Niantic created the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go in 2016, bringing augmented reality into the mainstream. Starting as a maps company within Google, Niantic was inspired by early AR devices to connect the digital and physical world through location-based games. Their first AR game was Ingress in 2013, requiring real-world movement between locations to progress. Pokemon Go attracted millions of players worldwide who explored outdoors locations to catch Pokemon, bringing exercise and social interaction to gamers. Niantic has since expanded to create more multiplayer AR games and partner with networks to support their technology's requirements.
3. Niantic is a company that first started off with Google. They
made the Earth and maps products. Niantic’s first try in the
augmented reality world was the creation of the Pokemon
Go game. This company played a vital role in i bringing
augmented reality to the mainstream. Niantic is now with
$4 Billion. The augmented reality game Pokemon Go is a
profitable success. The first initial game came out in 2016,
and since then, the game has brought in $2.2 Billion.
Niantic never knew that they were going to start the kick
off of augmented reality because their first love was maps.
The company became inspired by early augmented reality
devices such as wearable devices.
4. //04
They wanted to connect the digital and physical worlds in ways they
haven’t been done before. Niantic first augmented reality game came
out in 2013 that is somewhat like Pokemon Go. It was called Ingress.
Users had to actually move around to complete the game. Niantic
wanted the Pokemon Go game to be about real world movement and
interaction. The augmented reality game had users move around in
museums, go to murals, buildings, parks, etc. In the U.S. Pokemon Go
would attract about hundred people joining together. After Niantic
distributed the game to the U.S., they felt like Tokyo was ready for this
augmented reality game. The company Niantic was created on bringing
families together and exploration.
5. //05
And they wanted to portray that in their games that they created. Also
exercise is important to the founder of Niantic. He feels that since technology
has advanced, a lot of kids do not go outside anymore, so Niantic wants to
distribute games and products that help with that. Niantic also likes to
creates games and products that forces people to have real face to face
interactions with each-other. Niantic is excited to use augmented reality
more in their games to cross over boundaries of what people may
traditionally think what games are. Niantic has partnered up with telcos and
infrastructure providers like Samsung and SK Telecom, because programs
that run augmented reality are too much to hack for regular networks.
6. //06
Niantic’s current game that they are working on is virtual dodgeball.
Players can throw objects at each-other through the actual app. If
this app is successful, multi player augmented reality games will be
in full effect. All the players in the games positions will be shared
with the others, all their actions while playing will be shared with the
other players, and they will be tracked in real time. Even though
these games sound amazing, they are too high tech for simple at
home Wifi. it requires a heavier network that can handle all this,
which is 5G.
7. Niantic views augmented reality as a sea of opportunity to build
interactive games. Niantic has recently collaborated with WB
Games to create Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The company has
invested some more in augmented reality technology for the
Pokemon Go game to make it look as real as possible. The new
augmented reality features in Pokemon Go will create more
realistic features and making it look more like 3D.
8. //08
A feature in the augmented reality technology is called reality
blending. This will let your Pokemon in the game look more
natural and real. Because of the advancement of augmented
reality, now in Pokemon Go, the Pokemons are able to hide
behind objects.