By Sarvesh Mayilvahanan | Staff Writer

As the future becomes reality, games are evolving into the real world. Augmented reality is a genre of games in which the virtual world connects with reality. However, are augmented reality games truly the future of gaming? I believe that the concept of augmented reality will revolutionize the gaming industry.

It is an idea that has been gaining popularity ever since the rise of virtual reality and the Oculus Rift, a popular gaming VR headset. Recently a few augmented reality games have spurred interest including Google’s Ingress and Nintendo’s upcoming Pokemon GO, which is on track to be released in 2016. In the past month, since Nintendo’s announcement of Pokemon GO, their stock has risen over $1,000.

In Pokemon GO, players will be able to interact and “catch” pokemon in the world. The idea behind this is to hide virtual Pokemon in physical locations and with the help of a small GPS device and a smartphone, players can join these Pokemon in a digital realm. Players can then use the small wearable device to catch, fight, and trade the Pokemon along with millions of other Pokemon enthusiasts.

Google’s augmented reality game, Ingress, involves players living in a futuristic Earth in which a new “exotic matter” has been discovered. In the game, players find portals as they travel the world and collect the exotic matter spewing from them. Based on the amount collected, players gain points for their teams. Ingress is a great way to get out into the world and explore places with other players.