Of Pocket Monsters and men. Where do you see augmented reality going?

This image was modified from the original made by Pikachuloversisreal

Pokemon GO, the app currently taking the world by storm, even with it not being released globally yet, is proving to be a major milestone for Augmented Reality (AR). Was it the marketing and branding behind the Pokemon name, or can this be replicated? And the question that needs to be addressed is, will there be a similar offering of the same caliber from Asia?

AR is a technology that superimposes computer-generated images on a user’s view of the real world, providing a composite view. As my colleague Charlie said in an article from his disconnect series, “Virtual reality may be the future of fun, but augmented reality is the future of, well, reality.”

AR apps are not new to us, and most certainly nothing fresh. We see interesting apps around Asia like this app that lets you scan your beer and gives you basic information about it, this mad cool AR googles for skiiers, and the other Pokemon Go-like clones that have been hitting Korea and China. The fact that China’s offering of their Pokemon Go knock off, City Spirit Go, topped the country’s iOS App Store, proves the potential of AR games and apps.

It begs the question, where do we see AR going in Asia?

Let’s discuss

• Why aren’t there more AR startups/products from Asia?
• Is it because the waters are still very much uncharted compared to Virtual Reality?
• Which vertical/industry do you think would compliment AR the most in Asia?
• What do you think about the potential of AR in Asia?
• Would gaming be the main use for AR? Or could it be better used somewhere else?