Niantic, the mobile gaming company behind popular titles like Pokémon GO and Wizards Unite, announced earlier today that it is working to help players to play its games from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Niantic is known for making Augmented Reality games that require players to go out into the real world to play. With shelter in place restrictions taking place all over the world due to the coronavirus, it has become very difficult to safely and legally play Niantic’s games. Now, the company is trying to find ways to make things easier for its players.
What is Niantic going to do?
In their statement, Niantic says: “We created Niantic with a mission to help people get outside, exercise, and explore the world, with the ultimate goal of helping people connect with others”. It is now looking for new ways to help players interact and exercise without having to leave the house.
Niantic is already beginning to track “distance” with steps instead of actual distance. Walking certain distances is an important part of their games, and this way players can gain progress through walking or using a treadmill at home.
The company also wants to bring more social features to its games. These features will help players connect with one another without having to meet up in person. This will likely include an in-game chat feature.
Lastly, Niantic is trying to find ways to integrate exploration and live events with staying at home. Due to the coronavirus, there will likely be no live events this summer. Expect to hear more about events like Pokémon GO Fest soon.
To our Niantic community: Learn what additional changes we’re making to help you play in and around your homes during these uncertain times. We’re also working hard on additional updates to our roadmap. Learn more here: https://t.co/rATvLxWMA6
— Niantic, Inc. (@NianticLabs) March 30, 2020
This is a rough time for games like Pokémon GO. Niantic has already made several changes to the game to make it easier to play from home. Stay tuned for more updates that will likely come in the near future.
