How to Make AR Game App Like Pokemon Go? [2024 Guide]

Do you want to know how to make an AR game app like Pokemon Go?

With over 27 million users in the United States alone, Pokémon Go serves as a model for anyone looking to make a fortune with augmented reality software. This game has already attracted more users than Twitter and has contributed to Nintendo’s market valuation exceeding $69 billion in 2020 (and counting!). The Pokémon Go app is another excellent example of a location-based (LBS) game, and geo-based augmented reality.

The best thing about gaming apps is that they make users stay in one area and play. However, we shall discuss a game called Pokemon Go that has shown this idea incorrect. Pokemon Go became a very hit app in a brief period due to its innovation of moving about and screen browsing.

This blog will shed light on how to make a video game like Pokemon Go, and some critical factors to consider when creating gaming applications like Pokemon Go or any other wonderful app with a good blend of graphics, motion, story, animation, and delightful user experience.

Ready? Keep on reading!

What is Augmented Reality?

Before delving into the complex mechanics of Pokémon, it’s essential first to know augmented reality (AR) and what it includes. In a nutshell, AR technology is the real-time integration of relevant digital information with the virtual world. AR can be viewed using a tablet, smartphone, or headset. The use of augmented reality technology in the game Pokémon Go has pushed players to interact with their surroundings and one another. As a result of this approach, users have been able to explore their towns and cities more. You might be interested to know the difference between augmented reality vs virtual reality.

How Does Game Like Pokemon Go Work?

For starters, Pokémon is a virtual pet that requires training and players must take care of. This is itself exciting, but a player can also join one of the three global teams to fight for territory. After downloading the app and creating their own persona, gamers receive access to animated earth map data, where the actual names of squares and streets are hidden. These locations feature real-world objects associated with specific Pokémon. As players walking around in the actual world, their main character replicates the movement and path. At that moment, you can randomly encounter Pokémon, capture virtual monsters, and add them to your collection.

Why Should You Develop a Game Like Pokémon Go?

There are numerous reasons to create a game comparable to Pokémon Go. First and foremost, have you had a look at the revenue generated by these games? According to Sensor Tower, iOS Pokémon Go gamers spend approximately $1.6 million every day in the United States alone. You, too, may achieve these figures with good server game creation and promotion. Furthermore, if you own a company, you can leverage your Pokémon-themed game to attract new consumers and clients.

Pokémon Go can advise gamers to regions where Pokémon frequently occur. You can employ augmented reality app technology to entice customers to visit your establishment. Pokémon Go has a business strategy that you can tremendously benefit from. Furthermore, incorporating AR experiences into your games will be appealing to consumers, resulting in more downloads and possibly revenue for you. Here is the list of top game developer companies to create your own.

Features of Pokemon Go Game

In order to develop a competitive app in this industry, you must know the necessary multiplayer features. Here i mentioned some features that also helop reduce mobile app making cost. Plan to provide the following features in addition to basic AR features:

Features for AR Game App Like Pokemon Go

• New account creation
• Customize player profiles: Players can personalize their ‘Avatars.’
• Animated google maps
• An interactive user interface that is simple enough for players to participate in the other games while on the go.
• Participate in battles: This allows users to take part in those enthralling battles in order to earn new digital items such as Pokémon.
• Trading digital collectibles: The app should allow gamers to trade collectibles with their peers.
• An ability to make friends: Players must make new friends in the app, gift them collectibles, and trade collectibles with them.
• The possibility to add updated versions of digital collectibles: This allows the game to remain fresh and fascinating to dedicated players who have been playing it for a long time.
• The capacity to organize and celebrate exceptional events: Digital collectibles captured during these events can have distinguishing attributes.
• The ability to form clubs: Because games like Pokémon Go have gyms, a new app attempting to make a name in the market must give players equivalent clubs.
• Enough customizability to add new features as they become available: This will aid in the game’s retention of interest.

Why You Should Integrate NFT in Game like Pokemon Go

The world of AR game development is constantly evolving, and new technologies are always emerging that can change the way games are played. One of the latest innovations in the gaming world is the use of non-fungible tokens or NFTs. NFTs are digital assets that can be stored on a blockchain and are unique and immutable. This makes them perfect for use in games, as they can be used to represent in-game items that cannot be duplicated or destroyed. While some gamers may be hesitant to embrace this new technology, there are many potential benefits to integrating NFTs into games like Pokémon GO.

NFT Game Development services could help to create a more immersive and interactive gaming experience. In-game items that are represented by NFTs would be more than just digital pixels on a screen; they would be actual assets that players could interact with and trade with other players. This would add a whole new level of depth to the game and make it more exciting to play. Additionally, NFTs could also help to ensure that in-game items retain their value over time. Unlike traditional in-game items which can be duplicated or destroyed, NFTs would remain valuable as long as the game itself remained popular. This could lead to a more stable economy within the game, as well as providing an incentive for players to continue playing long after they have caught all the Pokémon.

There are some challenges that need to be addressed before NFTs can be successfully integrated into Pokémon GO or other games. For one, the technology is still relatively new and there are not yet many established standards for how to create an NFT game like Pokemon Go. Additionally, there is some concern that integrating NFTs into games could lead to inflationary pressures, as players would be able to buy and sell in-game items for real-world currency. However, if these challenges can be addressed, there is excellent potential for NFTs to transform the world of video gaming.

AR Game Application Development Process

There aren’t many highly trained team specializing in AR, most likely due to the time and money required to develop an app of this type successfully. You will know that this project is quite expensive and time-consuming.

Nonetheless, developing a less sophisticated but no less fascinating app could be a fantastic place to start. In any case, you never know why one app or another gets viral, so if you have a solid idea, don’t be afraid to make it a reality.

So, let’s quickly summarise everything that has come before and determine the possible suggestions to construct a low-end imitation of the Pokémon Go smartphone app.

1. Game Design

To create game like Pokemon Go requires, you must have a unique concept, physical activity, and special events to create a story and let the story move forward with your game. As a result, you must design your game. You must consider the types of levels you want in your app for this. What are the characters, powers, and omens? You must examine the story, situation, and consequences that will make the game engaging. But remember to keep the sequence of events interesting.

2. Game Engine

Can you imagine a train going without an engine? Most emphatically not. Because the train is unable to move. This is essentially what the game engine does. It is a type of gaming software that integrates all aspects of game app creation, such as animation, graphics, audio, codes, and systems. The game engine is not required in normal game apps, but if you want to create an app like Pokemon Go, the developers must use the game engine. A unity engine was used in Pokemon Go.

3. App Prototype

The term “app prototype” refers to the app’s initial appearance. A basic drawing of how your app will look is an app prototype. It includes all screens, tap options, icons, menus, wireframes, and so forth. It gives you a good impression of the app’s overall appearance. You should explain to your game designer how your app characters should look and what kind of display you expect, and then test the prototype to determine if it meets your expectations.

4. Geolocation Tools

Niantic was an internal Google startup before becoming a full-fledged sports game app corporation. So it’s no surprise that an app like Pokemon Go worked so well with GPS, map navigation, and spot searches. But don’t be discouraged; if you want to create an app similar to Pokemon Go, buy a license to connect your project to Google API. The less expensive option is to use Open Street Maps; however, they do not disclose locations.

5. Game Balance

Have you ever considered why apps have become popular? Why were game applications like PubG and Pokemon Go so popular? The whole experience of using the app was the primary factor. The players could relate to it and the atmosphere that was built around them. You should think about creating a similar mood for the users when they play the game.

The gaming app, such as Pokemon Go, should be adequately balanced. Users should always be excited when playing the game, but they should not be perplexed by the complexities.

6. Device Sensor

If you want to create an app similar to Pokemon Go. As your characters will be visible through smartphone screens over original locales, you must clearly be proficient with sensing and direction intelligence. The sensors required to create such an app will be-

• Accelerometer to determine the user’s pace when using the smartphone.
• GPS identifier for locating locations and assisting with navigation.
• A gyroscope is used to identify the orientation of a device in space.

7. Notifications

Notifications are a critical element in any gaming app, and it is a message that appears on the user’s mobile screen and informs them of the game’s current state. While playing a game, instructions and directions on how to proceed in the game may emerge.

Socket notifications are enabled in the app alerts, allowing users to play and even be notified when an online game moves. Notifications could be used to keep app users engaged when they are not connected to the internet.

8. Graphics and Sounds

Today’s user expects relativity, and users will not be able to habitat themselves if your program is not appealing in terms of game story, animation, graphics, and sound. As a result, your proposed app will be a flop.

Pokemon Go is a 3D model, which adds a significant chunk of the Augmented Reality Game Development expense. You can inquire with your game requirements about the assets and resources required to create fantastic animated characters and themes.

Well, there are a few ways you could go about this as there are various technologies you can utilize to build this game. You can make use of Angular JS technology or PHP technology to create virtual objects.

How to Develop AR Game Like Pokemon Go in 3 Steps?

Pokémon Go’s brilliant usage of AR and Geolocation has captivated its audience (GPS). The game simply entails players using a smartphone equipped with a GPS to search, catch pokemon, and train them to conduct battles among themselves. Pokemon Go, by utilizing Augmented Reality, has indeed brought this world to life by transforming all loyal fans into Pokemon trainers, fantastic!

Another key success factor is the innovative use of smartphone technologies, such as relatively simple-to-use AR. And here’s the good news for developers: all of the tools needed to create your own location-based AR game are already available. We’ll swiftly show you how to build an app like Pokemon Go in three easy steps below.

Step 1: Set up a Basic Geo-based Infrastructure

Setting up the server architecture for such a game involves some effort. You must handle user accounts and set up a sensible distribution of Pokémon characters or items of your choice, as well as certain contextually aware components in your system.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say you’ve already built the server backend required to retrieve the closest 5 creatures for any given user position so that once you know where the user is, you can receive a list of them in JSON format (making it easier to parse in your JavaScript code).

The SDK’s very first feature is to authenticate users based on their GPS location.

Step 2: Build a Geo AR App Like Pokemon Go

The SDK JavaScript API also includes features for retrieving the user’s position and placing movies, 2D and 3D material in geo-spaces. You can query content from a remote origin to construct a customized Geo-AR scene on the fly.

The JavaScript API includes a feature called AR.objects, which allows you to position virtual objects in the real environment. A callback method notifies you of user movements and firing latitude, longitude, and altitude information. The user’s first location is saved for further usage in the following example using the JS SDK.

It is important to note that this code must be executed within an AR-View, which is the main component of the JavaScript SDK.

Step 3: Make the Rules of Your AR Game Like Pokemon Go

Now that you have the ability to insert virtual 3D models in the other environment, you may be as creative as you want in defining the rules of your AR app game.

Here are a few instances of what is feasible:

Similar to the Pokémon type game, you may require the user to be no more than 10 meters (30 feet) away from a 3D model experience; otherwise, the player may not be able to gather or see it. You might also utilize altitude numbers to force a user to climb to the top of a building or other unusual position.

Change up the content! You could utilize videos, text, icons, or buttons in addition to 3D models and set them in whatever geolocation you like.

You could utilize 2D picture recognition and track in addition to GEO AR: As seen in this video, use signs, billboards, paper, walls, or any other 2D surface as “stages” for unique and cool AR augmentations that are “glued” onto these surfaces.

To take your game to the next level, use the world around your user to prolong play using markerless AR or even integrate actual toys with object tracking to create immersive hybrid play experiences.

Conclusion: AR Game App Like Pokemon Go

When we talk about playing and participating in games today, we don’t think of playgrounds but battlefield screens in gaming apps. Mobile gaming apps have evolved into a modern form of educational activity that links not only youngsters but also adults. It’s become a serious business. And, at a time when AR and VR games are becoming a reality, it is best to invest in such possibilities.

Finally, if you are ready, get in touch with a trusted and reliable software development company such as The NineHertz and get ready for creative and challenging times of development. The final result is definitely going to be worth it!

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Develop AR Game Like Pokemon Go?

1. How Do You Make Augmented Reality Games?

To create an app like Pokemon GO, you must first come up with a catchy idea that will entice consumers. You must also be familiar with AR and geolocation technology. Finally, keep in mind your game’s distinct approach. Pokémon type game is a successful game because of the “go-and-explore” premise, so you must provide your gamers with a whole new mobile gaming experience.

2. What Technology Does Pokemon Go Use?

Pokemon Go displays pokemon using augmented reality via the smartphone’s camera. In addition, developers used geolocation to guide the player around the map. Compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, and other native technologies are used for proper spatial orientation.

3. How Much Does It Cost to Make Game Like Pokemon Go?

When it comes to developing applications, the subject of how much the entire process costs are frequently raised. There is no exact cost for designing such an application, and the amount to pay depends on the features and ar experience you want to include in the application. The price of this type of game can only be computed based on its functionality.