In today’s increasingly digital world, Niantic believes the most meaningful connections still happen in person, face-to-face. As we’ve seen through our technology, when people go outside to play, engaging with their communities, they’re tapping into a fundamental aspect of human nature: the need to connect with others, in person.
At Niantic, our mission is to use technology as a bridge to foster positive, real world connections. Over the years, hundreds of millions of people have explored the world with our games, making over 1.4 billion friendship connections. We want people to rediscover the pleasure of shared experiences. And we’ve helped to do that by launching location-based games that connect people directly to their local communities, and augmented reality (AR) technology like VPS and Scaniverse that encourage people to see the world around them.
Today, in celebration of World Mental Health Day, we’re excited to share a guide by Safe In Our World, a nonprofit organization focused on positive mental health in the gaming industry. It highlights the importance of fostering and nurturing positive, real-world interactions between people. We hope this can be a starting point for people to think about how they can engage in and pass on kindness to themselves and one another.
As part of this project, we’re also launching a curated content series that tells stories of those who have met and maintained lasting friendships through Niantic games, bringing them to life through unique portraits. If you have a story you’d like to share, please email us at player-stories@nianticlabs.com.
In addition, we’ve launched a new micro-experience, built with Niantic Studio, as a part of our Peridot franchise – Pause with Peridot. We hope this evolves into a wellness lifelog, but we’re starting with simple breathing exercises featuring our adorable Dots. Our aim is to encourage players to pause during their day, finding small moments of peace amid daily chaos. Over time, we see this experience growing into something special that promotes positive mental well-being and encourages presence in the real world.
As we continue to develop new AR technologies, our goal remains the same: to enhance and encourage real-world interactions, not replace them. We envision a future where technology seamlessly blends with reality, making our world more interactive, more connected, and ultimately, more human.