Niantic sells Pokémon GO for a fortune

Niantic, the creator of the famous game Pokémon GO, has become part of Scopely, an interactive entertainment company, after a $3.5 billion deal was officially announced. This move comes after the success of Pokémon GO, which has generated estimated gross revenues of $8 billion over its eight years of existence and has tens of millions of players worldwide.

For the moment, there will be no changes in Pokémon GO

Scopely, known for its free-to-play video games and recently acquired for $4.9 billion by Savvy Games Group, seeks to integrate Niantic’s talent to enhance and expand its game portfolio. Despite this change in ownership, both companies have assured that there will be no immediate alterations to existing titles, such as Pokémon GO, which will continue to be managed by its usual team.

However, the gaming community has expressed concerns about how this acquisition could impact the quality of the game and increase microtransactions, practices that have characterized some of Scopely’s video games in the past. Although the company has committed to maintaining the essence of Pokémon GO and enriching its content, fear persists among users, who may see their gaming experiences affected by a more aggressive monetization model.

On the other hand, Niantic has announced the creation of Niantic Spatial Inc., a new entity dedicated to geospatial artificial intelligence, which aims to develop a digital map of the real world. This technology could transform the way users interact with their environment through augmented reality, consolidating Niantic’s commitment to innovation, despite organizational changes.