Viewdle Unleashes Vampire-Themed "Third Eye," First Mobile Augmented Reality Game Using Face Recognition

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Viewdle (http://www.viewdle.com), the only independent mobile-focused visual analysis company, today launches the vampire-themed "Third Eye," the first mobile augmented reality game using Viewdle's face recognition technology. Available for free in the Android market, "Third Eye" (http://www.viewdle.com/products/Third_Eye) allows real-people to become part of a steampunk-style massive multiplayer role-playing game that's steeped in history.

"Third Eye" – the first in a three-part gaming trilogy – uses Viewdle's face recognition technology to read the symmetry and other features of a player's face. The game reveals whether the person is a bloodsucker or a vampire slayer – essentially uncovering one's long hidden, true nature by reading their "faceprint." Along with identifying which side you're on, "Third Eye" recognizes if those around you are allies or sworn enemies.

"We're excited to launch Viewdle's 'Third Eye,' which really pushes the boundaries of augmented reality gaming," says Marisol MacGregor, Viewdle's head of product management. "'Third Eye' brings together compelling gameplay, bleeding-edge computer vision technology, and a highly-stylized aesthetic to really show what is possible on this new breed of smartphones."

"Third Eye's" gameplay and narrative, developed across three continents, is rooted in European, Asian and Caribbean history as it assigns players to historically-based societies and clans. Through an accelerometer-based mission, players are assigned to one of eight orders, such as the Borgias, the power-grabbing family from Spain that gained control of the Papacy in Renaissance Europe; the Loogaroos, a sect whose origins are in the voodoo folklore tradition of Haiti; the Shinobis, the sixth-century secretive Japanese clan that gave rise to the ninjas; and the Order of the Rose, the German-based source of the covert society know as the Rosicrucians. Once assigned a warrior family, players assemble armies, form alliances, protect their empires and attack foes. The objective of the first part of "Third Eye" is to amass an army and establish alliances. The second and third parts, which will come out later this year, will pit the assembled clans against one another in battle.

"In April, we launched SocialCamera, a new app that turns your mobile phone camera into a real-time messaging application, and today we launch the Third Eye, the first mobile game built around computer vision," said Jason Mitura, chief product officer at Viewdle.  "As this platform evolves, what's coming up is even more exciting, and we'll start opening up SDKs for the developer community to allow them to build Viewdle's leading technology into their own applications."

"Viewdle has vast experience in producing industry-first apps that leverage the company's technology," said Laurent Gil, co-founder and CEO, Viewdle.  "The company uses sophisticated, proprietary algorithms to automatically create a 'faceprint' of the captured and saved frames of a person's face, allowing Viewdle to develop and launch a wide range of products."

About Viewdle

Viewdle (www.viewdle.com) is the only independent mobile-focused visual analysis company. Viewdle is enabling the creation of new user experiences in mobile gaming, social networking, social media, advertising and marketing. Its best-of-breed recognition technology has been developed by its global research and development team, which includes nine PhDs.

Viewdle is a venture-backed company whose investors include: Qualcomm Ventures, Anthem Venture Partners, Best Buy Capital, and Blackberry Partners Fund. Viewdle is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with operations across Europe and South America.

More information about Viewdle can also be found on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/viewdle or on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/viewdlecorp

SOURCE Viewdle