April 14, 2022 – Niantic, developer of Pokémon GO and provider of augmented reality (AR) technologies, has this week shared details about its newest game in development, which will be entering a soft launch testing phase in select markets soon, according to the company.
The game, titled ‘Peridot’ is an all-new, real-world AR mobile game and original franchise that sees users care for, raise, and breed one-of-a-kind creatures called Peridots (or Dots for short).
More details will inevitably follow from Niantic over the coming weeks and months, but on first impressions, Peridot sounds like a cross between the Tamagotchi toys of the 90’s that saw users raise and care for virtual pets-on-a-keychain, combined with the now hugely successful Pokémon GO game that helped establish Niantic as a leader in the augmented reality gaming market.
In a blog post unveiling the initial details of Peridot, Ziah Fogel, Senior Producer at Niantic, commented: “If pets are a part of your life, you already know the joy that they can bring. The simple act of caring for an animal and watching them grow is immensely rewarding, especially when you’ve forged a real bond with your pet… These [Peridots] are creatures who feel so real, you’ll love every moment raising them from birth to adulthood. While you explore the world together, you’ll get to learn more about your cute new friends, develop a bond as you nurture and play with them, and work with other players to diversify their species.”
Niantic released some snapshots showing a glimpse of the gameplay experience:
Niantic stated that throughout the soft launch period, the company will be testing and iterating on the gameplay experience as it gathers feedback from beta testers.
Users can pre-register for the game here. For more information on Niantic and its augmented reality games and Lightship AR SDK, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Niantic / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.