The makers of Pokémon Go want to tackle “Game of Thrones” next
The makers of Pokémon Go want to tackle “Game of Thrones” next
It was only a matter of time before it happened: The makers of the ever-more-popular Pokémon Go are thinking of expanding their mobile empire, and they’ve got their eye on Westeros and the rest of the Game of Thrones universe.
In an interview with GameStop, a product marketer for Niantic revealed that the augmented virtual reality company behind Pokémon Go (and before that, the game Ingress) has its eye on the Iron Throne:
“There could be a board game you could make in the real world where people are capturing locations like Risk or something. My personal fantasy is like a Game of Thrones game where Westeros is mapped out on Earth and you join House Stark or whatever.”
While this was likely a strict hypothetical answer, it raises a lot of questions about how and where this new IRL VR tech can go. Game of Thrones is a weird first thing to think of; Pokémon’s appeal includes its low barrier to entry (you just gotta catch ’em all!) and its cute critters, whereas GoT has ridiculously convoluted history and family lines, as well as messed up and murderous characters. (Though Jon Snow is pretty cute in his own way.) Some easier tie-ins I can think of off the top of my head include the Harry Potter universe (catch magical beasts by unlocking spells and collecting potion ingredients!) and Middle-Earth (do battle with creatures that seek the ring; earn traveling companions and unlock secret items!).
That said, the Risk allusion is interesting, but as someone who’s played Risk before, maybe Niantic’s next step should be something more, ah, lively to the average gamer? Nevertheless, everyone’s got their eyes on augmented VR, so whatever we see (and wherever we go) next, we can’t wait.
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