2023 marks 45 years since  SPACE INVADERS first revolutionised arcade gaming. To celebrate the original release and show how far technology has come, TAITO and Google partnered to reimagine the classic game and let fans battle 3D Invaders out in the real world.

SPACE INVADERS: World Defense is an immersive mobile game that combines AR and 3D gameplay to turn the world into a digital playground. Powered by Google’s ARCore and Geospatial API, it’s inspired by the original gameplay where players must defend the Earth from SPACE INVADERS – but this time in their local neighbourhoods in augmented reality.

Google’s Geospatial API allows digital content to be anchored in the real world with sub-metre accuracy, using an individual’s physical surroundings. The game also leverages the newly released Streetscape Geometry API, which provides the geometry of terrain, buildings, and other structures within a 100m radius of the user’s current location so that SPACE INVADERS can emerge from all around.

By switching from World Dimension to Invaders Dimension, players can also access a pure digital 3D level dynamically generated based on their surroundings and weather conditions.

The game is playable world wide, with players all over the globe able to enjoy a localised gaming experience tailored to their environment.