The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the NBA Players Association (NBPA) have collaborated with the Pokémon Go development company, Niantic to release an officially licensed augmented reality (AR) mobile game.
NBA All-World is basically an extension of the dynamics found in the wildly popular Pokemon Go, which includes players venturing out into the world to catch Pokemon and engage in Pokemon battles.
NBA All-World guarantees a ‘real world metaverse’ in which users’ geolocation data is used to identify, contest, and recruit current NBA players. The contest also incorporates the league’s fashion and lifestyle components, with participants able to outfit players on their teams with tailored NBA apparel.
While there is no set release date for NBA All-World, those intrigued can join the game’s official website. The game will be released in limited markets for beta testing before expanding to more markets for full release.
Marcus Matthews, Senior Producer, Niantic, said, “NBA All-World represents an industry first in sports games, as an original, real-world AR game that will appeal to casual and core NBA fans alike. We’re creating and designing a game that empowers players to represent where they’re from and showcase the culture of their neighbourhood.”
Matt Holt, Head of Consumer Products at the NBA, commented, “Through our partnership with Niantic, NBA All-World will provide fans across the globe the opportunity to fully immerse themselves into the energy and excitement of the NBA.
“Evident in the name of the game itself, we look forward to engaging with our fans around the world through this captivating experience.”