AR SHOOTER

Following the success of NRL Dash and Summer Smash, we set our sights on pushing Augmented Reality (AR) even further. At the time, AR was mostly being used in simple, novelty formats — floating 3D objects, basic face filters, or uninspiring overlays that added little value to the real world. We believed the technology had far more potential — especially in creating immersive, interactive experiences that were dynamic, responsive, and fun.

A New Playground: World-Scale AR

Our exploration began with Immersal’s world-scale AR platform — originally designed for intelligent wayfinding and brand activations. But as we experimented, we saw a broader opportunity: what if we could build a full-scale, real-world action game layered seamlessly over physical space?

We challenged ourselves to create a prototype AR shooter — not set in a sci-fi world, but in the alley behind our studio.

Enter the Alley Shooter: Real-World Chaos Meets Digital Gameplay

Using mobile devices, players could step into an action-packed experience, navigating the alley like a live gaming arena. Scattered throughout the physical space were digital pickups — ammo crates, health pods, and explosive triggers — placed with precision using Immersal’s mapping tech. Players could move freely, explore the environment, and engage in real-time combat — not just with digital enemies, but with physical-world objects like a parked Jeep, which reacted to shots and explosions in-game.

To elevate the realism and gameplay instinct, we integrated gun-style controllers, making the experience more intuitive, tactile, and natural — far beyond what touchscreen AR had offered before.

Prototyping the Future of AR Entertainment

While this project was a proof-of-concept, it proved something important: AR doesn’t have to be passive or purely functional. It can be rich, layered, and wildly entertaining. By combining world-scale technology, real environments, and natural input methods, we opened the door to new possibilities for AR — from gaming and storytelling to branded entertainment and live events.