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In short: Krikey, an augmented-reality app dedicated to real-time multiplayer gaming, is now available on select Android devices, the San Francisco-based studio behind the service announced Monday. The solution allows users to play AR games and record their gameplay, is under 300MB in size, and can be downloaded and experienced free of charge from the Google Play Store. Krikey is the world’s first app created with AR Foundation, a software development kit (SDK) that combines Google’s ARCore and Apple’s ARKit, thus making multi-platform development and porting easier. In order to commemorate the Android launch of the platform, Krikey is also releasing a new tennis game for the system.
Background: the development comes just over half a year after Krikey first debuted on iOS where the app currently enjoys a positive 4.2-star rating but also hasn’t gathered a significant audience as several analytics services AndroidHeadlines contacted to asses its performance weren’t able to do so based on their representative samples, stating the main reason for the thereof is a lack of installs that are likely no higher than low tens of thousands. The app has been envisioned as a straightforward solution for playing AR multiplayer games in real time, with all of its titles being extremely accessible to all ages. While it doesn’t feature traditional advertising or in-app purchases, Krikey has so far monetized its service with partnerships that saw it launch branded games. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and non-profit Conservation International partnered with the American studio on such projects in the past and more entities are expected to follow suit in the near future.
Impact: The Android port of Krikey ennobles the current selection of AR platforms within Google’s ecosystem and provides consumers with more choice in the mobile AR gaming segment. While it remains to be seen whether the platform will take off in a massive way, its Android launch is yet another vote of confidence to Google’s AR ambitions.