JCDecaux, the number-one outdoor advertising company worldwide, has launched a US Airports gaming partnership with Niantic Labs at Google for world travelers at both John F. Kennedy and Los Angeles International Airports.
Niantic Lab’s game, titled Ingress, uses Google Maps and a layer of deep-rooted fictional conceit to create a location-based Alternate Reality Game (ARG). The vision behind Ingress was to create a “move-to-play” feel and encourage players to get off the couch and see the world around them while enjoying a truly social game. The game is intended to be played globally and revolves around the idea that there is a strange and powerful energy force gamers must battle and conquer.
More than seventy Ingress Airport virtual portals using JCDecaux digital displays have been integrated in the game at JFK and LAX. With 113 million passengers, both airports will provide a new dimension to existing and potential new gamers.
“As we see an increase in media convergence between out-of-home media and mobile technology, it seems like a natural evolution to partner with Niantic Labs at Google on this ground-breaking approach to social gaming,” said Jean-Luc Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux NA.
“Ingress marries mobile gaming and the real world and we are excited to integrate JCDecaux’s digital display network into the Ingress game which already includes public artwork and historical sites,” said John Hanke, General Manager of Niantic Labs at Google. “Our goal is to enrich everyday experiences with an element of mystery and fun by encouraging our users to look for the unexpected, and JCDecaux’s digital displays are now part of that experience.”
JCDecaux is the number-one outdoor advertising company in the world and the market leader in Europe and Asia-Pacific. JCDecaux is listed on Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 index. JCDecaux, which first invented the concept of street furniture in 1964, is currently the only world-class player exclusively focused on outdoor advertising, pursuing a comprehensive range of activities in the areas of street furniture, transport advertising and billboard. Employing a total of 10,484 people, the Group has operations in 55 countries around the world (1,002,800 advertising panels), and is present in 3,700 cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants.
Niantic Labs is a division of Google dedicated to creating mobile computing apps that interact with the real world for entertainment, education, information and more. Founded in 2011 by the team who created Google Earth, Niantic Labs explores the possibilities of getting people out in the real world through the creation of outdoor adventures and interactions with local environments in brand new ways, using technology. In November 2012, Niantic Labs launched Ingress, the geo-location-based game which involves players exploring and interacting with the real world. The mobile gaming app is currently in closed beta and available for Android devices. For more information visit www.ingress.com.
