Looking forward to multiplayer mode on Pokémon GO? You might have to do some more waiting as the game's developers are still mulling over the concept.
Niantic Labs is no stranger to multiplayer features, having developed Ingress. More specifically, the developer is no stranger to making multiplayer mode work in an augmented reality game, which would make it easy for many to assume that Niantic would simply need to apply what worked with Ingress to Pokémon GO. However, the developer has no immediate plan to create something on the same scale as Ingress.
Launched in 2012, Ingress now has more than 15 million users playing as part of either the Resistance or Enlightened factions. Players fight to gain control of Portals around the world, with individuals teaming up to create Control Fields and capture a geographical area.
Pokémon GO is a lot like Ingress in terms of basic mechanics, with players seeking out Pokémon instead of Portals. However, the most competitive that the latter goes is when players head to Pokémon Gyms and fight in behalf of, and not necessarily with, their faction.
"So far we've learned that multiplayer battles are a lot of fun ... But we're trying our best to rethink what the experience should be," said Niantic's Archit Bhargava.
The developer has learned a lot from Ingress and while the game shares a lot of similarities with Pokémon GO, the two are still different games.
According to Bhargava, Niantic has a vision for Pokémon and it's going to execute that. However, what it does apply to the mobile game will be based on the community's reaction.
Pokémon has quite the following so it's no surprise that the franchise's newest offering, Pokémon GO, was a massive hit. Ingress' player base is nothing to scoff at but it will be quickly dwarfed by the millions who've always wanted to be Pokémon trainers. And now that the dream can coincide with reality, there's no stopping players from exploring their surroundings and capturing Pokémon.
If developing a multiplayer feature is going to take some time, maybe Niantic can focus first on Pokémon GO's battery issue. Exploring the world to capture Pokémon can be a bit troublesome, after all, when you have to worry about your device running out of juice. While waiting, players can help conserve their battery by dimming their screen's brightness, turning the sound off and minimizing in-game actions while using Pokémon GO.
