We can all unanimously agree that Augmented Reality is one of the more underrated genres in video games. Perhaps the only popular title we know of is Pokémon GO, and its creator, Niantic, is one of the only studios working hard to make the genre much more popular.
Although they found vast success with Pokémon GO, it did not go so well with their project Hamlet. Project Hamlet is the codename for an experimental AR game that expanded the boundaries of what we could have done with augmented reality. It was being developed in collaboration with Punchdrunk.
If you don’t know what augmented reality is, it is similar to virtual reality but adds a pre-created environment to the player’s actual surroundings. Unfortunately, due to the lack of success in titles following Pokémon GO, Niantic decided to cut around 8% of their staff, resulting in the cancellation of a few projects, one of which is Hamlet.
Pokémon GO’s Augmented Reality.Major Points
- Concept Arts reveal that Niantic’s Hamlet may have been heavily inspired by Greek Mythology.
- Although it is unclear how we would have seen that in augmented reality, the concepts reveal Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, in different colored clothing and accessories.
- Considering how God of War: Ragnarök has reignited the love for Ancient mythologies, Hamlet could have been Niantic’s next Pokémon GO.
Our team at TopTierList found an exciting Reddit post by user LongJonSilver, revealing the concept art of Persephone from the project Hamlet. The project was being done passionately, and one of the people who actively worked on this project showed that in his statement.
Sr. UX/UI Designer Jeremy Steiner said, “[the project] gave me experience and insight as to what types of user experiences a user can have working under the Niantic Real World Platform and AR.”
Concept art for character named Persephone. Done for a canceled project between Niantic and Punchdrunk. from LeaksAndRumors
In the 1st image below, we can see how Persephone’s design came with a gold and leaf crown, and in 2nd image, she has different colored clothes. Lastly, she has a staff that pulsates light in the 3rd image. Since she is considered the Goddess of Seasons and Vegetation, that look is perfect for her.
Persephone Design with Crown.
Persephone Design with Different Colored Clothes.
Persephone Concept Art with Staff.Although we don’t know what the game setting was like, Persephone’s story is one of the most interesting ones in Greek Mythology. This could have been an action/story-filled augmented reality game, which is very exciting to even think about.
Jeremy Steiner commented on its progress by saying, “As a small tight-knit dev team, I think we delivered a proof of concept to our stakeholders. I believe our research and development helped pave the way to other company priorities and innovative’s.”
After reading his enthusiasm and remarks on the project and looking at the concept arts for Persephone, do you think Niantic may have let go of their next big augmented reality game? Would this game have further expanded the possibilities of the AR gaming genre? Share your thoughts with us below, and we will get back to you!
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