One of the more popular (and still running) augmented reality games, Orna – the Geolocation RPG, is a new IP from an indie developer. Harry Potter is a billion-dollar franchise, and Minecraft is the best-selling video game. This is why I think branding doesn’t play a huge part in the success of an AR game. Artwork for the now-cancelled Catan: World Explorers. Niantic closed down Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, cancelled Catan: World Explorers, and Microsoft sunset Minecraft Earth due to the pandemic situation. Pac-Man Geo wasn’t the only AR title shut down in 2021-but it was one of the few that tried to be more than a Pokémon GO reskin. Pac-Man Geo closed down and was removed from stores on October 28th of 2021, exactly a month after the announcement.Įven though the game was pretty obscure, I think it was one of the bigger blows to the augmented reality game scene. Unsurprisingly, the replies are filled with people saying they’ve never heard of the game. We will be keeping the servers open until 06:00 UTC Oct 28, 2021, so please continue to enjoy PAC-MAN GEO until the very end. Thank you all for your support and we hope you enjoyed playing. We regret to announce the closure of PAC-MAN GEO. It was later confirmed this closure would be for all regions, not just Japan. The shutdown was announced on Twitter by the Japanese Pac-Man account, on September 28th, 2021. The version 2.0 update was a breath of fresh air, with its new ways to play, but without the marketing to back it- the game was on its last legs. This update also added a huge change to the usual gameplay loop, introducing abilities and skills players could use to take on mazes. The version 2.0 update for Pac-Man Geo launched in late March 2021, with the main spotlight on the new World Tour mode. A few months after launch, they released a huge version 2.0 update in an attempt to recapture interest. That isn’t to say Bandai Namco didn’t put in a good effort. You could argue that Pokémon GO was successful because of the brand, but Pac-Man is one of the most recognisable game characters in history.įor most of the hardcore augmented reality game enthusiasts I know-the news of Pac-Man Geo shutting down was the first time they had heard of it. So, what did Pokémon GO do right that Pac-Man Geo didn’t? The decision just seems to come down to Bandai Namco failing to generate enough buzz for Pac-Man Geo.ĭespite the game being promising, as well as the formula being fun and fresh-nobody knew about the game. The 2014 April Fool’s event had people using Google Maps, scouring the world to find Pokémon. “Leave no stone unturned or city unzoomed as you seek out wild Charizards and Pikachus to add to your Pokédex” Google, 2014 April fool’s announcement. Pokémon GO was similarly inspired by a Google Maps April Fool’s event back in 2014, when Niantic was still with Google. These pranks were the main source of inspiration for creating Pac-Man Geo-which, funnily enough, Pokémon GO shares the same roots. Gameplay from the 2017 Ms Pac-Man April Fools It was so popular, Google even reused it for their 2017 April Fools. The prank turned Google Maps and your surrounding locations into a playable Pac-Man game. It actually dates all the way back to an April Fool’s Prank from Google in 2015. Pac-Man Geo has a fascinating development history. With Pac-Man Geo, you could be running away from ghosts around the cityscape of Tokyo. It features the classic arcade gameplay, but you could turn real-world locations into stages! Ever wanted to turn your street into a Pac-Man maze? Or maybe you wanted to eat power pellets around the Berlin Wall? Instead, they stayed true to the roots of the franchise with Pac-Man Geo. You weren’t collecting various types of Pac-Men (and Women) around your neighbourhood. Unlike Pokémon GO and the copycats that followed – Bandai Namco dared to be different. So, what was the game exactly? What led to its fast shut down just a year later in 2021?
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