Niantic, the team behind Pokémon Go, is bringing us more games based on Nintendo properties. The San Francisco-based developer uploaded a blog post on Monday about the new partnership. Niantic will work with Nintendo to develop more games using its real-world AR technology. And the team is starting with Pikmin.
To kick off the partnership, Niantic and Nintendo are developing an app based on the Pikmin franchise. The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful.
The Pikmin AR game does not have a definitive release date yet but will launch later this year. Niantic’s Tokyo Studio, which the company established in 2018, will work on its first game. Niantic will share more details in the coming months and states it is “excited to continue building on this partnership as we pursue our mission of encouraging people to explore the world together.”
A Brief History of Niantic
Niantic began as an internal startup within Google in 2010. The studio’s first game, Ingress, launched in 2013 and reached the 20 million downloads mark by the end of 2018. However, 2016 saw the studio release its most profitable and popular title, Pokémon Go. And it has become one of the most popular games worldwide in recent memory.
At first, Niantic’s servers struggled from strain due to an insanely high player base. As it turns out, plenty of people love the idea of finding Pokémon in the real world via AR technology. But over the years, the team has implemented many changes and fixes to help the mobile game grow even further. While the first version of Pokémon Go only included the first generation of the pocket monsters, updates have added those of later generations. Other welcome additions include Raids and Trainer Battles.
Niantic gave no word on what future games could come from this Nintendo partnership. But with franchises like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Animal Crossing, to name a few, there are plenty to choose from.
What Nintendo property do you want to see Niantic tackle? Let us know in the comments.