Nintendo

Technologies bringing about a new reality

Extended Reality

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 Niantic, initially a part of Google, is the video game and software development company behind the popular AR mobile games, Ingress and Pokemon Go, which earned over USD 1 billion in revenue in 2020. Pok&eacute;mon Go requires players to move in the physical world to come across action items in the digital space delivered in AR. The game was immediately received well by fans following its launch in 2016, with users collectively logging a walk distance of over 4.6 billion kilometers while playing the game within just two months after its release; a total of 23 billion kilometers walked as of March 2019.
 
 
 
 The company launched an MR experience titled &lsquo;Wol&rsquo; playable on Meta Quest headsets and smartphones, which features an AI-enabled talking owl powered by Inworld AI, discussing the redwood forest. Niantic launched Peridot, its AR pet game in March 2023. The company also launched its geolocation AR basketball game, NBA All-World in partnership with the NBA and NBPA in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15918?industryIds=65">
 January 2023
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 , although this was shut down in 
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 June 2023
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 , with the company laying off 230 employees and canceling production on Marvel World of Heroes, a game based on the Marvel franchise.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 Additionally, in 
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 June 2023
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 , the company launched a new ad format, Rewarded AR powered by Niantic&rsquo;s 8th Wall AR development platform, which uses a smartphone's camera to immerse players within branded content in their real-world surroundings. According to Niantic, the Rewarded AR ad campaign has shown strong performance, with an average engagement rate of 76% and an average completion rate of 95% for the experience. &nbsp;In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21404">
 August 2023
 </a>
 , 8th Wall integrated generative AI features to its WebAR platform.
 
 
 Niantic has been pursuing an active M&amp;A strategy which included the acquisition of the WebAR development platform 8th Wall (March 2022). The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed; however, the acquisition was reportedly the largest in Niantic&rsquo;s history. Other acquisitions include New Zealand-based augmented reality studio NZXR (March 2022);&nbsp; Lowkey (December 2021), a sports gameplay recording and editing app; Hoss (October 2021), a social gaming platform to improve its in-game social experience, and Mayhem (January 2021), a developer experience platform. In line with its vision to create a &ldquo;real-world-metaverse&rdquo; the company also acquired Scaniverse (August 2021) and 6D.ai (March 2020), companies focused on developing camera software to detect and scan objects and environments in 3D. Niantic&rsquo;s other strategic initiatives include investment in Gowalla (January 2022), an AR-based social app. 
 
 
 In November 2021, Niantic released the Lightship AR Developer Kit (ARDK) which included publicly available tools for VR game development including real-time mapping, semantic segmentation, and multiplayer capability, aimed at users who are familiar with the Unity game engine. In line with this, Niantic released the Lightship Visual Positioning System to create a 3D map of the world in May 2022, with the goal of allowing all AR devices to tap into a shared digital map. This was extended to the Web in September 2022 through the 8th Wall platform.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Prominent brands such as Coachella, Historic Royal Palaces, Universal Pictures, SoftBank, Warner Music Group, and the PGA of America utilized ARDK to create augmented reality experiences. 
 
 
 In 
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 September 2023
 </a>
 , Niantic, in collaboration with Capcom, launched the Monster Hunter geolocation AR mobile game. In May 2023, Niantic partnered with Amazon for the launch of Amazon Anywhere, which allowed customers to purchase physical Peridot merchandise within the game&rsquo;s app. Previous partnerships include that with Sony (February 2022) to collaborate and develop application software for auditory AR and Nintendo (March 2021) to develop mobile apps that combined Nintendo&rsquo;s IP with Niantic's AR technology. 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In its most recent funding round (November 2021), Niantic raised USD 300 million in a Series D funding round from Coatue, which brought its valuation to USD 9 billion. The company aims to build evolving AR experiences based on a 3D map of the world (&ldquo;a real-world metaverse&rdquo;) and expand its ARDK with the fresh funds.
 
 
 Key competitors: None comparable 
 (Niantic is the leader in AR mobile game development)
 
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Niantic’s mission is to use emerging technology to enrich their experiences as human beings in the physical world. They seek to build products that inspire movement, exploration, and face-to-face social interaction. Originally formed at Google in 2010, they are now an independent company with a strong group of investors including Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Alsop Louie Partners. They’re focused on building games that get people outside and exploring by enabling their players to have fun while visiting new places, learning about the world around them, and meeting new friends. They’ve launched Ingress, an immersive real-world mobile game played by millions of people; it's been downloaded more than 20 million times and is played in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. They've also developed Pokémon GO, which has broken records around the world and has been downloaded more than 750 million times in its first year.

PUX is Providing value simply for the purpose of higher functionality and cost reduction has reached its limit.

Matrix Semiconductor manufactures and develops 3D memory devices. Its products include Matrix 3-D memory, a memory that enables the fast movement of the market for publishers of digital content, and is used in portable consumer electronic devices.   It provides TSOP and SD-based card formats, and designs its packaging for electrical and mechanical compatibility with flash devices.   Matrix Semiconductor was established in 1997, headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It currently operates as a subsidiary of SanDisk Corp.

Gyration is a provider of motion-sensing cursor controllers for business communications, home entertainment, and education and mobile computing. It develops, manufactures, and markets the award-winning Air Mouse family of motion-sensing cursor control products. Gyration’s products, including the Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus, Air Mouse Elite, and Air Mouse Mobile computer mice, in combination with Gyration wireless keyboards and accessories are designed for business professionals, educators, casual gamers, and home entertainment enthusiasts. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Camarillo, California.

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics company that develops game consoles. The company is engaged in developing, manufacturing, and distributing desktop and portable consoles and other related hardware and software components. It also offers entertainment products such as Family Computer (NES), Super Famicom (SNES), Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, and Wii U. Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. It began as a card game company and evolved into one of the largest Japanese companies.

<div> Nintendo is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics company that develops game consoles. </div>

Japan: Nintendo gacha key-rings available in their stores

Companies developing XR headsets and relevant sub-components (displays, sensors, and processors). Also includes complementary XR hardware (tracking devices, haptic vests, and gloves)

Companies offering engines that enable the development of AR/VR content, also includes companies offering capabilities to capture and create 3D images for immersive environments

Companies offering AR/VR solutions or toolkits for specific industry applications, including VR game developers

Companies offering location-based AR/VR experiences

Nintendo and Niantic have partnered to create Pikmin Finder, a new mobile browser game. The augmented reality (AR) game allows players to collect virtual creatures called "pikmin" and send them on treasure hunts. Using their phone's camera, players can detect surfaces and swipe to collect the pikmin. Once collected, players can dispatch them to search for treasures, which they will bring back after a short time. While Pikmin Finder offers a simple AR experience, Nintendo's ventures in the XR space have been limited. However, there are reports of the company collaborating with Google to develop a VR headset, possibly leading to a virtual reality version of Nintendo's Mario Kart game franchise.

Nintendo launches Pikmin Finder, a mobile AR game

Pikmin Finder: A mobile AR game that allows users to virtually pluck creatures called “pikmin” and send them on a treasure-collecting mission

AR/VR platforms

Pikmin Finder

Kraft Heinz

To launch Kraft Mac & Cheese Super Mario Shapes, featuring pasta in the shapes of Fire Flower, Super Star, and Super Mushroom, inspired by the Super Mario universe and its popular characters.

Capri Sun® partners with Nintendo to feature beloved characters on their drink pouches, offering fans a chance to win prizes through a "Slurp and Win" Sweepstakes.

Microsoft

Microsoft company signed a 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo consoles.

To create the Nintendo Switch Concierge service, which is a free program that lets Switch users schedule one-on-one meetings (facilitated via Microsoft Teams) with a Nintendo representative.

Puma

Nintendo have teamed up with PUMA to bring a collection of themed shoes. The collection, which comes after the recently released Super Mario 3D All-Stars, includes several pairs from some of PUMA’s most distinct silhouettes, each designed with a specific Super Mario game in mind.

Amazon

Nintendo has teamed up with Amazon in North America to deliver products with Super Mario Bros branded boxes for packaging. The boxes are dispatched completely at random for whatever online goods you purchase from Amazon and are only available in limited quantities. The company states that intentionally purchasing Nintendo products via Amazon will not increase your possibility of receiving a Super Mario Bros branded box.

Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi-Strauss has partnered up with Nintendo for a Super Mario collaboration called Levi’s X Super Mario. The pedigreed clothing line will release various apparel themed after the iconic character.

To promote the cross-play capabilities of their two systems in Minecraft

NVIDIA

Working with Nvidia to port a selection of Wii and GameCube games to the Android-powered Shield TV

Nintendo

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