Niantic, the developers behind the massively popular Pokémon Go, is releasing a new augmented reality game, Peridot, on May 9th, for iOS and Android.
Creative Director and founding member of Peridot, David Hollin, spoke in a recent blog post stating that the game would be released within the next few months and that the title hoped to capture some of the magic that users felt back in 2016 with the launch of Pokémon Go.
Pre-registration for the game is open, with users being notified when Peridot will be available. The game looks like Pokémon Go meets Tamagotchi, where users can catch and care for pets. Hollin comments that, “Our team has been hard at work making Peridots real. They are immersive, amazing magical creatures that eat, sleep, play with toys and explore their environment, get bored, develop unique personalities, and are always in need of a loving adopter like you.”
Personal pet
Pokémon Go made $1.21 billion in revenue in 2021, marking the second year the title made over $1 billion. Niantic was valued at $9 billion that year following the success of Pokémon Go. Of course, Pokémon Go had a massive ready-made fanbase, but the augmented reality game also showed users a new type of experience that Peridot will be looking to expand on.
Hollin states that each Peridot is 100% genetically unique and each pet inherits a mix of genes from its parents to create “archetypes.” The game also supports user interaction as breeding pets will require other Keepers (players) to cross-hatch Peridots to unlock different combinations. To mix in some Tamagotchi-style gameplay, Keepers will want to feed and play with their pets to keep them happy.
There are many pet-themed games on the way with the likes of Petaverse, a Web3 project where users can have a digital pet cat companion that interacts with various experiences. Habytat is also introducing its own AI metaverse pets, where users will bond and play with their virtual pets to ensure their needs are met.
Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.
