New augmented reality game gives users chance to win NDP tickets
Primary 5 pupils attending this year's NDP national education shows will be able to use the app to view the military tattoo and state and regimental colours in augmented reality through a booklet.
SINGAPORE — To make this year's National Day Parade (NDP) more inclusive, the NDP organising committee is launching a new mobile game on Friday (June 29) that will allow users to learn more about Singapore's cultural and national heritage.
The location-based virtual reality game application will give citizens and permanent residents a chance to win actual day NDP tickets, and other prizes in the form of discount vouchers from food and beverage outlets and shopping outlets.
Called NDP Jalan!, the app features three themed walking trails: arts and culture, nature and NDP, centred about the civic district, botanic gardens and Marina Bay respectively.
Users will be required to complete different activities — ranging from quizzes to augmented reality games — for each themed walking trail before they can redeem the prizes.
Through the in-game compass, users will be guided to the checkpoints, known as "quests", sequentially. For example, some of the 20 checkpoints in the arts and culture-themed trail are located within museums and galleries, which is free-entry for Singaporeans and PRs.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mikal Kalimuddin, 32, deputy chairman of the branding and publicity community for NDP, said: "(We want to) make everyone feel like a participant, and not like a passive audience (watching NDP).
"We hope that Singaporeans will be excited to participate by exploring Singapore and having some fun as they explore Singapore, learn something along the way, and at the end of it, feel like they were part of the celebration and not just an audience in the celebration."
The three themed trails will be rolled out "live" in phases, and players get to win prizes. The arts and culture trail goes live from Friday to July 15, followed by the nature theme from July 16 to Aug 29. Finally, the NDP trail runs from July 30 to Aug 9.
Those who are unable to complete their checkpoints during the "live" phase, however, can continue to play the game after the end of each game window, the NDP organising committee said at a briefing on Thursday. However, there will be no prizes awarded.
Players who complete every five checkpoints on the arts and culture, and nature-themed trails will be able to redeem a discount voucher, while Singapore citizens and permanent residents players who complete all 20 checkpoints on both trails will be eligible to participate in a ballot for the pair of actual day NDP tickets. There are no prizes for the NDP trail.
As a teaser, Primary 5 pupils attending this year's NDP national education shows will be able to use the app to view the military tattoo and state and regimental colours in augmented reality through a booklet.
The NDP Jalan! app can be used together with a booklet by the Singapore Kindness Movement for Primary 5 students to unlock its augmented reality functions. Photo: Chng Shao Kai / TODAY
The app — developed and sponsored by local startup SKY Optimum technology — was first conceptualised in October 2017, and involved Temasek Polytechnic students involved in game design, the National Arts Council and Singapore Botanic Gardens, museums and performance spaces.
The NDP Jalan! app is available for free on the Google Play store and Apple Store from Friday until Aug 9. The themed trails will not be available after Aug 9, but users can continue to use the app to redeem their discount vouchers thereafter.
