Given the level of enthusiasm that both kids and adults expressed when it was first revealed there was going to be a real-world augmented reality game called Pokemon Go, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that big brands are pretty invested in making sure the game will actually push through. The Pokemon Group, which of course owns the rights to the popular animated series, Google, and Nintendo have invested $30 million in Niantic, the group developing the game.
Niantic actually spun off from Google recently, but the tech giant sees the huge potential in this game, and saw fit to invest some cash flow into a former member of their family. The funding is reported at $20 million up front, and an additional $10 if certain milestones will be reached. However, not all of the cash will actually be going to the creation of Pokemon Go, as per Niantic. They will reportedly be “leveraging” on the funding and strategic relationships so that this will “support its thriving global Ingress community, scale its platform, and bring new games to market.”
If you base it on how much Niantic has worked on their current augmented reality massive multiplayer game Ingress, then you’ll understand that this group really goes deep with details and expansive interactivity. “Niantic has shown the great potential of mixing geolocation technology, dynamic storytelling and innovative game design,” said Google vice president for Corporate Development Don Harrison. Due to this, Google is committed to supporting the company as they work to bring Pokemon Go to life.
And if you’ve seen the teaser trailer for the soon to be real-life game, then you will probably be excited as well. There isn’t any committed date yet as to when the game will go live, so don’t hold your breath just yet.
VIA: SlashGear
