"Kyoto's Inspiration Gave Birth to Ingress" — The Developer Speaks on the Essence of Geomedia: Yuji Kawashima, Head of Niantic Asia

The AR-powered location-based online game "Ingress" is gaining global attention. While the basic rule involves two factions, "Blue" and "Green," competing for territory, its depth extends beyond a simple online game—it links to the real world and has cultivated a passionate fanbase. It's also interesting that Ingress was originally developed as an internal venture within Google, though it now operates as an independent organization. Such location-based online services, sometimes called "geomedia," represent one of the cutting edges of the IT field. This time, we spoke with Yushi Kawashima, renowned as the designer of Ingress.
(Interviewer: Yuzo Ono, Planning Promotion Department Manager, Dentsu Digital Inc. Business Bureau)

What is "Ingress"?
　

A territory-capture game linking the internet and the real world. Players belong to one of two factions and compete to expand their "Control Field." The bases for securing territory are called "Portals," which utilize real-world locations. Monuments, statues, sculptures, murals, and other public facilities are often designated as Portals. Active partnerships with companies and organizations are being pursued, with various businesses already utilizing it as part of their promotional and branding strategies. Local governments, such as Iwate Prefecture and Yokosuka City, are also advancing its use to revitalize tourism. It has received high praise from industry experts, winning the Grand Prize in the Entertainment Division at the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival and the Game Designers Award at the 2015 Japan Game Awards.

The conclusion reached by the developer of Street View was that "moving yourself is important."

──Since its launch in 2012, Ingress has steadily grown its user base and seen increasing adoption by businesses and local governments. Could you share what makes Ingress appealing to users?

Kawashima: Seeing your town through Ingress reveals something new, even on your usual commute route. And if you veer off just one street, the familiar town unfolds before you in a completely different light. People who actually play Ingress often say it makes them realize how many interesting things they never knew existed right around them. Ingress nudges you forward—from your own neighborhood to the next town over, and then on to new places during travels. That sense of discovery is its charm.

For instance, when I visited Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture for an Ingress project, even though I'd been there before, experiencing it through Ingress gave me the strong impression of seeing it for the very first time. Focusing on the portals completely shifts your perspective; the town jumps out at you in high definition.

Furthermore, Ingress hosts numerous real-world events where users gather globally. Through these events, users converse and battle together, making each location deeply memorable. This happens worldwide. There's also the joy of expanding your world beyond borders, like collaborating with overseas players to devise strategies.

Walking for the game promotes health, which is another important aspect. Many people worldwide struggle with insufficient exercise; studies show that 80% of children, in particular, don't get enough physical activity. Personally, I have a habit of pacing while thinking, and I find walking helps my thoughts become more positive and creative. Ingress especially encourages developing your own unique way to enjoy it, so you become increasingly creative while playing. Many people create original Ingress-related merchandise through fan art, and the quality is often surprisingly high. Ultimately, I believe getting outside and walking has the power to change people.

──John Hanke, a core member who developed Ingress and founder of Niantic Labs, was originally a developer of Google Maps, Google Earth, and Street View. What are the differences and similarities between those services and Ingress?

Kawashima: I think John Hanke has a deep affection for projects he worked on like Google Earth. But those services let you see the world while sitting in front of a desktop screen—meaning you yourself don't move. What I find really interesting is that someone who developed such products arrived at the conclusion that actually walking with your own feet and seeing with your own eyes is important. Google Maps provides the technological foundation, but now the users themselves are the ones moving.

Beyond gaming, VR (Virtual Reality) – where you wear a headset and immerse yourself in a digital world – is a major trend in applications. Conversely, AR (Augmented Reality) overlays information onto the real world, and Ingress belongs to this domain. John Hanke, who created Street View and Google Earth – technologies highly compatible with VR – has now moved into AR. I personally deeply resonate with this direction.

Today, many people spend an enormous amount of time in front of screens. Ingress uses technology to free people from that, making them aware of things they never noticed before. This allows people around the world to connect, transcending language, race, and gender, and walk together in one direction. Moving people is incredibly important; I believe it leads to creating a better world. I think the fact that Ingress is AR, not VR, is fundamental to this.

──The way Ingress connects to the real world feels very unique. Many Ingress portals are chosen for their historical or artistic value. In Japan, for example, many jizo statues become portals.

Kawashima: Actually, John Hanke has said he was inspired by Kyoto when creating Ingress. He was healed by experiences like Zen he encountered during his travels, which restored his mind and body and changed his values. He strongly desired to create something that could evoke those surging emotions before a dry landscape garden, an encounter where one's own actions lead to self-salvation. He realized that vision. I believe that is the charm of Ingress and one of the major reasons for its success.

──I see. Kyoto, with its many historically significant sites, has many Ingress portals. In a way, this might be a return to the roots, embodying Mr. Hanke's original vision.

Yushi Kawashima

Ingress succeeded because it began as a startup within Google

──Could you tell us about your own encounter with digital technology and the internet?

Kawashima: I first touched a computer in third grade. When I asked for a Famicom, my parents mistakenly bought me a Sega instead. It came with a keyboard, and that's how I started programming. That parental mistake led me to where I am today (laughs). Later, I used a PC for music composition and programming. When I entered university, I bought a Macintosh. That was the dawn of the internet in Japan, with online bulletin boards and various communities starting to form—it was a really exciting time. I rented a room just a 30-second walk from campus, where many friends gathered. We were completely absorbed in creating web design projects and the like.

──I hear you made CD-ROMs in university. That was around the time multimedia was gaining attention, right? Were you interested in that sort of thing?

Kawashima: Growing up with an architect father and a watch designer mother, I was naturally good at design. I also loved programming. Multimedia, requiring both of these sensibilities, was incredibly stimulating for me. The CD-ROM we made was a multimedia version of our university club's theater productions and band circle's music. It was the first system of its kind created by students nationwide and was even featured in newspapers. And then, to pay off the debt I incurred from that project, I dropped out of university (laughs).

──After that, you went to America alone. Was that because America is the birthplace of the internet?

Kawashima: Well, it's like a pizza maker who's never been to Italy—that's kind of lame, right? (laughs) It's the same thing. Working in computers, I was puzzled why America was so dominant. Japan wasn't technically inferior, yet everything conquering the world was American. I wanted to see why that was happening.

──And then you joined Google in the U.S. and started working on holiday logos.

Kawashima: My boss when I joined Google was Dennis Huang, the original designer of the holiday logos. Dennis's holiday logos were iconic for Google. He did it all by himself for years, but when they decided to expand the team, he chose me.

──It's amazing how when an interesting holiday logo appears on Google, the entire internet gets into a light festive mood. As the creator, what was the experience like?

Kawashima: That canvas might be the most viewed in the world. It was incredibly honorable to be able to draw there, but it also came with immense responsibility. The subjects for the holiday logos were often people who made tremendous contributions to humanity. So, I had to be careful not to be disrespectful, understand the cultural background, and create something that would truly delight the people who loved them. Even though it was only displayed for one day, it was a challenge to see how much we could convey in that single day. Sometimes, I spent a whole month thinking about it. But I always enjoyed drawing them.
Later, Dennis moved to Niantic Labs (now Niantic, Inc.), and he invited me to join. The timing worked out perfectly, so I made the move too.

──At Niantic Labs, you were involved in developing Ingress from the beta version, right?

Kawashima: Dennis handled the overall design for Ingress, and my first impression was that it was very much Dennis's style. He loves Japanese cyberpunk and animation design, like "Ghost in the Shell," and that really comes through in Ingress's design.
Niantic Labs, the company that developed Ingress, is a very unique organization. John Hanke, who founded it, initially intended to start Niantic Labs completely separate from Google. However, Google CEO Larry Page persuaded him to keep it as an internal startup, allowing the organization to operate with a degree of independence. After that, I came to understand John Hanke's passion and vision for Ingress, felt its potential more and more, and became increasingly drawn in.

──Location-based games existed even in the feature phone era. What do you think are the factors behind Ingress's success?

Kawashima: There were indeed many location-based games during the feature phone era, enough to warrant the term "location-based games." This was possible because Japan's advanced technology allowed for highly accurate location tracking using GPS and cell tower data. However, when smartphones first emerged, GPS performance was poor. Despite the early popularity of "location-based games," they failed to transition smoothly as feature phones were phased out and replaced by smartphones. They fell into what's known as the "Innovator's Dilemma." Ingress, being a later entrant, perfectly aligned with the timing when smartphone GPS capabilities had improved and users had become more accustomed to handling smartphones. I believe this excellent timing was one reason Ingress was accepted.

Also, the fact that it was an internal venture within Google was significant. Ingress is an extremely costly game to operate. It processes massive amounts of data using Google Maps, so the computing costs are huge. Niantic Labs started as an internal startup within Google, so having the advantage of being able to use Google's infrastructure during the initial revenue-less period was incredibly valuable.

──Gamification is gaining widespread attention. What are your thoughts on introducing game-like elements into the real world through the internet?

Kawashima: At the Japan Media Arts Festival, a game expert on the judging panel commented, "Since the term 'gamification' emerged, many things have appeared, but none had truly succeeded until now. Ingress is the first successful example." Hearing that made me incredibly happy. The background to that success, as mentioned earlier, included being able to use Google's infrastructure and good timing. But above all, I believe the fundamental reason is that John Hanke created something he himself wanted.

Many people might view smartphone games as somehow negative. But games themselves, like Go, shogi, or board games, are fundamentally important to humanity. In the coming era, children will increasingly use smartphones. Seriously considering what exists within those smartphones is incredibly important, and I want to create good examples of that.

An Ingress screen showing a "Portal," a base for securing territory. Actual buildings, monuments, and statues are used.

Ingress's space overlaps with real-world towns, where players battle for territory

Will the world become a better place if developers create things that make themselves happy?

──As various sensors proliferate in the world, will this expand the potential not only for Ingress but for geomedia in general?

Kawashima: I certainly think so. The amount of input is crucial for interaction. I see the evolution of wearable devices as a giant leap not for humans, but for machines. For instance, computers could understand what state humans are in during specific scenes while watching a movie—machines could perceive human states through sensors. Applying this to Ingress, for instance, since Ingress portals embody human intelligence and imagination, I want players to pause, calm their minds, and observe them carefully. So, a system where items appear less frequently if your heart rate is high could be interesting (laughs). This proliferation of sensors opens up possibilities for new forms of input and output.

──What about the potential for geomedia to integrate with new devices like wearables, digital signage, and drones?

Kawashima: Technologically, it's incredibly interesting and I believe it holds potential. Ingress has several partner companies, and we're exploring what can be achieved by interacting with the technologies they possess.

We're also exploring mechanisms where various creators can utilize Ingress technology as a platform to reach new areas Ingress itself couldn't reach. One such creation is the recently announced "Pokémon GO." This AR game uses location data to let players catch, trade, and battle Pokémon in the real world. Players can enjoy the game by stepping outside with their smartphones to search for Pokémon and meet other players. Beyond smartphones, we've also developed unique devices that connect with them.

──You mentioned starting Ingress with the desire to make the world a better place. Does technology truly make the world happier?

Kawashima: There's a perspective that technological advancement has clearly reduced crime, extended lifespans, and increased happiness when measured by absolute indicators or metrics. However, whether someone feels happy is subjective and can change relative to what they compare it to.
Ingress is something John Hanke runs because he himself wants to be happy. He believes that by using the internet to promote the fundamental act of people going outside and communicating, people can become happier. I think that the accumulation of such things can lead to making the world a better place.

──The internet also has negative aspects, like creating various social problems.

Kawashima: This applies to all technology: it can be beneficial to people, but it can also cause harm. In Ingress, for instance, the rivalry between the "blue" and "green" factions can sometimes lead to heightened feelings of hatred. But whenever trouble arises, it's always possible to steer things in a positive direction. I find it fascinating how people grow through such experiences.

──The relationship between the real and online worlds is being discussed across many fields. Playing Ingress, do you have any thoughts on that relationship?

Kawashima: I think there are many aspects to it. For example, I believe social media often tends to be confined within narrow circles, like similar industries or one's immediate surroundings, which isn't necessarily a good thing. More serendipitous encounters with completely different groups of people broaden your world. Ingress allows you to connect with people you'd never have met otherwise, and I feel many users find it interesting how it becomes a catalyst for breaking down barriers like age, race, language, or religion.

On the other hand, it's also deeply rooted locally. For instance, residents in apartment buildings who never knew who lived next door are now connecting through Ingress. It's even happening where Ingress feels more like a neighborhood association than the actual association itself (laughs). This combination of community and game creates a fascinating opportunity to reconnect with the diversity of people and places.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if something like this happened in children's worlds too? Bullying tends to get worse when kids are confined to small spaces. I believe the joy of meeting and befriending children from completely unfamiliar towns or countries through Niantic's new apps built on this platform—which embraces the concept of "Adventures on foot with others," like Pokémon GO—could steer kids in a positive direction.

──So, while rooted in the internet, getting outside, walking, and encountering various places and people is what makes society and the world happier, right?

Kawashima: Recently, the total distance walked by Ingress users worldwide reached the distance from Earth to the Sun. Humanity has finally walked all the way to the Sun (laughs).