Pikmin Bloom: What is the new AR game from the makers of Pokémon Go?

Image source, Niantic

Image caption, Pikmin are little, brightly coloured forest creatures who have flowers and leaves on their heads

Pikmin Bloom - a new Augmented Reality (AR) mobile app from the people who made Pokémon Go - has been released.

The new game is a collaboration between gaming giants Nintendo and Niantic, and features characters from the Pikmin games.

The game is free to play but, like Pokémon Go and Fortnite, players can spend real money on items in the game, if they wish to.

Pikmin Bloom launched in Australia and Singapore on 27 October, to tie in with the 20th anniversary of the Pikmin games, and makers say it will release "in other countries and regions", including the UK, in "the coming days".

What's the game all about?

Image source, NIANTIC

Image caption, The game uses the player's Nintendo Mii character to move around

Like Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom is a mobile app, which encourages players to go outdoors for daily walks.

Players can collect seeds on their journey, which can be planted as they walk - and grown into seven different types of Pikmin - leaving a trail of virtual flower petals behind them.

There will also be the option to team up with other players to plant more flowers.

The app has an Augmented Reality (AR) feature, to make it look like the characters are in the real world, using the camera.

Image source, Niantic

Image caption, Players can look back on their memories and achievements from the day using the diary feature

As well as this, the app also has a diary-like memory feature - which records information about how much players have walked, the Pikmin they've collected, and places they've visited - and will share a little video about the journey at the end of each day.

"The heart of the game, for me, is that on your daily walk, you're actually able to plant flowers as you go," said John Hanke, the boss of Niantic, in an interview with 鶹 podcast, Press X To Continue.

"You're transforming the mundane into a more beautiful world by leaving this trail of flowers behind you. Like Pokémon Go and other augmented reality games, it's also a great way to get you moving and exercising more.

"Everything from mood to your creativity and your productivity is made better by walking." he said.

How successful have other AR games been?

Image source, Niantic/pokemon

Image caption, Pokémon Go has been downloaded more than a billion times

Pokémon Go was pretty ground-breaking when it was released in 2016 and has been acknowledged by many for making augmented reality gaming popular.

Since its release it has been downloaded more than a billion times and is still played by millions of people all over the world.

After the success of its launch many other AR games were released... but with varying degrees of success.

Image source, Minecraft

Image caption, Minecraft Earth lasted two years before it ended.

Niantic - The makers of Pokémon Go - also launched the Harry Potter Inspired game Wizards Unite, as well as Catan: World Explorers, which only lasted a year before being shut down.

Microsoft also decided to pull the plug on its AR game Minecraft Earth earlier this year, to free up more 'resources' to put into the Minecraft community.

We'll have to wait and see how Pikmin Bloom fares, after it releases worldwide.