The Machines will launch in the iTunes App Store sometime in September during Apple’s event. If that happens, it will be among the first ARKit games in the App Store when iOS 11 launches on September 19th. The company didn’t reveal how much the game will cost iPhone users, but did note that The Machines will not come to Android devices.

iOS 11 Release & Time: 5 Things to Expect & 3 Things Not To

iOS 11 Release Time

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The iOS 11 release date is set for Tuesday and here's when you can expect the update to roll out for your device.

Apple usually releases new iOS updates in and around 10AM Pacific. Give or take a few minutes. We expect iOS 11 to arrive Tuesday morning for all devices capable of running the new software.

This is important to remember because it means there's no reason to check for the update anytime before then. Don't expect Apple to push the date up.

If you live outside of the United States, your release time could come early in the morning or late in the evening.

iOS software usually hits London at 6PM. If you live in Melbourne, Australia, you'll need to stay up much later. iOS software typically drops there at 3AM.