Munzee

Last updated
Munzee
Munzee logo September 2018.svg
First playedJuly 1, 2011
Texas, United States
Characteristics
Team members
  • Rob Vardeman - President
  • Louise Gibson - Global Munzee Events Director
TypeRecreational activity
Equipment Mobile phone or tablet computer with GPS receiver
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
Illustration of a Munzee, which players create and hide for other players to find WikiMunzee.png
Illustration of a Munzee, which players create and hide for other players to find

Munzee is a freemium scavenger hunt game where QR codes have to be found at different places in the real world. The game is similar to geocaching but uses QR code technology, in addition to device GPS location, to prove the find instead of a logbook. Launched in McKinney, Texas in 2011, the game caught on first in Germany, along with California and Michigan. It is now played in more than 188 countries around the world, and there is at least one physical Munzee deployed on every continent, including Antarctica. [1] [2]

Contents

The QR codes are placed by players at places of interest and are often printed on weatherproof stickers. Previously, the places could also be marked by a NFC tag, however this functionality was removed in 2018. [3] These stickers are called Munzees. Both the finding and the hiding players receive points for deploying and finding Munzees. The QR codes on the Munzees are read by means of a smartphone app for iOS or Android. [1] The coordinates of the Munzees as well as the data of the players are managed via the central web platform.

Virtual Munzees are also available for purchase. These also appear in app lists and on maps, and they are "captured" by locating the app device within 300 feet of the designated location. The device must also be within 300 feet of a QR code Munzee to verify "capture." [4]

History

A common misconception is that the idea for Munzee was inspired by Geocaching, a game in which participants search for a hidden cache using GPS technology. However, Munzee co-founder Aaron Benzick (having never been a geocacher) came up with the idea of using QR codes for a game in 2008, but smartphone technology and capability were not available at the time. [5] Benzick, and co-founders, Scott Foster, Chris Pick, and Josh Terkelsen launched the game on July 1, 2011. The term Munzee was derived from the German word for coin, Münze. Since the domain name munze.com was no longer available, an 'e' was added, which also resulted in what the company felt was a catchy name. [6] The original idea was to use poker chips or rounded coins with QR codes. [7]

Munzees

Munzee on the back of a traffic sign Munzee.jpg
Munzee on the back of a traffic sign
Greenie on a drinking tap, Brimbank Park MunzeeBrimbankPark.jpg
Greenie on a drinking tap, Brimbank Park

Munzees can consist of any material; they must have at minimum a QR-code and physically meet the conditions of the location (waterproof, weatherproof, etc.). Munzees either can be self-generated and printed or be purchased via the web store or through authorised distributors. [8] Virtual Munzees can be purchased from the web store, or in-app. [9]

To generate or to order Munzees one has to be logged in on the central platform with a unique username. When generating a Munzee, the platform creates a web link, over which the generated Munzee can be managed. This web link is represented as a QR code on the Munzee. A descriptive name and an arbitrarily long comment can be assigned to the Munzee as properties. Both are stored on the central platform (not in the QR code) and can be changed later.

After a Munzee is physically created, it can be assigned coordinates anywhere outdoors or indoor and then deployed via the app. Once the Munzee has been deployed it goes live on the map and is ready to be found or "captured" by other players. [10] If a Munzee is damaged or removed, players can report the malfunction and after two reports the owner of the Munzee is given 30 days to rectify the problem; after which time the Munzee is taken off the map and archived. Additionally, dedicated players in the QRew or ZeeQRew programs are now able to replace other users' damaged munzees with generic stickers.

The coordinates of all globally mounted Munzees are managed on the game platform at munzee.com. [11] Players navigate themselves to the general location of a Munzee by accessing the map with a smartphone. When they find a Munzee, they capture it by either scanning the QR code or being within a certain radius of the published coordinates. The smartphone app sends the data scanned along with current coordinates to the central system which records the capture. The finder and the player that deployed the Munzee each earn points. The points award to the person who deploys the munzee and who captures the munzee vary depending on the playing piece deployed.

Dissemination

As of Jan 2023, there are almost 12,7 million munzees worldwide in 240 countries, and more than 663 million Munzee captures have been recorded. There are also over 619,000 registered users. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geocaching</span> Outdoor recreational activity

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called geocaches or caches, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world. As of 2023, there are over 3 million active caches worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile payment</span> Payment services via a mobile device

A mobile payment, also referred to as mobile money, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet, is any of various payment processing services operated under financial regulations and performed from or via a mobile device, as the cardinal class of digital wallet. Instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit cards, a consumer can use a payment app on a mobile device to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods. Although the concept of using non-coin-based currency systems has a long history, it is only in the 21st century that the technology to support such systems has become widely available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near-field communication</span> Radio communication established between devices by bringing them into proximity

Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1.57 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections. Like other "proximity card" technologies, NFC is based on inductive coupling between two antennas present on NFC-enabled devices—for example a smartphone and a printer—communicating in one or both directions, using a frequency of 13.56 MHz in the globally available unlicensed radio frequency ISM band using the ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface standard at data rates ranging from 106 to 848 kbit/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese mobile phone culture</span> Technology culture

In Japan, mobile phones became ubiquitous years before the phenomenon spread worldwide. In Japanese, mobile phones are called keitai denwa (携帯電話), literally "portable telephones," and are often known simply as keitai (携帯).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical identification tag</span> Bracelet or tag with medical information

A medical identification tag is a small emblem or tag worn on a bracelet, neck chain, or on the clothing bearing a message that the wearer has an important medical condition that might require immediate attention. For emergency medical providers such as paramedics and emergency physicians, medical identification tags are particularly useful in situations where the wearer is unconscious, altered mental status, very young, or otherwise unable to provide critical medical information. The tag is often made out of stainless steel or sterling silver. A wallet card with the same information may be used instead of or along with a tag, and a stick-on medical ID tag may be added or used alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QR code</span> Type of matrix barcode

A QR code is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode, invented in 1994, by Japanese company Denso Wave for labelling automobile parts. A barcode is a machine-readable optical image that contains information specific to the labelled item. In practice, QR codes contain data for a locator, an identifier, and web tracking. To efficiently store data, QR codes use four standardized modes of encoding (i) numeric, (ii) alphanumeric, (iii) byte or binary, and (iv) kanji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile game</span> Video game played on a mobile device

A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone, tablet, PDA to handheld game console, portable media player or graphing calculator, with and without network availability. The earliest known game on a mobile phone was a Tetris variant on the Hagenuk MT-2000 device from 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotagged photograph</span> Photograph associated with a geographical location

A geotagged photograph is a photograph which is associated with a geographic position by geotagging. Usually this is done by assigning at least a latitude and longitude to the image, and optionally elevation, compass bearing and other fields may also be included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scavenger hunt</span> Game in which participants compete to gather specific items or complete tasks in a given order

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, which the participants seek to gather or complete all items on the list, usually without purchasing them. Usually participants work in small teams, although the rules may allow individuals to participate. The goal is to be the first to complete the list or to complete the most items on that list. In variations of the game, players take photographs of listed items or be challenged to complete the tasks on the list in the most creative manner. A treasure hunt is another name for the game, but it may involve following a series of clues to find objects or a single prize in a particular order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotagging</span> Act of associating geographic coordinates to digital media

Geotagging, or GeoTagging, is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as a geotagged photograph or video, websites, SMS messages, QR Codes or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata. This data usually consists of latitude and longitude coordinates, though they can also include altitude, bearing, distance, accuracy data, and place names, and perhaps a time stamp.

Mobile ticketing is the process whereby customers order, pay for, obtain, and validate tickets using mobile phones. A mobile ticket contains a verification unique to the holder's phone. Mobile tickets reduce the production and distribution costs associated with paper-based ticketing for operators by transferring the burden to the customer, who is required to contribute the cost of the physical device (smartphone) and internet access to the process. As a result of these prerequisites, and in contrast to paper-based systems, mobile ticketing does not follow the principles of universal design.

Touchatag was an RFID service for consumers, application developers and operators/enterprises created by Alcatel-Lucent. Consumers could use RFID tags to trigger what touchatag called Applications, which could include opening a webpage, sending a text message, shutting down the computer, or running a custom application created through the software's API, via the application developer network. Touchatag applications were also compatible with NFC enabled phones like the Nokia 6212. TikiTag was launched as an open beta on October 1, 2008. And it was rebranded to touchatag on February 15, 2009. Touchatag also sold RFID hardware, like a starter package with 1 USB RFID reader and 10 RFID tags (stickers), for which the client software was compatible with Windows XP and Vista, along with Mac OS X 10.4 and up. Touchatag was carried by Amazon.com, ThinkGeek, Firebox.com and getDigital.de along with Touchatag's own Online Store. Touchatag also marketed their products' underlying technology for enterprise and operator solutions. Touchatag announced an agreement with Belgacom PingPing on jointly developing the contactless market and announced a commercial pilot with Accor Services. On June 27, 2012, the Touchatag team has announced the shutdown of the project. inviting users to use IOTOPE "a similar open source Internet Of Things service" which itself has no apparent activity since November 2012.

Asset tracking refers to the method of tracking physical assets, either by scanning barcode labels attached to the assets or by using tags using GPS, BLE, LoRa, or RFID which broadcast their location. These technologies can also be used for indoor tracking of persons wearing a tag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barcode Scanner (application)</span>

The application Barcode Scanner is an Android app, from the open-source project ZXing, that allows an Android device with imaging hardware to scan barcodes or 2D barcodes and retrieve the data encoded. Information encoded often includes web addresses, geographical coordinates, and small pieces of text, in addition to commercial product codes. This Android-based system has similar functionality to a hardware barcode reader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Wallet</span> Digital wallet platform by Apple

Apple Wallet is a digital wallet developed by Apple Inc. and included with iOS and watchOS that allows users to store Wallet passes such as coupons, boarding passes, student ID cards, government ID cards, business credentials, resort passes, car keys, home keys, event tickets, public transportation passes, store cards, and – starting with iOS 8.1 – credit cards, and debit cards for use via Apple Pay.

WebAR, previously known as the Augmented Web, is a web technology that allows for augmented reality functionality within a web browser. It is a combination of HTML5, Web Audio, WebGL, and WebRTC. From 2020s more known as web-based Augmented Reality or WebAR, which is about the use of augmented reality elements in browsers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TecTile</span> NFC application developed by Samsung for use with smartphones

TecTiles are a near field communication (NFC) application, developed by Samsung, for use with mobile smartphone devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far-Play</span> Software platform

Far-Play is a software platform developed at the University of Alberta, for creating location-based, scavenger-hunt style games which use the GPS and web-connectivity features of a player's smartphone. According to the development team, "our long-term objective is to develop a general framework that supports the implementation of AARGs that are fun to play and also educational". It utilizes Layar, an augmented reality smartphone application, QR codes located at particular real-world sites, or a phone's web browser, to facilitate games which require players to be in close physical proximity to predefined "nodes". A node, referred to by the developers as a Virtual Point of Interest (vPOI), is a point in space defined by a set of map coordinates; fAR-Play uses the GPS function of a player's smartphone — or, for indoor games, which are not easily tracked by GPS satellites, specially-created QR codes— to confirm that they are adequately near a given node. Once a player is within a node's proximity, Layar's various augmented reality features can be utilized to display a range of extra content overlaid upon the physical play-space or launch another application for extra functionality.

SlickLogin was an Israeli start-up company that developed sound-based password alternatives. The company's goal was to enable end users to log in easily to password-protected websites by using a uniquely generated sound.

Cluetivity is a geolocation-based and augmented reality (AR) software platform owned by Life Action Games GmbH. Founded in 2010 by a group of scavenger hunt and tech fans, Cluetivity offers both outdoor and indoor interactive games for iOS devices. The company is currently led by CEO, Michael Schiemann.

References

  1. 1 2 Spencer, Susan. "New game in town". Telegram. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Dorsey, Erika (2012). "Member Spotlight" (PDF). Heartland Highlights. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  3. ↑ Clark, Mike (5 September 2012). "Munzee adds NFC to geolocation game". NFC World. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "About Munzee". speurvuur.nl. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  5. ↑ Rush, Jessica (July 3, 2011). "'M' marks the spot: Locally based Munzee takes hi-tech scavenger hunts global". Plano Courier Star. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  6. ↑ coolant (30 August 2021). "All About Munzee". Munzee Support.
  7. ↑ Rush, Jessica (July 13, 2011). "Resident promotes hi-tech scavenger hunt". Little Elm. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Brinkman, Lillie-Beth (September 18, 2012). "Get App-y's odds and ends — Munzee, Pictorama, Flock". NewsOK. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Munzee store". munzee.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  10. ↑ Faulkner, Adrian (8 August 2012). "Munzee – A scavenger hunt for your smartphone". GPS Tracklog. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  11. ↑ Bourque, Andre. "Driving Kids to Succeed through Gamification". Business 2 Community. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  12. ↑ "About" . Retrieved January 8, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.