The original Space Invaders arcade game celebrates its 45th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion video game company Taito partnered with Google and production company Unit9 to create a new version of the classic game powered by augmented reality.

Space Invaders: World Defense challenges players to defend the real world from digital invaders. The game uses Google’s ARCore Geospatial API to anchor digital content into the physical world around the player based on their location.

The game also utilizes Google’s Streetscape Geometry API, which allows in-game characters to appear as though they’re coming from buildings and other structures around the player.

In addition to augmented reality content, the game also features completely digital 3D levels that don’t rely on AR.

“The launch of Google’s Geospatial API truly marks the beginning of an exciting new era for real world location-specific digital activations—not just for gaming, but for any brand experience tied to a geographic location,” said Media Ridha, head of digital at Unit9.

The all-ages game Space Invaders: World Defense is available to download for free on iOS and Android devices. The game requires people to play outdoors. 

“Google’s Geospatial API brings a whole new dimension to immersive experiences,” said Matthieu Lorrain, global head of creative innovation for Google Labs partnerships. “It allowed us to celebrate the iconic Space Invaders game by turning the world into a global playground. We are excited to see more developers utilize our platform to push the limits of geolocalized experiences.”

To help promote Space Invaders: World Defense in Europe, OOH advertising company Ocean Outdoor will advertise the game on its large-format digital screens in nine cities: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Helsinki, London, Leeds, Newcastle, Oslo and Stockholm. The screens will feature 3D Space Invaders powered by Ocean Outdoor’s DeepScreen technology that allows content to appear as though it’s floating in front of the screens.

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