See Space Invaders out-of-home campaign in New York

Outfront/Xlabs and Google used augmented reality—the blending of the digital and physical worlds—to enhance the way people interact with the content. The game is powered by Google’s ARCore and Geospatial API, which uses surroundings and architectural elements to adapt a specific game’s experience to the user’s location, time and local weather.

“Each time you play this game, depending on where you’re out in the world, that game is going to show up differently because your surroundings are different,” said Shackelford.

Outfront leveraged its MTA advertising network to install system-wide digital countdowns promoting the game launch with QR codes to register. It also deployed dynamic digital leaderboards that display the highest-ranking scores for each neighborhood in real-time across all New York transit systems, allowing players to compete and share victories on social media with an AR selfie. Outfront also deployed in-car digital full-motion screens and panels along street-level subway entrances for game download and dynamic wayfinding.

Contestants in Saturday’s Times Square tournament can see their names on the world’s largest leaderboard during the one-hour event. Space Invaders: World Defense is available in Google and iOS app stores.