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Seven years ago, the mobile game Pokemon GO took the world by storm. Now its creators aim to imbue a new basketball game with that same “real world” charm.
Whereas Pokemon Go players were led to real-world locations to collect magical creatures on their mobile phones, NBA All World allows players to take on the game on the street.
John Hanke, president of Niantic, which makes both games, stresses that, like Pokémon, players of the NBA game will only need their phones and not expensive VR headsets or goggles.
He’s pushing this hybrid-style game as a “real-world metaverse,” a departure from the experience of Microsoft and others sitting at home with a mask wrapped around their face.
“I think it’s important to support what we as humans do in the real world, whether it’s going out to restaurants, meeting friends, or not being at home,” he told AFP in an interview.
“Putting myself in a VR headset is a very lonely and scary future for me. I hope humanity doesn’t go in that direction.”
Launching this week in France and next Tuesday worldwide, NBA All-World lets players choose their favorite NBA star as their avatar to meet and play with other players on the streets.
According to Hanke, the social aspect of the game has made mobile phones the perfect device to play on.
“It’s mobile, it’s low-cost, and most people have it,” he said.
– Brand Buy-in –
Niantic hopes to profit from small transactions. Players can spend small sums on virtual items so they can progress faster in the game or customize their avatar with sneakers from brands like Adidas and Puma.
Hanke credits the success of Pokemon Go with helping Niantic attract high-level corporate partners.
“The success of ‘Pokémon Go’ certainly helps us,” he said.
Now a cultural phenomenon with more than a billion downloads, Pokemon GO has grossed about $1 billion a year since its launch in July 2016, estimates analyst firm Sensor Tower. shows.
However, even as Niantic approached that level, it was unable to produce another hit.
And it has a noticeable flop.
I started Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in 2019, but ended it last January due to lack of interest.
Like many other companies in the tech space, Niantic also cut its workforce significantly last year, cutting 8% of its staff and discontinuing four video game projects.
With this in mind, Hanke downplays suggestions that his latest game could achieve Pokémon-level success.
“I think Pokemon Go blew the world away as the first game of its kind,” said the Niantic boss.
“Other games we create in the future may have similar viral success, but this is a rare case, so it’s probably not a realistic expectation.”
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