Niantic, the developer of the upcoming and highly-anticipated "Pokémon Go" for the mobile platform, is on the receiving end of huge investments from the likes of Nintendo and Google. Under the deal, the companies will invest $20 million upfront and an additional $10 million upon achieving certain milestones related to the launch of "Pokémon Go."
The move helped Nintendo jump four percent to 22,845 yen at the close in Tokyo, the highest since Sept. 14. The console maker is trying to win back the casual gamers that it had lost over the years, according to Bloomberg.
Niantic is going to use the investment in order to aid in development for its existing games such as "Ingress," a real-world game that mixes reality with virtual elements, quite similar to "Pokémon Go," and it also aims to build on its upcoming games as well as focus on key development stages for "Pokémon Go," set to release next year for the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store for free.
"The Pokémon Company, Google, and Nintendo are incredible investors and strategic partners to help build the next chapter for Niantic", said Niantic CEO John Hanke.
While Niantic has not explained much about the investment, more details are expected to surface in the coming months. Although The Pokémon Company and Google have invested a lot into the production of "Pokémon Go," it is easy to see the push for "Pokémon" as a brand to cement itself across virtually all platforms of interaction, from toys, games, television and now augmented reality, NYSE Post reported.
The collaboration of these giants in the tech, entertainment and app industries translates into a very successful collaboration towards future endeavors. Niantic currently has 30 employees and is set to double in size by next year, according to Venture Beat.
