Niantic has officially announced the global release of Ingress: The Animation on Netflix, which is clearly themed around the developer's hit augmented reality game Ingress Prime. We first learned about the CG-animated series back in July of 2018, and that the show had a planned launch for October of that year. Well, that loose release date came and went, so if you had been wondering when the show would actually arrive, today's the day.
Above is a brand-new trailer for Ingress: The Animation that covers the general premise of the show. Apparently, two factions will wage war against one another in order to vie for control of the Exotic Matter that is leaking into the world through disguised portals. This substance can influence human minds, and the show's protagonists (Makoto and Sarah) have been impacted by it, which conveniently provides them with unique abilities as they run from a mysterious character.
Ingress: The Animation is rated TV-MA, which means it's not going to be appropriate for children, which may at first seem like an odd choice for a show themed around a video game. That's why it may surprise you to find out that the average player of Ingress fits somewhere between the ages of 25 and 44. So a more adult-themed show makes sense in this context. There's eleven episodes in total, though it's still unknown if a second season is planned.
It's definitely interesting to see how Niantic is branching out with its property, and you have to wonder if this new show will boost the player base of the mobile game. While I have no doubt curious viewers will check out Ingress Prime if they enjoy Ingress: The Animation, I'm not too sure that will actually translate to a new user base that will stick with the open-world augmented reality title. At the very least the next few weeks should prove to be a busy time to jump into Ingress Prime.
PRESS RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO—April 30, 2019—Niantic, Inc. today announced that Ingress: The Animation, an all new CG-animated series based on Niantic’s augmented-reality mobile game Ingress Prime, is now available worldwide on Netflix. Developed in collaboration with Fuji TV and Craftar Studios in Japan, the anime merges Ingress Agents, gameplay and narrative into a global sci-fi adventure thriller and features music from a number of artists including award-winning UK rock band, Alt-J. Check out the brand new trailer here.
In Ingress: The Animation, Exotic Matter (XM) is leaking into the world through Portals disguised as real-world landmarks scattered across the globe. XM influences people in different ways with some even gaining a super mental power. The show focuses on the main characters Makoto and Sarah who have been impacted by the Exotic Matter. Makoto can touch things and see their history, while Sarah can see certain aspects of time and space. The duo end up on the run together away from a third, mysterious character named Jack.
The mobile game Ingress Prime represents a pioneering intersection of real world mobile games and innovative massively multiplayer gameplay, uniting players worldwide to collaborate in order to drive the deep narrative forward. Building upon Niantic’s foundational real world augmented reality game, Ingress, this recently overhauled experience leverages cutting-edge location-based technology to reveal the global game board and uncover Portals laying in plain site as public art and landmarks. Players must choose a side between The Enlightened and The Resistance, two factions battling for control of these landmarks and the fate of the world. The Ingress Prime storyline will evolve and change based on how Ingress Agents interact with one another and the outcome of Ingress real-world in-person “Anomaly” events.
To learn more about the anime, please visit the official website at Ingress: The Animation and Twitter.
Ingress Prime is available as a free download on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android devices.
Niantic, Inc., is the world’s leading Augmented Reality and mobile real-world company, building engaging applications that merge cutting-edge technology with gaming experiences that foster exploration, discovery, and social interaction. Originally incubated within Google, Niantic spun out in 2015 with investments from Google, The Pokémon Company, and Nintendo. The company closed $245 million in Series C funding in January 2019 from IVP, aXiomatic Gaming, Battery Ventures, Causeway Media Partners, CRV and Samsung Ventures. Prior financing includes $200 million in 2017 from Spark Capital, Founders Fund, Meritech, Javelin Venture Partners, You & Mr. Jones and NetEase, Inc, and a follow-on from Alsop Louie Partners. The company’s immersive Real World Platform powers the ground-breaking AR games Pokémon GO and Ingress, which are available on the App Store and Google Play. Harry Potter: Wizard’s Unite is Niantic, Inc.’s upcoming third game, co-developed with WB Games. For more information on Niantic, visit www.nianticlabs.com.
Source: Twitter