You’ve watched the series. You’ve played the game. Now welcome the cast and creatures of the Netflix throwback horror hit “Stranger Things” to your Google phone. Google announced the introduction of themed augmented-reality stickers during its Pixel 2 smartphone announcement Wednesday, and both Eleven and the beastly demogorgon took part in a demonstration of the new tech.
Google product director Aparna Chennapragada shared space on the stage with a surprisingly cute animated version of the toothy demogorgon. Chennapragada called for Eleven to enter the scene and the superpowered girl banished the monster.
The characters interact with both their environment and each other. “We want to make it feel like it’s actually here,” Chennapragada said, noting the AR stickers are exclusive to Pixel and are “built right into the camera.”
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The stickers are part of Google’s ARCore augmented-reality platform, a competitor to Apple’s ARKit. Besides “Stranger Things,” Pixel users will also be able to play with AR characters from “Saturday Night Live,” YouTube, the NBA and Star Wars. The Star Wars stickers are a big coup with the sci-fi franchise’s new movie, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” due out in December.
CNET asked Google’s virtual-reality team leader Clay Bavor if ill-fated “Stranger Things” character Barb would get her own sticker. “I don’t think anyone is finding Barb,” he said. Sorry, Barb fans. AR won’t save her.
It isn’t too surprising for Eleven to show up on the Google stage. “Stranger Things” marketing is ramping up ahead of the show’s season 2 return on Netflix on Oct. 27.
