Analysis of the niche but not mainstream game track – LBS game track

Exploring the Niche World of LBS Games An Analytical Breakdown of a Non-Mainstream Game Genre

Source: LGAM

According to IDC’s data, the global LBS gaming market is expected to reach 102 billion dollars in 2022 and is projected to reach 115 billion dollars in 2023. Additionally, the global LBS gaming user base is expected to reach 2.75 billion people in 2022 and 2.95 billion people in 2023. The global LBS gaming market is experiencing rapid growth. In 2022, the global LBS gaming market saw a 12% year-on-year growth. It is projected that the global LBS gaming market will continue to grow at a rate of 13% in 2023.

In July 2016, Niantic launched the unprecedentedly successful AR+LBS mobile game “Pokémon Go.” It not only received widespread attention globally but also became one of the best-selling games in mobile gaming history. With its disruptive LBS gameplay and the popularity of the Pokémon brand, “Pokémon Go” accumulated a staggering $1.27 billion in revenue in its first three years. As of October 2023, its daily active users (DAU) remained stable at around 30 million, consistently ranking among the top ten best-selling games in multiple countries.

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In fact, LBS is not something new. It is a technology similar to GPS that provides location services. Combining LBS with gaming opens up more possibilities for game socialization.

When LBS is mentioned, most people associate it with social applications like WeChat. Many game planners gradually incorporate social features into gameplay design, hoping to achieve game socialization through LBS. However, this is a case of putting the cart before the horse. Since it is a game, gameplay should be the main focus. Only when the gameplay is accepted by users and accumulates a certain user base can the game achieve certain social functions. Therefore, the weight of social elements versus game elements is self-evident.

The reason why LBS is considered niche but not obscure is because it is challenging for teams to truly master the combination of game engines and maps. While map positioning is relatively easy, the difficulty lies in integrating it with gameplay, requiring corresponding solutions.

The “niche but not obscure” LBS market remained quiet until recently when we observed the release of a new game called “Monster Hunter Now” by Niantic in collaboration with Capcom. In its first week on the Japanese market, the game exceeded one million downloads, generating approximately 40 million yen in revenue during its first week. The game reached a peak daily revenue of 10 million yen, making it the best-performing new game Niantic has launched in years. Currently, “Monster Hunter Now” has accumulated a total revenue of 60 million yen and has consistently ranked in the top ten best-selling games in Japan.

According to official sources, “Monster Hunter Now” has surpassed 5 million downloads globally in its first week since release. In celebration of this achievement, Niantic has prepared rewards such as redemption codes within the game.

The large market size is a characteristic of LBS games, but for such a market, the technical barriers for development are obviously higher than other game categories, with both market challenges and opportunities:

• Technical limitations: LBS games require precise positioning technology and real-time data transmission technology, which poses certain requirements for technology.

• High costs: The development and operation costs of LBS games are relatively high, which presents certain challenges for developers and operators.

• User habits: LBS games require players to leave their homes, which conflicts with the “indoor” culture of traditional games.

With the advancement of technology and changes in user demands, the global LBS game market will be more widely developed in the future.

In terms of technology, the development of AR/VR technology will bring more realistic and immersive game experiences to LBS games. The widespread use of 5G networks will provide a more stable and faster network environment for LBS games.

In terms of user demands, the demand for the authenticity, interactivity, and novelty of games will be further enhanced. LBS games will pay more attention to the development of these aspects to meet user needs.

In the field of web3 games, LBS plays an important role in the popularity of web3 games. Offline meetings generate social behavior, which can help more web2 players learn about web3. Before this, there have been products with LBS concepts, such as StepN in the early stage and recent ones like Mirror Planet and L3E7, which are all attempting to combine web3 and LBS games.

The biggest feature of StepN is combining GameFi with offline sports in the Move To Earn mode. After users download the app and successfully register, they create a new in-app wallet and transfer encrypted currencies such as SOL or BNB into the wallet. They can then purchase a pair of NFT virtual sports shoes and start earning money by running outdoors. The amount of money earned depends on the user’s exercise and shoe factors. The shoes have different attributes, types, qualities, and levels. Users can earn unlimited Game Tokens (GST), which can be used to upgrade sports shoes and gems, unlock slots, forge new shoes, or directly exchange for stablecoins, by running within the effective energy time range corresponding to different shoes’ pace intervals.

In addition, L3E7 has upgraded LBS technology to 3D in a comprehensive manner. It is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile projects in the recent market. From the perspective of artistic quality in leaked Twitter content, it is not inferior to some current web2 games. The gameplay has also undergone a lot of expansion on the basis of LBS, emphasizing a lighter and more immersive social experience.

Overall, the global LBS game has broad development prospects. With the advancement of technology and changes in user demands, the global LBS game will be more widely developed in the future.

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