Kojima & Niantic Team Up for a “Near Future” AR Game
▼ Summary
– Hideo Kojima’s company and Niantic Spatial have released a teaser for a new geolocated, multiplayer AR game, marking a significant partnership for both.
– The game concept, inspired by Death Stranding, involves players using AR glasses to connect with people and their real-world environment.
– Kojima describes the project as “the real Death Stranding in the real world,” focusing on connecting players with their actual surroundings and each other.
– Niantic’s CEO sees the game as a way to use storytelling and technology to socially unify people, rather than divide them.
– The project is currently a concept showcase with no release date, as the required consumer AR hardware does not yet exist.
A groundbreaking collaboration between Hideo Kojima’s studio and Niantic Spatial promises to redefine augmented reality gaming, merging cinematic storytelling with real-world exploration. Their newly unveiled teaser offers a glimpse into a “near future” where players equipped with advanced AR glasses navigate environments reminiscent of Kojima’s Death Stranding. The concept video emphasizes moving “beyond the screen,” suggesting a deeply immersive experience that blends digital interaction with physical locations.
The teaser portrays a user traversing a stark, haunting landscape, spotting another figure on the horizon, potentially a friend or rival. While specifics remain under wraps, Kojima confirmed to IGN that the project is a geolocated, multiplayer AR game. He described it as “the real Death Stranding in the real world,” where players can connect with both other people and their surroundings. Rather than escaping into virtual reality, this initiative aims to enhance our engagement with the actual environment, turning a simple activity like mountain climbing into a shared entertainment experience.
John Hanke, Niantic Spatial’s CEO and a key figure behind Pokémon Go, views the partnership as an opportunity to foster social connection through play. He believes that in today’s fragmented society, technology should unify people, not drive them apart. Hanke points to storytelling as a timeless method for bringing humanity together and sees this project as a way for inspiring creators to use tech as a positive force. The companies have declared their joint ambition to push the limits of interactive storytelling, marking what they call a “significant moment” in their creative evolution.
No release date or target platform has been announced, largely because the consumer-grade AR hardware required for such an experience does not yet exist. Devices like Meta’s Orion prototype and next-generation Snap Spectacles are still in development, making the current teaser more of a visionary proof-of-concept. Nonetheless, Niantic Spatial has been actively expanding its AR portfolio since its parent company sold the Pokémon Go division to Scopely for $3.85 billion earlier this year.
Recent releases from the company include the mixed reality pet simulator Hello, Dot for Quest 3, several Peridot spin-offs for Snap Spectacles and Web AR, and other experimental titles. Beyond entertainment, Niantic Spatial is also investing in spatial intelligence technology designed to help people better understand and navigate the physical world, with potential applications in enterprise solutions leveraging their geospatial AI and AR expertise.
(Source: Road to VR)
