Pokemon GOis as much a cultural phenomenon as a game, reaching over one billion downloads by May 2018. The overwhelmingly popular augmented reality game thrust the genre into the mainstream in a big way and turned developer Niantic into a multi-billion-dollar company. While the studio has released other games sincePokemon GO,such as 2021’sPikmin Bloom, the California-based former startup has a difficult task if it hopes to top its previous success.
The studio just announced its next game, a new AR pet simulator calledPeridot.And whileNianticisn’t wrong to call it an “original” game,Pokemon GOappears to have at least slightly influencedPeridot.
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Niantic describesPeridotas a “real-world adventure pet game.” Players must nurture their AR companions called Peridots, raising them into adulthood while protecting their species from extinction. Players explore the real world to find valuable items that they can use to help care for their digital pets. Whether that means there will also beregion-specific content like inPokemon GOisn’t clear. The app also lets players chronicle the lives of their VR creatures and share these memories on social media.
Based on the limited information provided by Niantic,Peridotputs a heavy focus on the breeding and conservation aspect. Peridots come in various Archetypes resembling animals, both real and fictional. Niantic gives specific examples of cheetahs, dragons, and unicorns along with entirely original creations. Players can then meet up with their Peridots to breed new Archetypes that combine their physical traits. Doing so helps to “re-diversify” the species, maintaining a healthy level of digital genetic diversity. And while Peridots probably won’t actually go extinct, it seems like a great way to draw attention to real-world conservation issues, similar to howPokemon GOcan be used to promote humanitarian causes.
Unfortunately, Niantic’s announcement page is relatively short on other details. Some art and screenshots indicate that thePeridotapp may be able to identify and simulate interactions with players' real-world pets. However, Niantic never explicitly makes that claim aboutits new augmented reality game. One of the screenshots also seems to indicate that Peridots will interact with furniture and presumably other objects in a somewhat realistic way. Again, however, Niantic never expressly makes that claim, though it would be interesting to see how well the studio pulls it off.
Unfortunately, Niantic hasn’t announced a release date just yet. ThePeridotwebsite’s short FAQ section says the developer plans to soft launch the beta in select areas but doesn’t go into specifics about where or when.Pokemon GO’sbeta soft-launched in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the US, andPeridotmay follow a similar trajectory.
