One of the biggest fads of the 90’s returns with an AR multiplayer twist.
The 1990’s were full of crazy fads like fanny packs, Snap, and Beanie Babies – but one of the biggest fads was POGs. The game where players would face-off by stacking collectible milk caps – or POGs – with the objective of flipping as many POGs as you can by smashing the stack with a ‘slammer’. Each time you flipped a POG, it was yours to keep, and once the stack was gone, the player with the most POGs was declared the winner and walked away with a stack of new trophies to add to their collection.
The game first originated in Maui, Hawaii sometime during the 1920’s or 1930’s, but it wasn’t until the 1990’s that the game exploded into a craze so popular, it was banned from schools all over the United States. But like many other fads during that time, POGs came and went.
However, with retro games like Pokémon and Dungeons and Dragons currently being reimagined via the power of AR, it seems that POGs will follow suit with the officially licensed World POG Federation mobile game, POGs AR.
Developed by Compton Technology, POGs AR will attempt to capture the original fun of the table-bashing classic, only this time you’ll be upping the ante by competing with other players from around the globe in matches that could win you slammer upgrades.
You will also be able to scan real-world items to help complete your POG sets, unlock new designs and content, and trade POG’s with other players. There is even a POGMAN, a goofy mascot who hides throughout the game in various disguises, and shows up from time to time.
“POGs blend two things people love to do – compete and collect. But in POGs AR you play for keeps,” said Sam Park, Director of Compton Technology in an official press release. “By going digital and applying modern technology like AR, we’re creating a game community ecosystem that I believe will be bigger than the original.”
POGs AR will officially be available September on iOS and Android devices, but to get you invested in the excitement of POGs AR early, Compton Technology has launched an IndieGoGo campaign that promises early supporters a slew of perks that includes a limited-edition physical slammer that can be scanned and used in AR, elite in-game content such as a custom POG character, in-game currency and a bunch of other POG perks.
Who knows, it’s possible this blend of nostalgia and cutting-edge tech could be enough to attract an entire generation of 20-30 year olds looking to capture even a small sense of their childhood. Much like Pokémon Go – which by the way, still has over 20 million active users playing each day.
At the very least it could serve as a brand new cryptocurrency. Any 90’s kid will tell you that a handful of these little guys were the equivalent to a sack of rare diamonds back in elementary school.
Image Credit: Compton Technology, IndieGoGo
