Amazon is adding physical goods to virtual apps, it announced on Tuesday. “You can now buy physical products in games and apps with Amazon Anywhere,” wrote Steve Downer, Vice President of Consumer Electronics at Amazon, on the company’s blog.
“This new offering enables immersive shopping experiences for video games, virtual worlds, and mobile apps, starting with the new augmented reality adventure pet game Peridot,” which is from Niantic, the makers of Pokémon Go.
With Amazon Anywhere, people can discover and buy physical products from Amazon stores without having to leave a game or app.
Once customers link their Amazon account to Peridot, they will find Peridot-branded products such as T-shirts, hoodies, phone accessories, and throw pillows. “You’ll see the familiar product details, images, availability, Prime eligibility, price, and estimated delivery date as you would in Amazon stores,” Amazon explained.
Customers can buy and checkout using their linked Amazon account without leaving the game. “Products will ship to you like any other purchase from Amazon, and you can track and manage orders via the Amazon app.”
Most shopping in virtual worlds is currently limited to purchases of virtual currency and in-game digital items, with no easy path to purchase physical products, Amazon said. “We want to change that.”
Developers can add products to their apps using Amazon Anywhere, “opening up a new way to engage their audiences without worrying about selection, shipping, or fulfillment. Instead, they can focus on creating incredible experiences.”
Learn more about the new immersive shopping experience on Amazon.com.
