Google Maps opens to let developers create games like Pokémon Go

Four years ago, Niantic Studiosa subsidiary of Google and Nintendo It introduced Pokemon Go to the world. It was one of the most popular smartphone launches of all time. During the summer of 2016, millions of players shared a gaming experience that blends the real world with virtual elements. It was the beginning of geolocation games in augmented reality. And Pokemon Go continues to evolve, going so far as to adapt to global health conditions.

In 2019, Niantic partnered with Warner Bros Interactive to deliver a game in the same vein: Harry Potter Wizards Unite. The advantage of augmented reality games is to rely on real mapping and add certain virtual elements. Two years ago, Google had a brilliant idea: to design a toolkit for development studios with a game that uses geolocation and augmented reality in their projects. The toolbox is called Google Maps Platform.

One map, different experiences

The idea is simple. You take cartography and Google Maps rendering engine (with the possibility of accessing the view in augmented reality). you add points of interest you desire. You can even add characters to navigate certain parts of the map. And you can use the view augmented reality (used for car navigation, for example) represent virtual places and characters.

You then create scenarios to interact with them and other players. You make the rules. And there you go. You have a very quick, exploitable game. The point here is that the cartographic link with Google Maps is automatic and the platform takes care of the rendering. The video below gives you a better grasp of the platform’s possibilities.

This toolkit, which was put online two years ago, is not new. Why should we talk now? Because Google just announcednow available to all game designers. So far, only a handful of studios have been invited to use it. They created 10 games that attracted 11 million players in two years. Now all studios big and small will be able to try it. So expect augmented reality games to evolve in the coming months.