See Jack Waze

Jack doesn’t just jump over the candlestick no more…

Oh no. Not when he can waze.

This game has been out for the iPhone for a while, but it’s just recently hit the Android scene in time for Christmas, and actually is fairly fun. Basically, the idea is that the community drives the mapping of areas and thus creates a user-driven map. Along the ways that you drive, you collect points and perhaps prizes depending on what you run over (not literally).

It integrates with your GPS so the more accurate it is, the better. And I can tell you for sure, that this app will drain your battery like nothing else mainly because you can’t help but collect points like Pac-Man.

What’s great about this is that not only can the community drive and update the maps, but they can report traffic, hazards, police traps, and all sorts of other things. I think the interface is a little clunky for now to actually do it easily while driving, but I can just imagine the possibilities. And as far as future revenue is concerned? I can totally see a GPS maker snap this company up, if not in a partnership… then by acquisition. I mean, what better way to reinforce your mapping division than by using the millions of users already using your device? It would be an entire sweetheart deal.

Waze represents the first batch of geolocation gaming along with Foursquare and others in the United States. It’s been years since I’ve first seen Japan come out with geolocation gaming and have been pushing for the US to get on board. Certain more old school people didn’t like the idea of geolocation gaming even though I was pushing hard for it in the telecom industry since I saw the trend coming down the pipe. Almost six years later, the small startups are popping up in Silicon Valley and elsewhere to take this role on. Don’t you love hindsight, Jack?