Niantic created one of the most addicting games in recent memory in Pokemon Go. It turns out the ability to let people go out and live their dreams of catching Pokemon in the real world was an enticing one, and it’s thanks to the success of Pokemon Go that Niantic has had the opportunity to explore beyond that. Over the last few years, Niantic released games similar to Pokemon Go such as Pikmin Bloom and the now-defunct Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Now, Niantic is going in a completely different direction with its latest project, NBA All-World, which is “designed to bring hoops fans into the real-world metaverse,” per a release. The “real-world metaverse” is a project venture that Niantic has been pushing with many of its future games.
NBA All-World is expected to be similar to Pokemon Go with real-world landmarks where players can participate in NBA-themed gameplay. Some of the gameplay features included in the official press release included:
- Challenge Players and Build Your Reputation: First to five in a shooting drill wins a chance to recruit that player. Familiar face? If you’ve already got a player on your team, you can use encounters to practice shooting and earn more Cred. You can also unlock the ability to recruit stronger players with a higher Team Level.
- Rep the Lifestyle: Pick up Gear like sneakers and jerseys at Drop Zones. Look out for special Gear that improves player stats and outfit players with sneakers and accessories that help you stand out from the crowd.
- Explore the World: Get out and move in the real world to move your player and find Player Encounters, Boosts, King of the Court Challenges, and more.
- Push Your Limits: Power up player stats with Boosts in Offense, Defense, and Fitness. Make sure you keep Energy high with Energy Drinks and watch out for lower Energy that makes it harder to score.
It’s going to be interesting to see how basketball fans respond to NBA All-World. While some may find it silly, gamers who love to participate in modes like MyTEAM in NBA 2K are proof enough there’s an audience for this out there. Is this going to be the next Pokemon Go? Probably not. Does it have a chance to pull in a dedicated niche community of basketball fans? Absolutely.