Whether you love it or hate it, Niantic’s Pokemon GO is a massive success. Speaking to Game Informer, Niantic CEO John Hanke said that it has similar projects in the pipeline. He also expects other developers to follow suit and offer new kinds of gameplay using augmented reality and location tools.
“[T]hat’s always been our strategy to build up a platform underneath a game that can be used for other games, and frankly other experiences that may not exactly be games, but are still within that area of exercise, discovery, and social interaction. The Niantic platform is very much a part of our long-term vision and we have some projects that are in the early stages now that will be built on top of it so you can definitely expect to see that from us in the future.”
As for other competitors that could pop up (Sony recently announced plans to aggressively pursue mobile development), Hanke said, “I think it’s healthy. There is definitely room for multiple successful games in the category. I think it is a really fresh area for game designers, developers, and publishers to explore with new kinds of gameplay. It’s an area where there can still be a ton of innovation.
“It’s a positive step for everyone to bring games out into the real word and give people the motivation, the excuse, to get out, get some exercise, see new places, and hopefully have good healthy interactions with other human beings.”
Thoughts on more such projects like Pokemon GO? Let us know in the comments.