philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

‘Virtual Virtual Reality’ Makers Release Augmented Reality Game ‘Tendar’

“Tendar,” as the game is being called, puts players in charge of an AR guppy that is part Tamagochi, part sentient AI.

The object of the game is to nurture the guppy and grow its intelligence by feeding it with human emotions and real-world objects. If that sounds a bit weird, it’s probably no accident: After all, Tender Claws’ “Virtual Virtual Reality” put players into a world ruled by mean-spirited robot overlords that used humans as laborers for their amusement — complete with a glitchy underworld of high-tech resistance.

For “Tendar,” the studio decided to figure out how to tell stories in augmented reality, while also pushing the technical boundaries of the medium. Instead of just placing a traditional story on top of real-world surfaces, “Tendar” uses object recognition to actually make sense of the world and incorporate it into the game play. The game also uses facial recognition to sense emotions, detecting smiles, frowns and more. “The story is about you and what’s around you,” said Tender Claws co-founder Danny Cannizzaro.

And “Tendar” wouldn’t be a Tender Claws game if it didn’t have an odd twist. “As the guppy evolves, he becomes more and more verbal,” Cannizzaro explained. Snd as the virtual pet becomes smarter, it also develops its own personality — and ultimately becomes aware of the constraints of its world. “The guppy has a bit of an existential crisis,” Gorman said.

See the full story here: https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/tender-claws-tendar-ar-game-1203029351/