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The augmented reality mobile video game Pokémon Go was a worldwide hit when it launched two years ago, taking the world by storm. No one expected it would become as popular as it was and Google wants a repeat of that event. This is why it is now opening Maps to developers in the hopes of producing a new title with the same potential and effect.
As The Verge notes, AR games are becoming more and more pervasive in the wake of the success of Pokémon Go. Some examples include The Walking Dead mobile AR title and Jurassic World. In order to make the creation of such games easier for developers, Google announced that it was would opening its mapping and guidance service.
This new development will give developers access to things like real-time data collected by Maps. The tech giant is even doing something to make developing games using the Unity engine much easier. Google is also throwing in a new API, which will basically allow developers to more easily incorporate real-world landscapes, features, and locations into their own AR games.
Such unprecedented access and support will make it infinitely easier to come up with ways to bring a fun and engaging experience to the gaming market, one that may even come close to what Pokémon Go saw at its peak. It’s unlikely that any developer can actually match it, however, as the success of Niantic Labs’ mobile title was a rare instance of all the right factors aligning, more than anything else.
With regards to how much this new access will help developers, Google Maps product manager, Clementine Jacoby said that it was about understanding what it will take, VentureBeat reports. If developers don’t understand the real world, how can they create games about it?
“Google Maps and game developers both spend a lot of time and energy on one thing, which is modeling a world for their users to explore,” Jacoby said. “The richness of the game world will define how good a game will be. We have seen this incredible progression, but it’s becoming more expensive and time-consuming to create these game worlds. Even a world as big as Grand Theft Auto V is only as big as downtown Manhattan.”
