Niantic has been known to release games that let players “interact” with the real world. These include the likes of Ingress, Pokémon GO, and even the now-defunct Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Now, the company is adding another to its portfolio with NBA All-World, which places NBA fans in the real-world metaverse. This was made possible through a partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
NBA All-World is described as a free-to-play geolocation basketball game where players can find, challenge, and compete against NBA ballers in their neighborhoods. Players can recruit them to their team before proving themselves on the court.
That’s pretty much it. Details about its gameplay and release dates are not yet unveiled. Though we are sure that it’s coming to mobile devices.
In a statement, Niantic Senior Producer Marcus Matthews revealed that NBA All-World is an original and real-world mobile game planned to be interesting for both casual and core NBA fans. He went on to say that they are creating and designing a game that can empower players to show where they’re from and highlight their individual styles.
Meanwhile, NBA Head of Consumer Products Matt Holt said that they hope the game can provide fans worldwide the chance to fully immerse themselves in the excitement and energy that the NBA has to offer.
Finally, EVP of Licensing for THINK450 Josh Goodstadt shared that the game gives them the chance to bring NBA players to the real-world metaverse while also giving new paths for them to interact with in a new way. He also praised Niantic and said that the studio has the experience to build games that can encourage engagement, particularly in local communities.
For now, players can sign-up here to be notified when NBA All-World will become available in their country. Those who sign up can get access to the exclusive NBA All-World AR web experience and be the first to be notified about securing their codename for use when the game officially launches.
