QR codes used for puzzles in an adventure game?

[Icey]

I was thinking about this yesterday after looking up some news on the 3DS. In case you didn't know, The 3DS comes with augmented reality(AR) cards that you can scan with the 3DS camera to play with 3D models that pop out of the cards on the 3DS screen.

I was thinking a while back it would be cool if AGS could do something like this but I doubt it could and even if it could then everyone would need a webcam.

So yesterday I came up with an idea to include QR codes in a mini dungeon test game to see how it would work out. What I was thinking is maybe instead of in game puzzles and keys to get passed locked doors you must instead scan the QR code from the game on your phone then play the puzzles and complete them to get the key(password) to move past the door and continue on. By entering the correct password you will receive points, so in the end you are getting rewarded for passing the puzzle.

So what do you think about the whole idea? Can you think of another way you could utilize the QR in an adventure game?

Scan this:

[Peder 🚀]

But why?

[Anian]

But why?

For the DLC, duh.  

[TomatoesInTheHead]

If you display a QR code within an AGS game (or more generally anywhere in your computer) and use the decoded info in the AGS game (or more generally anywhere else in your computer), the only challenge is "show me you have a [modern enough] phone [or webcam]".
These codes are made to transmit data from [tags on] real world objects, like printed paper, to an electronic device (seldomly also to transmit data from one displaying device to another scanning device so that no other connection like WiFi is needed), but it doesn't make any sense to display and scan/decode/use these codes with one and the same device.

[Eric]

But why?

I could see this being used as part of a multimedia story that had an adventure game as one of the storytelling components, and a smartphone game as another. An ARG that was partially told through an adventure game, in other words. Would be tricky, but might be interesting....

Perhaps more suited to mostly self-contained adventure games, because it would be more accessible to everyone, is a phone number that, when called, gave some sort of valuable clue in a pre-recorded message. It's relatively easy to set up a fake number with a voicemail box (thanks to Google Voice and some VOIP programs), and it would add a nice bit of realism to the game, especially if you carried over voiceover work from the game to the voicemail greeting.

[Icey]

That's a nice idea eric.

Also the reason as to why is cause It would be nice to try something new with AGS instead of doing the same thing over and over. I like to be he first to do things but if someone else took this idea and made a basic game with it I think it would be awesome.

I think the biggest part is what you will have on the phone. Like what type of information or puzzles is displayed on the phone. If you know flash then hey maybe you can go a little further with the idea.

Also it would only be fair to include a list of links that the QR code is supposed to take you to in a .txt file cause there is always the possibility that one may not have the required phone to play through the game.

---------------------------------
QRquest example

You are driving a car down the street when the light changes from red, to yellow. What do you do?
---------------------------------

• Speed up!!!
  
  
• break ayou turn  
  
  
• slow down...

[Victor6]

You know what this entire idea reminds me of;-

Those paragraph books you got with games when they couldn't fit the all text onto a disk \ the system memory. (80's stuff)

Besides the joke paragraphs they included to stop people sneaking a look at the plot, they're more annoying than anything else these days.

Horray for yet another regression of technology.

[Eric]

Horray for yet another regression of technology.

Well, I did say it would be tricky to pull off. It shouldn't be the only extra-game element, for one.

What if there was a way to make an adventure game with some degree of immersive verisimilitude. For instance, what if there was a way to make only parts of the game available per a period of days, such that the game seemed to be happening in real time. The imagery of the game might look as though you're communicating with someone via a webcam and helping them solve puzzles that way. Automated phone calls and email communication could add story in different ways in intervening days, and players would be notified when more gameplay was available.

This is probably well beyond the scope of AGS, and could easily be hacked by changing the system time most likely, but it would be more of an interesting and immersive avenue of storytelling than, "Look it up in the accompanying book."