"Pokémon GO" creator and Niantic CEO John Hanke claims that augmented reality (AR) is better than Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Hank claimed that the AR technology is a better option because it brings virtual objects into the real world, whereas VR transports people to a virtual world.
The game has made a few improvements with the release of the Pokémon GO Plus accessory. However, Niantic is also expected to fix a few glitches that have been reported with the world map and the game itself.
From the start, Niantic games have been all about encouraging people to go out and see the world, Hanke said in an interview with Recode. The objective of the company is to develop games and technologies that will encourage people to engage with the world, Hanke added. The "Pokémon GO" game is expected to achieve this purpose by sending players out to hunt for monsters, while traveling to new places and meeting different people along the way.
The company's preference for AR support for "Pokémon GO" and its philosophy on games is believed to be validated by the wide popularity of the "Pokémon GO" mobile app. Players of the game rose from zero to millions in a short amount of time since the game was released. The game has champed popular apps like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat when it comes to daily usage and user engagement.
Meanwhile, the popularity of the game has attracted interest from investors. Nintendo's shares have surged after "Pokémon GO's" release. However, investments halted when investors discovered that Nintendo was not making the game.
Niantic plans to develop "Pokémon GO" further with AR technology. The game developer plans to make AR eyeglasses to overlay AR games and virtual objects into the real world. Niantic is already working on the advancement of the game starting with the Pokémon GO Plus accessory.
"Pokémon GO" reportedly lost the top spot on iOS revenu charts and glitches have been reported by gamers worldwide. Important features of the world map have been reported to stop loading. The game comes out empty even though it normally has pocket monsters and Pokéstops. Fortunately, it does not affect the Buddy system and tracking distance for the buddy feature and hatching eggs.
Watch "Pokemon GO" on Optinvent ORA 2 AR Smart Glasses
