'Ingress: The Animation' is coming on Netflix this fall
'Ingress', the original mobile phone augmented reality game created by Niantic -- the studio behind the creation of the hit mobile game 'Pokemon GO'-- is getting its own animated series this fall on Netflix.
'Ingress: The Animation' will be created by animation studio Crafter and directed by noted computer-graphics artist Yuhei Sakuragi. The show was announced by Fuji in March as the first series to run in its new late-night Ultra+ anime slot. Takeshi Honda, art director of Japanese animated series 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', will do the character designing for the series. Fuji TV is reportedly working with Netflix to circulate the show worldwide.
The AR game was released for Android devices on December 14, 2013, and for iOS on July 14, 2014. As a location-based exergame, the competition in Ingress is primarily between two opposing factions, who have differing ideas about the use of a newly discovered "Exotic matter".
Wile the "Enlightened" believe that the newly discovered matter can be utilized for the upliftment of the human race and a better future for human evolution, the "Resistance" believes that it is protecting humanity from Shaper ingression and preserving humanity's freedom.
The Netflix version does not seem to deviate much from the original storyline.
The animated show takes place in the 'Ingress' universe, where Exotic Matter is leaking into the world through portals, and the matter is widely known to be influencing people in different ways. The show's plotline follows Makoto and Sarah, two people who have been impacted by the matter. Makoto can touch things and see their history, while Sarah can see only certain aspects of time and space. The two come together under certain conditions after which they are compelled to put things together on their own. However, soon the duo find themselves on the run in an attempt to escape from the mysterious character, Jack. The three are thrown in between the battle of the Enlightened and the Resistance while trying to figure out the actual motives behind a corporation which abuses the Exotic Matter by experimenting with them on humans.
According to Variety, while the show has entirely new material, the storyline -- which overlaps with the original game -- will be used to introduce 'Ingress Prime' (the sequel to the original augmented reality game).
The report mentions Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke as saying that both the show and the game are expected to launch around October. 'Ingress Prime' will majorly be a reworking of 'Ingress', built on lessons learned both from the game and 'Pokemon Go'. Hanke said, "We’re trying to take those lessons and make ‘Ingress' more accessible...‘Ingress’ is a deliberately obscure game. We want to make sure people can make their way through that and get to the actual gameplay. We want to make that smoother for ‘Ingress Prime.’"
There are high chances of the anime and the new game following a similar storyline. "The story has continued uninterrupted since launch...That’s going to build to the launch of the ‘Ingress Prime’ universe,” Hanke said. The anime will directly spin out of the story that gamers have been playing in for all these years, but the sequel's story will receive a different kind of treatment. The premise of the 'Ingress' universe remains the same.
Hanke said, "There will be familiar characters and situations that have become famous in the game, but they will be experienced through a fresh interpretation with new characters, new actors...Think of it like a reboot of a superhero franchise.” The launch of the series on Netflix will be timed to sync with the release of the 'Ingress Prime' update for the game that was the forerunner to 'Pokemon Go'. Fuji invested in Niantic before the Google spin-out launched 'Pokemon Go' in 2016.