I saw a report on the news alittle while ago that Augmented reality was going to become standard on several phones from the I-Phone to the Android line. The news talked about the amazing things that could be done using augmented reality. I thought that this was amazing technology and actually worth buying an I-Phone.

Then the news came, 3DS would use Augmented reality and could scan cards and objects to play games in reality with real items. The possibilities seem endless Nintendo showed off built in software for the 3DS called target shooting as stated above. Then the NGP (Next Gen Portable) from Sony was announced today and a key feature will be augmented reality using the systems two camera's.

Now the tech demo I saw for I-Phones Augmented camera was a translating app. You could aim the camera at any languaged sign and poof the phone translated it for you. I have no doubt that a similiar app will become availible on 3DS and later NGP. Imagine traveling accross Europe and being able to translate everything written with your 3DS/NGP, wouldn't that be amazing? The NGP even has a GPS built in so who knows what it could do combining the two features. Imagine being able to take pictures and link them to the area via GPS, then if you get lost being able to look back at those pictures which would help with GPS to locate what your looking for.If Nintendo or Sony added voice translation software to that app (program) you could not only read another language but it could translate the voice in real time. This would make 3DS or NGP essential when traveling to foreign countries.

Then theirs the idea of augmented games. Playing with reality like a Kinect camera. Playing a video game overtop of reality. Example game characters could be interacting with objects in the real world. On 3DS for example what if you played a game of hide and go seek with Mario, he hides in the room and you have to point him out. Or what about a shooter where enemies evade you taking cover behind real objects, you could use your fingers to form a gun and shoot at them in real world surroundings. Their is so much fun that could be had, especially if all the consoles vices were taken advantage of. Imagine a NGP game where you chase down game characters in the real world, NGP places the enemies in a location via GPS and you have to go searching for them hunting them down via GPS and locating them via augmented reality.

I can think of dozens of ways this technology could be implemented to make 3DS and NGP must haves in the near future. Many things that could revolutionalize the industry and how we play portable games. What about you do you think this is the future, any ideas on other ways to use augmented reality on NGP or 3DS?

I think AR will be the future, the DSi flirted with the idea but nothing really came of it. By the looks of it both Ninty and Sony are going for it with the new handhelds and really the application possibilites are mind-boggling at this point. Does the 3DS have in built motion detection as well like the NGP? I can't remember. The combination of the two could create some really groundbreaking games.

Yes it has motion and gyros   

For the NGP they presented Reality Fighters and Smart As for AR.

The NGP way of doing AR like that shown Smart As looked much better solution, without any need of a card, just moving around the street. I'm sure they are using the digital compass there.

EDIT: The video embedding has changed or what?

I'm suprised more people aren't excited about the posibilities that NGP and 3DS make possible. Augmented Reality could really be the next battlefield. I-Phone has the jump but Nintendo and Sony could totally bring it to a new level and judging by what Sony has shown off so far and Nintendo I think this will be great for gamers.