‘Pokémon GO’ Unofficial Demo On Microsoft HoloLens Looks Really Captivating [Video]
Pokémon GO is no doubt all the rage these days. This augmented reality (AR) and GPS-based game has been causing accidents, making people stumble upon dead bodies, and whatnot. However, the important thing to note here is that the game is currently only on smartphones, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS to be precise.
However, imagine if all the Pokémons from the game were holographic images? Wouldn’t it make the experience much more awesome? Well, your dreams might just come true in the near future. An unofficial concept video showcases Pokémon GO running on Microsoft HoloLens – a holographic headset that is still not available for the general public.
Here's what #PokemonGo might look like on HoloLens. https://t.co/oatiuCTKwU pic.twitter.com/5OnlFVIH4e
— GameSpot (@GameSpot) July 16, 2016
In the concept video posted by CapitolaVR, we can see an individual, presumably wearing the Microsoft HoloLens headset, pinching his fingers to throw Pokéballs at nearby Pokémons in an attempt to “Catch ’em all.” At the end of the video, he/she grabs the final Pokéball — like you would grab an actual ball in the real world — to complete the game session. CapitolaVR has created the concept footage using the Microsoft HoloLens software development kit (SDK) and the Unity game engine, which is incidentally used to create graphically-intense games.
The video was posted on Twitter by CapitolaVR’s Digital Head, David Robustelli. He said in his tweet, “We created a full immersive @Pokemon GO version for the @HoloLens #PokemonGO #HoloLens #wannaplay#MixedReality.”
We created a full immersive @Pokemon Go version for the @HoloLens #PokemonGO #HoloLens #wannaplay #MixedReality pic.twitter.com/CrDgiF2Y6N
— David Robustelli (@RobustelliDavid) July 14, 2016
While the demo does look rather cool, we cannot confirm for sure if Pokémon GO will actually make it to HoloLens, even if Microsoft thinks that the game would be a great fit for the platform. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, actually believes that Pokémon GO could shine on Microsoft HoloLens.
“This Pokémon interest, hopefully will translate into a lot of interest in HoloLens. I think it’s fantastic to see these augmented reality applications getting built, because the best thing that can happen when you’re creating a new category is for applications that are these killer apps, whether it be a game or in the industrial scenario, to get invested in,” he said recently.
“We were actually amazed how easy it is to launch an app for this device and create and optimize the mechanics and interaction,” he added while talking to UploadVR.
Apparently, the team created the Pokémon GO demo in a single day after receiving a demo HoloLens unit from Microsoft, which essentially reiterates how easy it is to code for the futuristic holographic headset.
Robustelli is also hoping to use HoloLens to develop other cool things.
“The thing is, there is a huge amount of possibilities that are unexplored and which could work for games like these. A more challenging thing is how to access the Google Maps API and enabling it within a running app. But I’m sure that in the upcoming years when more and more people are developing for this hardware also more things will be standard to use in tools and apps,” he elaborated.
Recently, we learned that Pokémon GO’s popularity has helped a few businesses to cash in on the craze. PokéStops and gyms inside the game, located inside service businesses like restaurants, convenience stores, and bars, has caused an increase in foot traffic as players walk into these establishments while playing Pokémon GO. An increase in foot traffic also indicates that the business could also improve by direct correlation. According to The Street, a New York pizzeria managed to see a revenue increase of 75 percent thanks to the game.
[Photo by Olivia Harris/Getty Images]
