Pokemon GO is a unique success.  It goes against what most gamers would call fun.  First, it requires you to walk around and look at your phone while doing so- something we have been told is common sense to NOT do for decades.  Second, gamers are usually more interested in being stationary while playing, at least not walking and trying to pay attention to the ground and their phones.  Third, for the most part, there is not a lot of actual game till you get farther into it (early on you are walking hunting and then flicking a ball).  Here are three other franchises that could easily see success using pieces of the Pokemon GO experience.

• Transformers (map and camera integration)

This one is pretty interesting and is the reason I decided to write this article.  There are a TON of Transformers in the franchise universe.  There are countless cars and planes in the real world.  Let’s combine this franchise with the whole “walk around and search” aspect of Pokemon GO.  Imagine stores could pay to have Transformers in their buildings to draw customers in.  Toys and electronics would be big areas with lots of potential.  Same for car dealers. Hell, even gun dealers could get in on the new potential customers coming in searching for Megatron (G1 version only).

Then to get players interacting with each other, you could have a battle system (something like the Gyms and such in Pokemon GO).  Players could fight Autobots against Decepticons and then bring in other factions like the Junkions for good measure.

• Smurfs (camera)

They are small, they are mischevious a lot of the time and you could play the part of Gargamel in this franchise.  Okay, we can leave out the fact that Gargamel wants to eat the Smurfs and focus on capturing them and then having a battle system that is like a 3D tower defense game.  The battle system could also make use of the camera (have the Smurfs popping up on your desk, down the hallway, etc) and you have to throw apples or acorns or something naturally grown at them to discourage them from saving their friends.

Yeah, this one would be dark.

• Ghost Hunters (camera, map, audio)

These guys have been on television for over 10 seasons across several branches of the main franchise.  What have they caught?  Not a damn thing.  Now, imagine if taking advantage of the camera and the basic GPS functionality of your phone to “build the game world” using your local world.  Walk down your hallway, watching your phone screen and then all of a sudden a flash of light in the next room or maybe a knock on the wall happens as you pass a door.  Imagine this at night with only the light of your phone’s flash lighting your way.

Each of these franchises is different from Pokemon GO and even from themselves.  Each could make great use of the elements that Pokemon GO has popularized too.  Can you think of a franchise that would benefit from using those elements?  Let us know in the comments.