Niantic, the mobile technology company behind popular games such as Pokemon Go, has reached a $3.5 billion deal with Scopely, a mobile games company owned by Saudi Arabia. The deal includes the transfer of three of Niantic’s “forever games” – Pokemon Go, Monster Hunger Now, and Pikmin Bloom – along with their development teams. In addition to the acquisition, Niantic will be spinning off Niantic Spatial, a new geospatial AI company led by John Hanke, the company’s founder.
With the sale of its games to Scopely, Niantic will be focusing on advancing its maps technology to incorporate AI and AR capabilities. Hanke explained in a LinkedIn post that there is a need for a new type of map that can make the world intelligible for machines, enabling them to understand and navigate the physical world. Niantic’s investment in Niantic Spatial indicates their commitment to expanding AI beyond screens and into real-world applications. While the sale includes their popular games, Niantic has not mentioned other location-based games that they still own, such as Peridot and Ingress Prime.
Despite the sale, the Pokemon Go team is optimistic about the future of the game under Scopely’s ownership. Ed Wu, the team leader, assured fans that while there may be changes to the game, the core focus on evolving and improving the player experience will remain unchanged. Antonio Pavlinovic, a software developer who runs a Pokemon Go fan site, expressed optimism about the sale, believing that Scopely will bring fresh changes to the game that were missing in the past years. He also anticipated improvements in gameplay mechanics, such as easing limitations on remote raiding and shadow raids.
Players of Pokemon Go should not expect immediate changes following the acquisition by Scopely, but they can anticipate updates and enhancements in the future. Pavlinovic highlighted the potential for improvements in gameplay features, such as remote raiding capabilities and lifted limitations imposed by Niantic. The transfer of the development team to Scopely was seen as a positive move, as it would ensure continuity in the game’s evolution and give players new experiences. Overall, the sale of Niantic’s games to Scopely is expected to bring positive changes and enhancements to the popular mobile game.
