In case you haven't heard, Niantic has developed a new app known as Campfire. It's a social app that allows Niantic Explorers to discover new people, places, and experiences around them. It has already undergone beta testing in Ingress, and the next step is now to test it in Pokémon GO.
To better understand how Campfire can benefit players in Pokémon GO, Product Manager for social features "Mikey" shared that they have been looking for ways to make the game experience even more special. One of the themes that kept on coming up was how trainers could make friends with those who have the same interests and be able to explore the world around them. Mikey said further that they wanted something that could make the experience meaningful, and this is where Campfire comes in.
App Features
The Campfire app was revealed last week and features include:
- Nearby Communities
- Be able to find other players easily by checking out the local communities around you.
- Niantic Friends
- Easily add and manage friends across all titles from Niantic.
- Direct and Group Messaging
- Be able to organize all chats with friends in one place.
- With Direct and Group messaging, players can instantly:
- Share gyms/raids.
- Drop their live location.
- Post photos.
- Chat with friends across any Niantic game.
- Real-World Activities
- Join and share official Community events.
- Keep track of meetups with reminders.
- Easily invite friends to play.
Campfire Experience
To maximize Campfire, some of its features were integrated into the game. For example, from the in-game map, trainers can simply tap the Campfire icon and they'll see where others have lit Flares. These are real-time markers that direct attention to a particular location and help trainers identify where to meet up with others. This will make coordinating raids, as well as meeting up with fellow trainers much easier.
One of the upcoming Campfire’s features coming to the game is the ability to see pictures of Pokémon caught by other trainers. The photos exist on the map right where that Pokémon was caught, and other trainers looking for a particular Pokémon can use the images to know where to go next.
What do you think of the Campfire feature? Pokémon GO is available on Android and iOS.
