If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with Niantic@Google’s Ingress. It might be extremely geeky, but it will definitely balance out your time playing video games while sitting on your couch. If you’re looking to play Ingress and still haven’t received an invitation to play yet, you can win one of your very own right here!
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Ingress is a MMO game that allows you to assume the role of an agent fighting for the Enlightenment or the Resistance. Shapers are a transdimensional intelligence that can come into the world through the portals (viewable within the app), infiltrate the mind of its victims, and take over it. The Enlightenment (green team) embrace this mind control and believe it will ultimately benefit the human race, where the Resistance (blue team) fights to keep the Shapers from infecting mankind. It’s up to you to choose what side you want to fight for, and either aid or resist the Shaper ingression.
As I said before in a previous post, Ingress is most definitely a geek’s game, but it doesn’t mean it’s not fun for all. The terminology alone is enough to make someone look at you cock-eyed, but the game is about as unique as they come. Since you need to physically at the location of a portal to either capture or destroy it, there’s an extra layer to the game that makes you get off your butt to get in on the action. Portals are usually attached to locations that either have a historical significance (monument, etc.), but can also be art (wall murals, etc), or even a nice restaurant. If you live in a city, there’s a better chance of finding a higher density of portals to interact with.
Since the game itself is still in an invite-only phase, we wanted to go ahead and give an invite away for those who are still waiting to play. The contest will only run until next Monday, since we don’t want you to have to wait too long to play! Entering is as simple as leaving a comment below. Tell us the area you’re looking to play in and whether you’re looking to paint your town green or blue!
The winner will be chosen randomly on Monday and will be contacted shortly after the contest closes with the activation code.
*Please make sure that your email is available through your Disqus account so we can easily contact the winner. Thanks!*
Good luck, agents!
[UPDATE – We have a winner! Congrats to Andy! May you have fun taking down portals in Portland!]