Niantic is the AR game developer behind mobile game giants like Pokemon GO. The developer has seen the most success working with third-parties to create AR mobile games based on their properties. But now Niantic seems to be in development on a new game the title of which may have just been revealed.
Niantic first saw success with the game Ingress, which was the company’s first foray into AR mobile gaming. But it was Pokemon GO’s release in 2016 that placed the company as the leader among the blooming mobile AR games market. Since then, Niantic has continued making third-party AR titles such as Pikmin Bloom, which released last year.
Now Niantic is working on a new game that appears to be an original property of its own, its first since Ingress. According to a recent trademark filed by Niantic, the new game could be named “Campfire.” More than likely continuing with the company’s brand of geo-location and AR focused games, the name Campfire leaves the nature of the game open for speculation.
Niantic recently had a recruitment drive for developers experienced in AR and geo-location. This would hint that its next game will follow in a similar vein to its other big titles. But the new staff could indicate an expansion upon the now familiar gameplay loop of battling or catching creatures in real world locations via AR overlay on a player’s device. An original title would be ideal for testing a new gameplay element, rather than with a big budget third-party title who just want Pokemon GO but using a new property.
Since Pokemon GO’s success, Niantic has been known for its third-party titles, with many companies coming to it and asking for the same treatment. It is unclear if an original title by Niantic will have the momentum to stand on its own without a known property backing it up. But perhaps Niantic has learned from the third-party games what elements an original title would require to be successful. After all, not every known property has translated well into the AR formula, such as Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which lasted less than three years.
The name Campfire brings to mind the bonfires from the Dark Souls series. Perhaps Campfire will incorporate AR campfires in real locations to the same effect, with campfires acting similarly to the Gyms and PokeStops from Pokemon GO, but that’s just speculation at this time.
