TZUUM and Pokémon GO Add Content with Player Vs. Player Matches
With more that 500 million downloads in two months Pokémon GO is set to shift some paradigms. The game did experience early growing pains in the form of server latency and resource issues but things seem to have stabilized for now. With having generated over $500 million in revenue to date they can afford to expand quickly. With only a team of 70 people in an office in San Francisco the launch was incredibly well managed and a roaring success.
Gamers couldn't seem to download the game fast enough, and the streets were filling up with people trying to catch them all. This amazing success story created a serious problem however. With players consuming content at such an epic pace the game is running out of things to offer and some reports suggest players may be getting bored.
Online games in the past have experienced this issue and the only solution seems to be to create more content as quickly as possible.
John Hanke, CEO of Niantic Labs and developer of Pokémon GO promises a lot more content is just around the corner. To keep the game fresh, the company is planning on Pokémon trading, live tournaments, and even player versus player matches.
With the addition of player versus player combat (PVP) it is possible that Pokémon GO may be changing its position in the gaming app market. This could place it in competition with a completely different type of game such as TZUUM (pronounced zoom).
TZUUM and Pokémon GO are both altered reality gaming apps but they are played very differently. TZUUM has PVP as the central focus as opposed to it being just an adjunct to make up for a lack of content. The game is being developed by George Carter III, the creator of the original Laser Tag in the early '80's, and he is leading the creative team himself.
Gamers familiar with Laser Tag know all too well what is required to play it. Expensive devices, heavy armor, and a custom built arena to play in. These requirements do not lend themselves well to a home game, but now that has changed. TZUUM only requires an iPhone, a free download, and players ready to have some fun. The game includes team base defense mode, team versus team, and free-for-all matches. The fact that the game centers on PVP and player interactions means that matches are almost never the same with an almost limitless variety of strategies and unexpected outcomes. By allowing players the freedom to use their creativity and imagination TZUUM has as much content as the players want to bring into it.
"We have developed a gaming toolset for our users to create their own scenarios and honestly we are always surprised", said game creator George Carter III at a closed beta test in Dallas Texas. "The concept of base captures has been driven by beta testers and we are looking forward to seeing where our players are going to take the game next. There is no end to what they can come up with playing TZUUM".
The fact that PVP can drive a game long after the content has been consumed may be driving Pokémon GO to expand into this area.
"We have seen PVP content increase the shelf life of games before. Blizzard Entertainment buys itself a lot of time between releasing expansion of World of Warcraft by promoting PVP", said Bill Wilson, an analyst for Broadband Landing and PVPGamer.com. "There is no reason this won't hold true in the altered reality game market as well. Maybe even more so".
TZUUM is a product based around PVP but if Pokémon GO enters this space it may start heating up. With more attention on potential altered reality PVP more companies may want to join in the fun so it would be wise to keep a close eye on this space.
