On June 15, 2020 we announced the general availability of the Google Maps Platform Gaming solution, including the Maps SDK for Unity and Playable Locations API, to officially bring our knowledge of the world to all games built with Unity for the first time. 

The goal of the Gaming solution is to enable developers to build real-world and location-based games that create immersive experiences for players. In some games, such as The Walking Dead: Our World by Next Games, this meant creating gameplay that takes players out into the real world. In others, such as the recently released PAC-MAN GEO™ by BANDAI NAMCO, Entertainment Inc., this meant bringing the real world into a familiar game that players already know and love.

Let’s take a look at a few recently released games, and how game studios are building the next generation of location-based games with the Google Maps Platform Gaming solution.

PAC-MAN GEO (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Inc.)First released on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN™ has been a worldwide hit ever since. In October 2020, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. released PAC-MAN GEO, which allows players to set PAC-MAN, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde loose on the streets of 170 countries around the world–just in time for the 40th anniversary of PAC-MAN.

“For us, there was always the question of what it would be like to play PAC-MAN in a real-world setting. Today, with gaming technology evolving from arcades, to consoles, to mobile platforms, and to VR/AR, we are always exploring new ways of playing PAC-MAN,” said Yuji Yoshii, producer at BANDAI NAMCO.

Get it from Google Play and App Store.

TSUBASA+ (MIRAIRE, Inc.)

TSUBASA+ is the latest game from MIRAIRE, Inc, based on the popular Captain Tsubasa manga and anime series that first debuted in 1981. In the game, players get to play as their favorite soccer superstars from the beloved, long-running series.

“With characters from Japan's world-renowned Captain Tsubasa series merging the virtual and real worlds, we believe that TSUBASA+ will become an everyday app for football fans,” said Takuya Aoki from MIRAIRE. “A key feature of a real-world game is that the actual world is viewed as a map field in the game. We thought that this feature and football, which has strong regional flavors, would go well together.”

TSUBASA+ launched worldwide in October. Get it from Google Play and App Store.

Jackpot Planet: City Adventures (WGAMES)

At WGAMES, the team used the Google Maps Platform gaming solution to create over 20 replicas of the most famous cities in the world for their new game Jackpot Planet: City Adventures. Players who join Jackpot Planet begin their journey in their actual or a nearby city where they explore real-world sites and monuments, participate in solving hidden object games, and WGAMES-made free slot machines.

“Our long-term goal is to interconnect all cities using Google Maps Platform and create a completely independent world where players can visit different places in real life, while fully remaining in the Google Maps Platform-enabled world and travel city-to-city using virtual planes, trains, etc,” said Daniel Kajouie, President and CEO of WGAMES. “The first step toward that goal was to build a unique platform that now allows them to rapidly develop new cities and levels on an ongoing basis, which they accomplished in 18 months using the tools provided by the Google Maps Platform Gaming solution.” 

Get it from Google Play.

Millionaire Tycoon: World (SavySoda)

Millionaire Tycoon: World uses the Google Maps Platform gaming solution to create gameplay that teaches about real estate investment and money management. Players purchase and renovate real-world properties and they can cooperate with fellow players to build businesses or battle it out. You won't need millions of dollars in your bank account to start.

When asked how the idea for this newest addition to the Millionaire Tycoon series came about, CEO of SavySoda Xin Zhao said, “Over 10 years ago we created the original Millionaire Tycoon. We felt strongly we could create a fun game that also educates players about the importance of investment and money management. Once we discovered the Google Maps Platform Gaming solution, we knew there was an opportunity to take our concepts from Millionaire Tycoon Classic to the next level. With access to real-world locations and content, we can create a truly immersive investment simulation game that's not only fun, but social and educational as well.”

Pre-register to get it from Google Play and App Store.

Our team is excited and inspired by the many creative ways game developers all over the world are already using Google Maps Platform, and we can’t wait to see what comes next. To learn more about Google Maps Platform Gaming solution, check out our Getting Started video and documentation.

For more information on Google Maps Platform, visit our website.

PAC-MAN GEO™ & ©2020 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.