Space Invaders turns 45 with Google AR game World Defense

To mark the 45th anniversary of Taito's Space Invaders, Google and Taito have launched Space Invaders: World Defense, a new augmented reality experience built on Google's ARCore platform. The original game, created by Tomohiro Nishikado in 1978, was the first to feature recognizable characters—tentacled aliens inspired by H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. In the AR version, players use smartphones to defend real-world neighborhoods from alien invasion. Google also introduced Geospatial Creator, a tool simplifying AR experience development, and announced upcoming AR projects: an interactive Barbie-themed Gap store in Times Square with Mattel, digitally augmented street art by Camille Walala (London), Edgar Saner (Mexico City), and Tristan Eaton (Los Angeles), and guided AR tours in Singapore.