Pokémon Go and Input developer Niantic is working with Nintendo on new applications that will combine real-world augmented reality (AR) technology and Nintendo character stability. The first game that comes as part of the partnership is a Pikmin-based AR game.
Nintendo said in a press release on Monday that Niantic’s approach to Pikmin will feature gameplay that “will encourage walking and make activity more enjoyable” The app will launch in 2021. It is being developed by Tokyo’s studio Niantic, which was established in 2018.
“As we continue to expand our game portfolio, it was a natural next step to form a partnership with Nintendo,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, in a press release. “We look forward to shaping the future of AR together, bringing Nintendo’s beloved game characters to life for mobile game players around the world.”
“Niantic’s AR technology has enabled us to experience the world as if the Pikmins secretly lived around us,” added Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. “Based on the theme of making hiking fun, our mission is to provide people with a new experience different from traditional games. We hope that Pikmin and this app will become partners in your life. “
This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Pikmin franchise, which was launched at Nintendo’s GameCube in late 2001. Nintendo relaunched Pikmin 3, originally a Wii U game, for Nintendo Switch in the fall of 2020 as Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
Niantic has achieved incredible success with the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016, which was based on Input AR game platform. The company released a new AR game based on the Harry Potter IP, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, in 2019, and is developing or co-developing titles based on the Catan board games and a companion for Pokémon Go called Pokémon Sleep.
Nintendo has experimented with mobile games in recent years, with varying degrees of success. The company’s mobile phone list includes Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes, Mario Kart Tour, Dr. Mario World, and Dragalia Lost.