General Electric, yup, you read that right, that large U.S-based company who has led the field of invention and innovation, has partnered up with Noise to launch a brand new iOS game that lets players discover hidden worlds of knowledge throughout major U.S cities. The game, titled GE Wonderground, looks to combine Foursquare-like elements with quiz questions and is also available online as a web-based game.
Launching in NY, SF, LA, Boston and Chicago, and hosted by “Wonder Junkie” Jason Silva, GE’s Wonderground is a game of self-expansion designed to reveal obscure, intriguing facts about technology, science and engineering. “We think we know the world around us, but there’s always something more to discover,” said Jason Silva. “Wonderground engages the fundamental parts of our human nature that fuel science-curiosity, inquiry. Players will see what others miss. They will know interesting things they didn’t know. They will in effect, see through walls.”
Players can experience Wonderground either on their desktop or mobile iOS device. There they will be brought into immersive 360-degree panorama fact-finding missions. On mobile iOS devices, players can go on actual missions in the cities, unlocking clues using patented object recognition technology. As players move through the game they will learn everything from GE’s involvement in the invention of Silly Putty, to a research initiative centered around the cloning of a woolly mammoth, to the story behind why portable ultrasonic detectors are being used to detect counterfeit gold.
In celebration of the launch of Wonderground, GE has commissioned the world-renowned tromp l’oiel works of artist John Pugh, who has brought the game to life in a series of visually arresting murals in the 5 launch cities. To play Wonderground, head over to www.gewonderground.com or download Wonderground for free at the App Store: https://goo.gl/RDujL
