Niantic created a global stir in the world of AR with 2016’s Pokemon Go. They’re also responsible for 2019’s AR game “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite”. Niantic’s games were noteworthy as they got players out of their living rooms and into the streets, creating a sense of game immersion not felt by the traditional route.
Niantic’s labs are constantly working on the full potential of AR, not only producing games but also the underlying machine learning software that powers the experience.
Niantic announced Monday a new partnership with Nintendo to create an app based on the Pikmin franchise. “The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful” Niantic’s press release states.
Nintendo has a lot of faith in Niantic as a publisher. Niantic started as a Google side project that became its own entity in 2015 with series-A funding from The Pokémon Company Group, Google, and Nintendo.
“Niantic’s AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living all around us”, said Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto.
Building off of millennial nostalgia with games featuring Harry Potter and Pokemon has been an incredibly effective way at normalizing the AR game industry.