AR game Peridot releases, blending Pokémon Go and Tamagochi
Peridot is the upcoming AR game from Pokémon Go developer Niantic. The company has now announced a release date.
The next augmented reality game from Niantic is about to be released. According to the developer studio, Peridot will be released worldwide on May 9 for Android and iOS.
According to initial reports, Peridot is a pet simulation enriched with augmented reality aspects similar to those in Pokémon Go. In a blog post, creative director David Hollin goes into more detail about how the game works.
Collect, breed, nurture
Peridots are magical creatures that want to eat, sleep, play, and explore while developing unique personalities. The different types of peridots fall into archetypes such as clownfish or unicorn. However, the individual appearance of a creature is 100 percent unique, he said.
This is because each peridot has different genes. These give them characteristics such as a certain color, metallic sheen, fur, horns, or ears. The genetic makeup of a peridot depends on its parents. By cooperating with other players, it should be possible to selectively breed creatures.
Hollin explains that the general focus of the game is not on breeding. First and foremost, it's about taking care of your creatures and making sure they're happy and healthy.
"Feed your baby Dot, play with it and take it on adventures–with enough care and effort it will grow into a teenager and then an adult that can Hatch a new generation of Dots," said Hollin. "It’s a circle of life in a way, except you can keep track of all your Dots and never have to say goodbye."
Interested parties can register for the game now on both Google Play and the Apple Store.
Does Peridot have to be a success for Niantic?
Niantic launched Ingress, its first AR game, in 2012. This was the company's breakthrough, paving the way for the best-selling Pokémon Go four years later. The AR game for what is probably one of the world's best-known franchises generated many millions of dollars in sales.
Niantic's attempts to build on this success with well-known brands, such as NBA All World, failed. Wizards Unite, an AR game in the Harry Potter universe, has even been discontinued. Last year, Niantic laid off eight percent of its workforce and canceled four projects in development. Peridot could therefore play an important role. If this project also fails, further cuts at Niantic are not unlikely.
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