The XR Week Overview (02/25/2025): Niantic Considers Selling Pokémon Go, Meta Launches $50M Creator Fund for Horizon Worlds, and More!

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Another week rolls in, and with it comes a fresh batch of intriguing XR news to catch up on!

Highlights of the Week

Top Story: Niantic May Sell Its Gaming Department

In an unexpected twist, Bloomberg reveals that Niantic might be negotiating with Scopely, a company under Saudi Arabian ownership, to offload its gaming division for a whopping $3.5 billion. This development surprises many as it includes the potential sale of Pokémon Go. Despite its fame cooling off a bit, Pokémon Go continues to generate significant revenue and maintains a dedicated fan base. Strangely, Niantic hasn’t managed to repeat this success with any other ventures, like the AR Harry Potter game, which didn’t last long. For a company to contemplate selling such a lucrative part of its business, especially one that’s a considerable cash cow and a rich data source for its AR tech, is pretty wild. Analysts suggest that Niantic envisions honing its focus on advancing AR services or perhaps even spearheading AR headgear innovation. If they indeed go ahead with this change, they’re betting big on AR, assuming AR’s importance will skyrocket in the next three years. While I might find the risk daunting, as a tech enthusiast, I’m excited to see Niantic’s commitment to this future.

Other Notable Updates

Meta Unveils a $50M Horizon Worlds Fund

Meta is launching a $50 million fund to reward creators within its Horizon Worlds platform. They plan to award monthly bonuses to creators enriching the ecosystem significantly. Plus, they’re hosting a massive contest on March 11, with prizes reaching $100,000. On top of that, Meta is refining its creation tools, ushering in a new desktop editor for more robust world-building resembling advanced game engines. While it’s great that Meta is better equipping creators, the timing isn’t ideal. Developers are raising visibility concerns on the Horizon Store, which they feel Meta neglects by pouring its attention solely on Horizon Worlds. Critics point out this could hurt the broader XR ecosystem. Ideally, supporting pitches or interesting projects might better sustain both creators and struggling startups. Yet, despite the bumps, more funds here are a positive step, although there’s room for strategic improvement from Meta.

The Challenging Days for XR Technology

Tough times persist for XR as layoffs abound, alongside ongoing issues with the Meta Horizon Store. Developers question the visibility of their titles, while users complain about the quality of titles they find. Yet, amidst these struggles, there are success stories. Here’s a glimpse of this week’s developments:

• Embracer Group noted Metro Awakening wasn’t as financially successful as hoped.
• Toast Interactive faced layoffs due to poor sales visibility for their title, Max Mustard, on Quest Store.
• Among Us VR rebrands to Among Us 3D, expanding beyond VR.
• Thief Simulator VR performed well, with impressive sales figures on Quest.

This shows while hurdles exist, some studios still find success stories giving us hope for the future.

Meta Announces Connect 2025 Dates

Mark your calendars for September 17 and 18 for Meta Connect 2025. While a Quest 4 announcement is unlikely, attendees can expect updates on smart glasses and third-party Horizon headsets. News about AI will be saved for Meta’s newly introduced LlamaCon event.

In Brief

• Palmer Luckey gave insights into his cutting-edge military AR headset, touting its superiority and innovative capabilities.
• Meta now lumps MR and VR under the "MR" banner, a puzzling move stirring debates among developers.
• The latest Meta Quest update adds DisplayPort output, offering enhanced mirroring capabilities and other usability improvements.
• Look forward to the VR Games Showcase on March 11, highlighting new games and updates.
• Developers can explore the new “All-In-One VR Game Dev Bundle” by Humble Bundle, filled with resources for various game engines.
• Upcoming titles and updates spark excitement, like “Detective VR” and “Silent North” promising engaging experiences.

Reviews in Focus

• One True Path impressed with its VR storytelling.
• Realize Music: Sing offered an enjoyable karaoke adventure, albeit with noticeable bugs.
• Ashen Arrow blended VR shooting and roguelite motifs well.
• Selina: Mind At Large suffered some glitches but effectively connected players with its central character.

Other Tidbits

• Explore how VR thrives on elite graphics cards and other engaging insights.
• Discover promising XR projects like "Golden Kingdom," a fantasy RPG in the works.

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(Header image courtesy of Niantic)