Pokemon Go studio Niantic's "personal fantasy" is Game of Thrones Go
Ok, this is absolutely not a confirmation that Niantic is making a Game of Thrones Go game but it's a lovely thought, isn't it? In a conversation with Gamespot, Niantic's product marketing lead Archit Bhargava has discussed the future of augmented reality gaming now that Pokemon Go has been so successful and what he'd love to see.
"For us, we’re really trying to create the genre of real-world gaming. No one’s really done this in a way that we were all excited about. It’s all about getting people moving, getting them exploring the world around them," he said. "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".
This is a ridiculously exciting thought and the more we get into Pokemon Go, the more you realise how much is possible with AR technology used in the right way and, most importantly, with the right franchises. Just imagine getting off the train and finding yourself amidst a battle between the Lannisters and the Starks or sending in extra reinforcements to your local Subway to keep it loyal to the Greyjoys. The more features that Niantic adds to Pokemon Go, the clearer it will be how successful this kind of gaming can be. Speaking of, there's a Seel in here somewhere...
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Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.