Amazon has launched a new immersive shopping feature called Amazon Anywhere, allowing customers to discover and purchase physical products from Amazon stores within video games and virtual worlds.
The company said in a blog post that the motive behind the new feature was to create an easier path for the purchase of physical products within virtual worlds.Currently, most shopping in these environments is limited to purchases of virtual currency and in-game digital items.
The launch of Amazon Anywhere will begin with the new augmented reality (AR) adventure pet game, Peridot which comes from Niantic, the makers of Pokémon Go. In the game, which features unique virtual pets powered by artificial intelligence (AI), users can access physical products through an in-game physical merchandise store whilst exploring the game’s environment.
“After seamlessly linking your Amazon account to Peridot, you can find Peridot-branded products such as T-shirts, hoodies, phone accessories, and throw pillows featuring artwork of magical creatures from the game. You’ll see the familiar product details, images, availability, Prime eligibility, price, and estimated delivery date as you would in Amazon stores,” the company said.
Users can check out by linking their Amazon account without leaving the game. Products are shipped like any other purchase from Amazon while orders can be tracked and managed via the Amazon app as normal. For developers and creators there is the opportunity to broaden in-game environments to sell selected products including a brand’s own merchandise.
