Developer Niantic is dealing with Pokémon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite games that require players to go outside. Due to the corona measures, whereby everyone is called on to stay at home as much as possible, Niantic adapts its games.
In a blog post let Niantic know to change the games so that people can play them in and around their house. For example, it is possible to earn rewards in the games through home activities. For example, players earn points for cleaning the house or running on a treadmill.
Niantic’s mobile games are all about going outside, as monsters and battles only appear in certain areas of the environment. “Now we prioritize things to do indoors,” writes Niantic director John Hanke.
In Pokémon GO becomes possible to fight strong monsters online from home with the help of friends who are elsewhere. In addition, Niantic is looking at the possibility of giving people virtual access to their favorite places in the real world, until they can go out again.
Pokémon GO and Harry Potter got previously more options for those who stay at home. For example, Pokémon players were better rewarded for catching Pokémon indoors. In Harry Potter more game elements were added to the user’s immediate environment, so they don’t have to go far out to play.
It is not known when all innovations will end up in the games. Niantic speaks of “the coming days and weeks”.
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