Pokémon Go creator Niantic plans on building a 'planet-scale' augmented reality game

Niantic is looking to improve the real-world maps that provide destinations or points of engagement. “Augmented reality is going to reshape the entertainment experiences of tomorrow, altering how we engage with the digital and real worlds,” said Niantic head of developer relations Kellee Santiago. “We know developers are key to creating new kinds of experiences that get people to explore and connect with the real world.” Niantic collaborated with Warner Brothers Games to create Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Pokemon Go was created in a partnership with Nintendo. “This has been a journey along with our players; as more people play they curate the data.” Since the launch of Ingress some eight years ago, about 27 million locations have been submitted for consideration as waypoints, with 9.4 million having become part of the “live game board.” A “Wayfarer” program now allows high-level players of Niantic games to submit spots they think special for consideration as new points on the game board. Niantic is also bolstering the business side of its platform by letting small or medium-size businesses schedule events such as Pokémon Go “raids” where players rally together to battle tough in-game adversaries.