Best known for its augmented reality (AR) titles Pokémon GO and more recently Pikmin Bloom, Niantic Labs hasn’t released its own original content since its very first mobile videogame Ingress Prime. That’s going to change soon with the announcement of Peridot, an AR mobile game where you breed and raise adorable little creatures called Peridots.
Unlike the aforementioned Pokémon GO, Peridot will be a far more caring AR experience that heavily leverages augmented reality technology. Your job is to save the Peridots from extinction by looking after these unique animals. Ensuring they make it all the way from birth through to adulthood, the core gameplay loop is very much like Tamagotchi, playing with, and training them to nurture and build a bond with them.
Of course, Peridot takes things to a more immersive level using AR, taking your Dot (for short) on daily walks to get their exercise in (and yours), discovering hidden treasures along the way and then breeding the next generation. Each Peridot has its own unique DNA which: “blends the best of hand-created assets and procedural generation, creating a stunning array of unique creatures,” says Niantic.
Breeding is only one small part of Peridot because as your creatures grow up they’ll want to do things. Niantic has built in a “desire system” in which your Dot will want to go out and explore, play, and eat. In doing so you’ll help it grow.
AR will be at the core of Peridot, making each Dot seem as real as possible. They’ll be able to recognise different real-world surfaces such as dirt, sand, water, grass, and foliage, digging into each surface to find different foods. All thanks to Niantic’s latest Lightship ARDK technology.
Much like Niantic Labs’ other videogame launches, Peridot will see soft launch beta testing start this month in select markets (none have been revealed just yet) with more added as the beta continues. For continued updates on Peridot, keep reading gmw3.