Case Study: Redefining AR Gaming with Niantic Spatial and Kojima Productions

Background

In late 2025, KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS announced a partnership with Niantic Spatial, Inc. to develop an augmented reality (AR) walking game. This project builds on Hideo Kojima’s creative vision and Niantic’s global AR expertise. The initiative aims to create what Kojima called “the real Death Stranding in the real world”, an interactive experience where digital gameplay seamlessly merges with physical environments.

Core Features

1. Move Beyond the Screen

The concept of “move beyond the screen” is central to the project. Unlike traditional mobile games that confine interaction to a display, this experience:

• Integrates real-world environments: Players’ surroundings, parks, streets, landmarks, become active parts of gameplay.

• Supports AR glasses and smartphones: Expanding beyond handheld devices to wearables for more immersive play.

• Turns physical activity into entertainment: Walking, exploring, or climbing in real life becomes a narrative-driven interaction.

• Fosters social connectivity: Encourages players to engage not only with the environment but also with others, echoing the thematic bonds of Death Stranding.

Value Proposition: This feature liberates entertainment from screens, transforming everyday movement into a dynamic storytelling medium.

2. Niantic Spatial’s AI Technology

At the technical core is Niantic’s Large Geospatial Model (LGM), an AI-powered system designed to map and understand the physical world with high fidelity. Its main capabilities include:

• Reconstruction: Generates accurate 3D models of real-world spaces, ensuring digital overlays fit naturally with buildings, terrain, and objects.

• Localization: Provides centimeter-level positioning accuracy, even in GPS-restricted zones, enabling stable AR interactions.

• Semantic Understanding: Identifies and classifies environmental elements (ground, sky, water, trees, structures), allowing digital content to behave realistically (e.g., characters hiding behind real walls).

• Persistent Anchoring: Ensures that AR objects remain fixed in place across sessions and devices, enabling shared multiplayer experiences.

Value Proposition: This system underpins a believable mixed-reality world, where digital companions, objects, and story elements interact seamlessly with real locations.

Implementation Context

• Gameplay Scenario: A player walking across a bridge might see digital cargo appearing along the path, which needs to be delivered to a virtual character standing near a landmark. The experience feels grounded because the AI understands the bridge’s geometry and anchors the cargo realistically.

• User Devices: Smartphones for wide accessibility, AR glasses for hands-free immersion.

• AI Companion Use Case: Building on Niantic’s earlier Dot demo, the system could allow AI characters to recognize a player’s surroundings, provide guidance, or narrate context tied to real-world places.

Business and Industry Impact

• Gaming Industry: Establishes a new standard for AR games by fusing cinematic storytelling with geospatial intelligence.

• Technology Demonstration: Validates Niantic Spatial’s AI and SDK as not only gaming tools but also platforms for future AR applications in tourism, education, and smart cities.

• Market Differentiator: Differentiates from Pokémon Go by shifting focus from gamified collection to narrative-driven exploration.

Challenges

• Hardware Adoption: AR glasses remain niche, so mass engagement may rely on smartphones initially.

• Data Privacy: Real-world scanning raises concerns under laws like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (India) and GDPR (EU).

• Content Balance: Ensuring narrative richness without overwhelming players during casual walks.

Future Outlook

The Kojima–Niantic project signals a broader shift: AR experiences that merge geospatial AI with storytelling. By moving beyond the screen, this collaboration may influence not just gaming but also healthcare (walk-based therapies), tourism (interactive heritage tours), and education (context-aware learning).

Key Takeaways

1. “Move beyond the screen” transforms ordinary movement into narrative gameplay.

2. Niantic Spatial’s AI ensures that AR elements are contextually aware, accurate, and persistent.

3. The collaboration highlights how geospatial intelligence, and immersive storytelling can shape the next wave of AR adoption.

👉 This case study demonstrates how cutting-edge AR frameworks can expand beyond entertainment, paving the way for real-world applications in multiple sectors.