Niantic reveals how Pikmin Bloom is helping people discover hidden places in Kyoto
Pokémon Go developer Niantic’s Pikmin Bloom recently marked its 3rd anniversary. In an interview with 4Gamer, Niantic Vice President Setsuto Murai and Live Event Marketing Manager Go Nagano recently discussed the game’s key appeal and how they ended up running an ongoing special event in collaboration with Japan’s historical capital of Kyoto.
Launched in 2021, Pikmin Bloom is a mobile location-based game in Nintendo’s gardening-inspired Pikmin series, created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Pikmin Bloom’s peaceful concept is going outside and filling the world with flowers- and the augmented reality title gamifies walking around outdoors, giving the player incentives in the form of useful items for their Pikmin characters.
Niantic Vice President Setsuto Murai explains that “Niantic’s mission is to provide opportunities for people around the world to go outside and explore.” He goes on to credit this outlook with why Pikmin Bloom and other Niantic titles like Pokémon Go and Monster Hunter Now continue to grow- because Niantic is always looking for new ways to encourage people to go outside and have fresh experiences.
Pikmin Bloom Hidden Gems of Kyoto Project
In November, Niantic added a “Hidden Gems of Kyoto” Postcard Walk to Pikmin Bloom. Created in collaboration with the local government’s Hidden Gems of Kyoto Project, the in-game event aims to take players off the beaten path in Japan’s historical capital, so that they can discover some lesser-known attractions. The event is scheduled to run until November 5, 2025.
Working together with Kyoto’s local government, tourism associations and citizens, Niantic has “carefully selected the Special Spots after much deliberation, so we hope you will try walking around with Pikmin when you visit Kyoto.” says Murai. “You won’t be disappointed.” Players will receive in-game postcards for each Special Spot in Kyoto that they visit during the event, which they can also send to friends on the app. “The appeal of these postcards is that they make players focus more on the places they visit.” Go Nagano explains. “You get a specially designed postcard with your name and a photo on it, which I think strengthens your memory of going to that place.”
The event is aimed at both tourists and residents of Kyoto alike. “I believe that through visiting these places, people will feel more motivated to learn more about the history and each spot’s relationship to the surrounding area. It is a good project that fits both our wishes and those of the City of Kyoto.” Murai explains, later adding that “The basic premise (for organizing this event in cooperation with the local government) is that we want to give our players new experiences, but we also want to contribute to the local economy.”
In 2024, Pikmin Bloom held walking events in Germany and Taiwan. For 2025, Niantic plans to implement even more real-life Pikmin Bloom events in various locations around the world in their efforts to connect players to each other and their surroundings, so watch this space.
The “Hidden Gems of Kyoto” Postcard Walk is scheduled to run from November 6, 2024 to November 5, 2025.
