Niantic is a global software development company based in San Francisco, which was founded by tech pioneer John Hanke (known for Google Earth and Google Maps) in 2010 and launched as an internal start-up within Google.

Niantic is best known for its leadership in Augmented Reality, delivering compelling planet-scale real-world experiences to hundreds of millions of people through its apps Ingress, Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, and more.

Peridot is born

In May 2023, Niantic launched Peridot: the first ever fully-AR location-based game that gives players the chance to adopt and interact with magical pets called ‘Dots’. The game is unique in allowing players to diversify their pets’ species through interactions with other users – and hatch creatures that are 100% genetically unique each time.

Niantic’s Perigenetics System means each Dot is procedurally generated with 100% unique DNA, resulting in countless variations of creature looks. The number of variations surpasses the number of stars in the universe or grains of sand on all the Earth’s beaches (2.3 x 10²⁴ in case you were wondering!).

Technological Innovation

Peridot is powered by Niantic’s Lightship AR platform to deliver a game that is experienced fully in augmented reality. Thanks to years of computer vision and AI research, breakthroughs like real-time mapping, obstacle occlusion, and semantic segmentation mean Peridots can interact with real-world surroundings in remarkably realistic ways and get smarter over time. It means players can feed, pet, and play with them (almost like real pets!), and participate in explorations and community events with other users.

Virtual pets have been around long before the mobile era, of course, with toys like Tamagotchi, Nintendogs and Neopets enabling users to form connections with digital companions. AR advancements have taken this concept to new levels, though, by bringing virtual pets that are normally confined to a small screen into a real setting.

Peridot is harnessing the potential of augmented reality, merging virtual worlds with reality in a believable way. Simple camera movements reveal digital creatures within actual environments, offering an immersive experience unlike any other type of video game. Despite the impressive capabilities of AR on a visual level, the personality traits of virtual characters within previous AR games were not individual or unique.

Only a short while ago, the idea of giving virtual characters their own personalities seemed like a distant concept of the future. The programming and development requirements for such a feat appeared too complicated for any video game, let alone an augmented reality game. However, recent technological innovations in artificial intelligence have turned a once unimaginable feature into a reality.

Merging Generative AI with AR gaming

In November 2023, the Peridot development team shared a new update that added generative AI capabilities to the game, making the title the world’s first AR game to use gen AI at scale. This update means gen AI can use info about the Dot – its personality, the context of where it is in the world, and what it sees – to determine how it will react to the situation, making each reaction unique in and of itself.

In addition, gen AI makes it possible for Dots to react organically to their environments, adding another lifelike element to the gaming experience. For instance, if a Dot sees a human, it may nuzzle against their leg or lie on their lap for a snooze; if they see a dog, they may play bow and wag their tail.

The update was created by combining Niantic’s AI algorithms and the Lightship ARDK with Meta’s Llama 2 large language model. Niantic’s technology enables Dots to recognize common objects and react naturally to the player’s own world. Once the Dots decipher the objects around them, the LLM uses the Dot’s established character traits to create personalized reactions and expressions. This means that if a Dot is shy or frightened, it might run and hide in the presence of a real-world animal. If the Dot has a more outgoing personality, it may try to approach and interact with it.

Evolutionary game

The highly advanced capabilities of this game create a fun, exciting and interactive experience for users of all ages. But what’s most significant is that Peridot marks an evolutionary and innovative turning point in modern gaming – one where AR and gen AI merge to create something that sets a new benchmark, particularly as mixed reality hardware becomes more prevalent.

Niantic has made it possible for virtual characters and environments to become dynamic and adaptable, breaking from the strict confines set by programmers and designers. Users can now interact with unique characters bearing distinct personalities that mimic the emotional range of living beings.

More About Niantic

Hanke’s goal from the outset has been to create games and technology that encourages people to explore, exercise and create social connections in the real world.

The company’s initial focus was on geospatial technology, specifically the development of 3D mapping application ‘Keyhole’, which formed the groundwork for Google Earth and Google Maps.

Niantic went independent in 2015 and quickly moved into the gaming industry. In 2016, the company launched its first global hit, Pokémon GO – an interactive, augmented reality mobile game that sparked a cultural phenomenon.

Pokémon GO is celebrated for blending physical and virtual worlds, enabling players to catch and evolve Pokémon, battle their friends, and join community events, all through their mobile devices. The game has been downloaded over 1 billion times and continues to be played by tens of millions of players every month.

In recent years, Niantic has built on the success of Pokémon GO, expanding its AR mobile game catalog, and developing titles that include Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now – spinoffs of highly successful Nintendo and Capcom videogame series.