Niantic and Nintendo are partnering up again to bring gamers another AR-infused addition to a beloved Nintendo franchise.

Nintendo officially announced a new collaboration with Niantic. Their first project? An augmented reality game set in the world of one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, Pikmin.

Development on the new title is in full swing and is set to release on smartphones this year. It will be the first game developed by Niantic’s Japanese studio based in Tokyo.

A previous collaboration between the two companies produced Pokémon Go, the smash hit mobile game that brought Pokémon into the real world through augmented reality technology. Pokémon Go remains popular even five years after its initial launch. It’s also proven to be a lucrative project for both Nintendo and Niantic, and in 2020 the game generated more than $1 billion in revenues despite a global pandemic and government lockdowns limiting player movement.

Currently, details about the new game are sparse, but according to Niantic, the game is designed to “make walking more delightful.”

In a statement, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto praised Niantic’s AR technology: “Niantic’s AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living around us.”

Pikmin is a popular Nintendo franchise first introduced for the Gamecube video game console. It takes place in an Earth-like world where ant-sized creatures known as Pikmin live. In the mainline Pikmin games, the player takes control of a tiny spaceman who must recover the scattered components of his downed spaceship in order to return home. The player issues commands to Pikmin who can perform tasks such as carrying heavy objects and throwing items. As a series that’s rooted in exploration and discovery, an augmented reality game that encourages exploring the w

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