8th Wall and HTC VIVERSE Announce 'Forge the Future' Global Game Jam
BUSINESS WIRE)--Niantic Spatial's 8th Wall and HTC's VIVERSE today announced the launch of the Forge the Future: 8th Wall x VIVERSE Game Jam, an all-new global competition challenging developers, creators, and students to build the next generation of cross-platform games using Niantic Studio on 8th Wall.
A New Era for Game Creators
Running from May 12, 2025, through June 30, 2025, 'Forge the Future' marks the first time Niantic has teamed up with a global content distribution partner to offer creators not only funding but also direct entry into the VIVERSE Creator Program*. Top teams will gain unprecedented visibility and support to bring their projects to a worldwide audience.
'We're thrilled to empower the next generation of creators with the tools, funding, and platform to shape the future of gaming,' said Joel Udwin, Director of Product at Niantic Spatial. 'Partnering with VIVERSE opens the door for developers to reach millions and push the boundaries of what's possible in real-world, cross-platform games.'
VIVERSE's Creator Program supports 3D content creators globally, partnering with creators across various industries, including interactive narratives, games, education, e-commerce, and more. The top three winners of the 'Forge the Future' competition will gain immediate access to the program to bring their 8th Wall game to the platform.
'Niantic is a leader in developing 3D immersive worlds and game tools that are changing how the world views VR/AR,' said Andranik Aslanyan, Head of Growth, HTC VIVERSE. 'Collaborating with 8th Wall is an exciting step forward to supporting creators with their favorite tools and platform, all to grow the 3D creator community.'
Key highlights of the Forge the Future Game Jam include:
Powerful Tools, No Cost to Join: Build using Niantic Studio on 8th Wall for free during the Game Jam.
Global Opportunity: Open to developers, studios, students, artists, and dreamers around the world.
Major Prizes: $10,000 for 1st place, $6,000 for 2nd place, $4,000 for 3rd place through the VIVERSE Creator Program, plus multiple $2,000 and $1,000 category prizes.
Direct Access: Winners receive invitations to the prestigious VIVERSE Creator Program.
Workshops & Mentoring: Participants will have access to ideation support, technical 1:1s, and exclusive industry events throughout the Game Jam.
How to Participate
Registration is open now at 8th.io/gamejam and the first live Info Session kicks off on May 12 at 11am PT. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Residents of certain countries are excluded from participation; see official rules for details.
*Terms and conditions apply
About 8th Wall
8th Wall is Niantic Spatial's award-winning 3D & XR development platform that makes it possible to build interactive, immersive content that can be experienced on any device—no app required. 8th Wall supports billions of devices globally and has been used by developers, agencies and creative studios to create 3D/AR activations for brands across industry verticals including retail, food and beverage, travel and tourism, automotive, fashion, sports and entertainment. 8th Wall has powered WebAR experiences for top brands such as Nike, Porsche, Sony Pictures, Burger King, General Mills, British Gas, Heineken, McDonald's, Swiss Airlines, Toyota, Red Bull, Adidas, COACH and more. Learn more about 8th Wall at www.8thwall.com.
About VIVERSE
VIVERSE is an open and user-centric 3D place that connects people from all walks of life to a boundless virtual world. We strive to empower as many people as possible to explore, work, and play in a safe environment. Every experience is unique, and your transactions and data are secure. VIVERSE provides an array of tools and services for individuals, creators, corporations, and developers to build and explore in this immersive space. Visit the VIVERSE website here:
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Forbes
22-05-2025
- Forbes
Pokemon Go Made Niantic Billions. Now It's Ditching Gaming For AI.
Walking through Niantic's headquarters in San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, visitors are greeted by a scrum of giant Pokemon stuffed animals: On amphitheatre-style steps, an enormous Snorlax naps in the corner while a bulbasour sits ready to pounce. Elsewhere, a stunned Psyduck stares vacantly toward the distance, and perhaps the company's unexpected future. In March, Niantic made a bombshell announcement: the developer of Pokemon Go — once the biggest mobile game ever in the U.S. — is abandoning games to go all-in on AI. It has sold off its game development business to Saudi-owned game maker Scopely in a $3.5 billion deal and rebranded itself as Niantic Spatial. Instead of building augmented reality games for mobile phones, it will develop artificial intelligence models that analyze the real world for enterprise clients. 'It's kind of unusual for a successful company to do this cellular division — form two companies,' cofounder and CEO John Hanke told Forbes. 'It became clear to us that the way to maximize the opportunity for both was to let each of them go and pursue its future.' Now, Niantic is doubling down on its nascent Spatial platform, announced in November, which provides AI mapping tools that companies can use to chart out routes for robots or power augmented reality glasses. Just as large language models allow AI to generate text, Niantic's Large Geospatial Models (LGMs) help AI understand, navigate and interact with physical spaces as a human would. The models are able to recreate 3D, real-world places thanks to Niantic's massive set of location data, drawn from the 30 billion miles people have collectively walked playing its games like Pokemon Go and Ingress. And when the models don't have precise data on all the dimensions, topography or physical structures in a place, they use generative AI to fill in those blanks, estimating different angles of a statue or missing corners of rooms. 'I don't think maximizing the value for Pokemon Go for the next 10 years is necessarily where [Hanke's] heart is at.' Niantic's pivot underscores the seismic effect that the generative AI frenzy has had on Silicon Valley since ChatGPT rocked the industry nearly two-and-a-half years ago — radically transforming even a firmly established decade-old company like Niantic. According to Gartner, the market for spatial computing is expected to hit $1.7 trillion by 2033, up from $110 billion in 2023, with growth driven by location-based services from the likes of mapping giant TomTom and traditional big tech like Google. 'The opportunity is enormous,' said Tuong Nguyen, director analyst for Garner's emerging technology team. So is the competition. In spatial AI, Niantic faces some formidable rivals. Since 2021, Nvidia, the $3 trillion chipmaker, has offered Omniverse, an enterprise platform that creates 3D 'digital twins' for performing simulations in factories and other industrial settings. And last year, computer vision pioneer Fei-Fei Li, known as the Godmother of AI, founded World Labs, a startup building AI that generates 3D fantasy worlds, which could be helpful for video game development or astronaut simulations. The company is already valued at $1 billion — without even launching a product. To fund its new company, Niantic went to its well of existing investors, including Coatue, Battery Ventures and CRV, for a $250 million investment. As part of the deal, which was in the works for a year and is expected to close by the end of the month, about 400 gaming employees will join Scopely, maker of the popular Monopoly Go mobile game, and about 200 will remain with Niantic. The company laid off more than 65 people during the restructuring; Niantic isn't expecting any more 'significant' layoffs, though one or two people could hypothetically depart in the final phases of the deal, Hanke told Forbes. From the start, Pokemon Go was a runaway hit, generating around $8 billion in revenue since its debut in 2016, analysts estimate. Almost a decade later, the game, which tasks players to catch virtual Pokemon by trekking to real-world locations, racked up 100 million players in 2024, Niantic said. The company brought in $1 billion in revenue last year, with 30 million monthly players across its catalog, which also includes Pikmin Bloom, a step-counter game developed with Nintendo, and Monster Hunter Now, developed with Capcom. Niantic doesn't break out revenue for individual games, but the vast majority came from Pokemon Go, according to research firm Aldora Intelligence. It was responsible for $770 million of Niantic's billion-dollar haul in 2024, the firm estimated. Pokemon Go was a global phenomenon, attracting meetups around the world. The game was lightning in a bottle, but Niantic has had trouble replicating its success. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the company's first big bet after Pokemon Go became a global phenomenon, was released in 2019 and scrapped in 2022. That same year, the company laid off around 90 people, shutting down several games in development, including one based on the Transformers franchise. A year later, Niantic shut down its Los Angeles studio and laid off 230 people, a quarter of its workforce at the time, coinciding with mass job cuts across the industry post-pandemic. The closure meant cancellations of a handful of major projects, including games with high profile partners like the NBA and Marvel. And even Pokemon Go's lustre has faded from its glory days. On Apple's App store, it's still a top 10 role playing game, but it has fallen out of the top 100 free games. Hanke insists the sale was not due to games underperforming or revenue woes. 'It's not a case of abandoning the [games] business,' he said. 'You look around at the games we have on the market — revenue is doing well,' he added, pointing to the 'successful' launch of Monster Hunter Now in 2023, where players seek out and fight virtual monsters. The game brought in $142 million last year, a 23% jump year over year, according to Aldora. Joost van Dreunen, founder of Aldora Intelligence who's researched the industry for 15 years, agrees: 'This wasn't a fire sale to save the company.' The biggest reason for the split, Niantic executives say, is focus. Inside the company, there has always been competition for time and resources between the game development side and technology side, which developed all of the augmented reality and mapping tools that underpin the games. The latter, for example, built Niantic's 'visual positioning system' which could precisely pinpoint a person's exact location at a specific date and time (like if you caught a Squirtle at Grand Central Terminal at noon). Its technology portfolio also includes Scaniverse, an app Niantic acquired in 2021 that lets a user create a 3D model of a room by scanning it with their phone, similar to how you'd take a panoramic photo. Now, the company can devote all of its energy to the enterprise business — even if it means Niantic can no longer lean on its primary cash generator. 'We will have to focus on our own revenue,' said CTO Brian McClendon. 'And we won't have to split our attention between maintaining and improving Monster Hunter, and Pokemon Go revenue and business, versus addressing just this,' he said, referring to the enterprise platform. Brandon Gleklen, a principal at Battery Ventures, which first invested in Niantic's 2019 Series C, told Forbes the move was inevitable, noting that juggling games and developing AI 'was like two bodies running a three-legged race.' The pivot to enterprise is a decidedly buttoned-up swerve for a company with such a playful culture. It was named after the Niantic, a wrecked whaling ship that brought prospectors to San Francisco during the 1849 gold rush, its remains now residing beneath the TransAmerica tower. As an homage to the vessel, Niantic's lobby is styled like an old ship's deck with an antique cannon and scuba suit. But Hanke says the new strategy is a return to his roots. A pioneer in digital mapping, Hanke cofounded Keyhole in 2001, a satellite imagery startup that Google bought in 2004 for about $35 million in stock and used as the basis for Google Maps. After ascending to lead Google's global mapping operations, he began Niantic in 2010 as a small gaming division within the sprawling tech giant. It released Ingress, a sci-fi capture-the-flag game, two years later, and after the game became widely popular, Niantic was spun out into an independent company in 2015. (Google is still an investor in Niantic Spatial.) Then came Pokemon Go. Released in 2016, the game's placement of virtual Pokemon characters in real locations spurred millions of people to explore the outdoors, a novelty for an online game in an era of mounting screentime. It inspired meetups and events around the world. While several businesses limped through the pandemic, Pokemon Go surged as people looked for socially distanced activities outside. Three days after its release, it had more users than Twitter at the time. After just two months, it became the biggest mobile game ever in the U.S., clocking 21 million users a day. It was a cash cow, but that success came with lots of baggage. It takes a lot of work and money to nurture a megahit, and Niantic was throwing resources at keeping creating new features to keep people coming back. Meanwhile, coming up with a followup success became even more difficult. 'In the years since Pokémon GO's launch, the mobile market has become crowded and changes to the app store and the mobile advertising landscape have made it increasingly hard to launch new mobile games at scale,' Hanke wrote in a memo to employees during the 2023 layoff. 'We're not in the business of making weapons systems.' So the mobile game developer did the unimaginable: it ditched the games business. 'I don't think maximizing the value for Pokemon Go for the next 10 years is necessarily where [Hanke's] heart is at,' said Saar Gur, general partner at CRV, which invested in Niantic's Series C. The idea is to pitch Niantic's core technologies to businesses, like its visual positioning system, which could be useful to enterprises in confirming important deliveries were made, instead of just taking a photo of the package in the doorway, said McClendon. Scaniverse could allow a technician from an HVAC company to remotely survey an area and annotate the virtual space. Niantic Spatial has a handful of clients so far. The Singapore tourism board is using its tech to create an augmented reality tour of the country's popular Flower Dome, the largest glass greenhouse in the world. The closed-door pilot, set to launch next month, will let guests use headsets to see digital overlays with information about the various flower species, which pop up as they walk through the garden, said Gregory Yap, vice president of the Americas for the Singapore tourism board. A deal with government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton gives access to Niantic's logistics and mapping tools, like its scanning tech and visual positioning, which provides precise location tracking down to the centimeter, to all of the company's corporate clients. One unannounced client, Hanke said, is working on a development that's 'part theme park, and part office park, and part residential.' And Niantic hasn't ruled out doing business with the military. 'We will have customers in the government, public sector space that could include military customers,' Hanke said, though he does draw one line: 'We're not in the business of making weapons systems." The lifeblood for AI models is data, and Pokemon Go hoovered it up in droves. Spinning off the games division, however, doesn't mean Niantic is giving up the firehose, the company said. Niantic will continue to provide the game's underlying mapping technology to Scopely even after the sale, now as a vendor instead of proprietor. That means Niantic Spatial will still have access to the location data that allowed it to build its AI models in the first place, said Tory Smith, director of product management for the map platform. 'It's not like there's a spigot being shut off,' he said. 'We just can't control how it evolves over time.' Nor can the company control who has access to it. When Niantic announced the sale to Culver City, California-based Scopely in March, the company drew ire for selling its popular games portfolio — and the user data that comes with it — to a venture owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Hanke dismisses that concern. 'The rules of operation there are pretty clear, in the sense that Niantic and Scopely are the keepers of that,' said Hanke. 'So there wouldn't be any access to that, or any usage of that, outside of those companies.' In a statement, a Scopely spokesperson said the company 'maintains autonomous and independent operations.' 'Player data always has and will continue to be handled in accordance with strict data privacy laws and regulations, as well as stored exclusively on U.S.-based servers,' the company said. Some critics see Saudi Arabia's investments in video games and entertainment as a means to distract from its track record on human rights. Hanke said Niantic considered those points when it chose its buyer. 'We thought about that. We discussed and debated it,' he said. 'From our own personal observations, and the people that we've worked with in the Kingdom, I think there's a real desire there to become a more open liberal society.' When Niantic announced last November that it had created AI models based on location data collected by its games, there was more outcry. Some players felt blindsided their information was being used to train AI without their knowledge. Hanke strongly denied that, saying data wasn't collected when people just walked around playing games — only when players performed specific actions while during gameplay, like scanning a PokeStop to get in-game rewards like power-ups, and were asked for explicit consent to improve the company's systems. (McClendon acknowledged that AI wasn't mentioned specifically because the models weren't in development when the disclosure was written. It still does not reference AI, but after the deal closes, Niantic said the games business will roll out new terms of service that expand on its data policies.) To mark the sale of its games business and the beginning of its play in AI, Niantic held a party in early May across the street from headquarters at Sens, a tony Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the bay. At the party, Hanke and employees shared stories and memories as they said goodbye to the company in its current form. But after the deal closes, the gaming employees won't go very far. They'll move to a Scopely office a short walk away. The Pokemon stuffed animals will likely join them, Hanke said.
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Newsweek
Pokémon Go is Finally Adding Remote Shadow Raids and Max Battles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The developer of Pokémon Go has announced that the game is finally going to be adding long-requested features aimed at improving access to some of its more desirable features. In a post on the official Pokémon Go website, the development team revealed that it would soon allow players to join Shadow Raids and Max Battles remotely using Remote Raid Passes. The daily remote raid limit is also being increased from five to 10, and a new bundle for Remote Raid Passes has been added to the Pokémon Go web store, which includes two Remote Raid Passes for $2.99. Key art for Dynamax Max Battles in Pokémon Go, showing multiple trainers and their Pokémon staring down a large Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Key art for Dynamax Max Battles in Pokémon Go, showing multiple trainers and their Pokémon staring down a large Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Niantic / Scopely Shadow Raids will open up to remote raiding starting with the Crown Clash: Taken Over event, which starts on May 13, 2025 – with the increased remote raid limit going into effect on the same day – while Max Battles will open up to remote raiding starting on May 19, 2025, just before the Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day. Remote raids will continue for both features permanently following their introduction, and in-person Max Battle raiders will now earn more Premier Balls and XP than before. The change comes after years of frustration from the player base about the lack of availability for remote raids in certain features, with Gigantamax Battles in particular drawing significant ire due to their difficulty. It can often take up to 40 players to take down a Gigantamax Pokémon, a task that was logistically challenging to achieve in-person, especially outside of big cities. It also comes after the announcement that Pokémon Go developer Niantic would sell its game division to Monopoly Go publisher Scopely, itself a subsidiary of Savvy Games, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. At the time, the Pokémon Go development team assured players that no major changes to the game would take place due to the acquisition, and according to an interview with Eurogamer, these changes are not evidence of the team going back on its word. "These changes take a long time to get into the game," Pokémon Go senior producer John Funtanilla told the outlet. "These are things we take measured approaches to, and it's entirely a Pokémon Go decision. These are things we have looked at for years - we've looked at the data, we've looked at the community feedback. It's entirely the leadership here, internally, and definitely 100 percent our decision to make these changes."
Business Wire
06-05-2025
- Business Wire
8th Wall and HTC VIVERSE Announce 'Forge the Future' Global Game Jam
BUSINESS WIRE)--Niantic Spatial's 8th Wall and HTC's VIVERSE today announced the launch of the Forge the Future: 8th Wall x VIVERSE Game Jam, an all-new global competition challenging developers, creators, and students to build the next generation of cross-platform games using Niantic Studio on 8th Wall. A New Era for Game Creators Running from May 12, 2025, through June 30, 2025, 'Forge the Future' marks the first time Niantic has teamed up with a global content distribution partner to offer creators not only funding but also direct entry into the VIVERSE Creator Program*. Top teams will gain unprecedented visibility and support to bring their projects to a worldwide audience. 'We're thrilled to empower the next generation of creators with the tools, funding, and platform to shape the future of gaming,' said Joel Udwin, Director of Product at Niantic Spatial. 'Partnering with VIVERSE opens the door for developers to reach millions and push the boundaries of what's possible in real-world, cross-platform games.' VIVERSE's Creator Program supports 3D content creators globally, partnering with creators across various industries, including interactive narratives, games, education, e-commerce, and more. The top three winners of the 'Forge the Future' competition will gain immediate access to the program to bring their 8th Wall game to the platform. 'Niantic is a leader in developing 3D immersive worlds and game tools that are changing how the world views VR/AR,' said Andranik Aslanyan, Head of Growth, HTC VIVERSE. 'Collaborating with 8th Wall is an exciting step forward to supporting creators with their favorite tools and platform, all to grow the 3D creator community.' Key highlights of the Forge the Future Game Jam include: Powerful Tools, No Cost to Join: Build using Niantic Studio on 8th Wall for free during the Game Jam. Global Opportunity: Open to developers, studios, students, artists, and dreamers around the world. Major Prizes: $10,000 for 1st place, $6,000 for 2nd place, $4,000 for 3rd place through the VIVERSE Creator Program, plus multiple $2,000 and $1,000 category prizes. Direct Access: Winners receive invitations to the prestigious VIVERSE Creator Program. Workshops & Mentoring: Participants will have access to ideation support, technical 1:1s, and exclusive industry events throughout the Game Jam. How to Participate Registration is open now at and the first live Info Session kicks off on May 12 at 11am PT. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Residents of certain countries are excluded from participation; see official rules for details. *Terms and conditions apply About 8th Wall 8th Wall is Niantic Spatial's award-winning 3D & XR development platform that makes it possible to build interactive, immersive content that can be experienced on any device—no app required. 8th Wall supports billions of devices globally and has been used by developers, agencies and creative studios to create 3D/AR activations for brands across industry verticals including retail, food and beverage, travel and tourism, automotive, fashion, sports and entertainment. 8th Wall has powered WebAR experiences for top brands such as Nike, Porsche, Sony Pictures, Burger King, General Mills, British Gas, Heineken, McDonald's, Swiss Airlines, Toyota, Red Bull, Adidas, COACH and more. Learn more about 8th Wall at About VIVERSE VIVERSE is an open and user-centric 3D place that connects people from all walks of life to a boundless virtual world. We strive to empower as many people as possible to explore, work, and play in a safe environment. Every experience is unique, and your transactions and data are secure. VIVERSE provides an array of tools and services for individuals, creators, corporations, and developers to build and explore in this immersive space. Visit the VIVERSE website here:
