News Articles
Niantic announced on October 15th, 2015 that they received a $20 Million dollars in a round of Series A funding with investments from The Pokémon Company, Google and Nintendo.
The Pokémon Company, Google and Nintendo are investing up to $30 million in Niantic, Inc., which includes an initial $20 million upfront and an additional $10 million in financing conditioned upon the company achieving certain milestones. We will be using this capital to continue the development of Pokémon GO, to evolve and grow Ingress and its thriving global community, and to build out our real-world gaming platform.
It was quite an honor to be on stage in Tokyo last month with legendary games and entertainment heroes Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, Tsunekazu Ishihara of The Pokémon Company, and Junichi Masuda of GAME FREAK to tell the world about Pokémon GO. We are all incredibly excited about the opportunity to create a product true to the spirit of the original Pokémon games while extending gameplay out into the real world. Because it is a mobile game, players all around the world will be able to immerse themselves in the Pokémon universe on devices they already have in their hands.
Here are some words from our esteemed investors:
Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO, The Pokémon Company:
“Pokémon’s strategic investment in Niantic paves the way for a social mobile experience the world has never seen before,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “The Pokémon Company is committed to partnering with companies like Niantic that share the same spirit of community and innovation.”
Don Harrison, VP of Corporate Development, Google:
“Niantic has shown the great potential of mixing geolocation technology, dynamic storytelling, and innovative game design, and we’re excited to continue supporting the team on their journey.”
It’s exciting to finally be able to share some of our big updates. We are hard at work in our new San Francisco and satellite offices preparing for a series of massive, global Ingress events this Fall, readying Pokémon GO for launch next year, and extending our platform to support a variety of experiences that support our core values of exercise, discovery, and fun.
Sincerely,
John Hanke
Founder & CEO, Niantic, Inc.
Source: http://www.nianticlabs.com/blog/
Niantic Inc. Raises $20 Million in Financing from The Pokémon Company, Google and Nintendo
Back in August, we announced Niantic would spin out from Google to become an independent company. Today, we are thrilled to disclose that our mission will be backed by global giants in the game, entertainment and technology sectors.The Pokémon Company, Google and Nintendo are investing up to $30 million in Niantic, Inc., which includes an initial $20 million upfront and an additional $10 million in financing conditioned upon the company achieving certain milestones. We will be using this capital to continue the development of Pokémon GO, to evolve and grow Ingress and its thriving global community, and to build out our real-world gaming platform.
It was quite an honor to be on stage in Tokyo last month with legendary games and entertainment heroes Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, Tsunekazu Ishihara of The Pokémon Company, and Junichi Masuda of GAME FREAK to tell the world about Pokémon GO. We are all incredibly excited about the opportunity to create a product true to the spirit of the original Pokémon games while extending gameplay out into the real world. Because it is a mobile game, players all around the world will be able to immerse themselves in the Pokémon universe on devices they already have in their hands.
Here are some words from our esteemed investors:
Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO, The Pokémon Company:
“Pokémon’s strategic investment in Niantic paves the way for a social mobile experience the world has never seen before,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “The Pokémon Company is committed to partnering with companies like Niantic that share the same spirit of community and innovation.”
Don Harrison, VP of Corporate Development, Google:
“Niantic has shown the great potential of mixing geolocation technology, dynamic storytelling, and innovative game design, and we’re excited to continue supporting the team on their journey.”
It’s exciting to finally be able to share some of our big updates. We are hard at work in our new San Francisco and satellite offices preparing for a series of massive, global Ingress events this Fall, readying Pokémon GO for launch next year, and extending our platform to support a variety of experiences that support our core values of exercise, discovery, and fun.
Sincerely,
John Hanke
Founder & CEO, Niantic, Inc.
Source: http://www.nianticlabs.com/blog/
Sunain
2
Sep 10 2015 00:14:30
Tags: Nintendo Android YouTube Apple iOS Junichi Masuda NicoNico The Pokémon Company International Pokémon GO Niantic
2
Sep 10 2015 00:14:30
Tags: Nintendo Android YouTube Apple iOS Junichi Masuda NicoNico The Pokémon Company International Pokémon GO Niantic
The Pokémon Company held a New Business Strategy Presentation (株式会社ポケモン新事業戦略 発表会) on September 10th, 2015 at 15:00 JST. The Pokémon Company President Tsunekazu Ishihara hosted the event which was also streamed live on NicoNico. Images from the stream have been added to our Imageboard thread.
Original YouTube Link (No Longer Allows Embedding): http://www.youtube.com/embed/2sj2iQyBTQs
The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!
The Pokémon video game series has always valued open and social experiences, such as connecting with other players to enjoy trading and battling Pokémon. Pokémon GO’s gameplay experience goes beyond what appears on screen, as players explore their neighborhoods, communities, and the world they live in to discover Pokémon alongside friends and other players.
You can watch the video at the top of the page to better understand the Pokémon GO experience.
A small device called a Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even when they’re not looking at their smartphone. The device connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Pokémon GO is being developed by Niantic, Inc. Originally founded by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke as a start-up within Google, Niantic is known for creating Ingress, the augmented reality mobile game that utilizes GPS technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world. Ingress currently has 12 million downloads worldwide.
Niantic, Inc., The Pokémon Company, and Nintendo Co., Ltd., will all contribute to the Pokémon GO project.
Furthermore, Junichi Masuda of Game Freak Inc., the game director of the Pokémon video game series, is also contributing to the project. He is hard at work ensuring that the fun of Pokémon makes its way into this new project, and is also looking to come up with new kinds of gameplay while thinking of ways to connect this project with the main series of Pokémon video games.
Pokémon GO will be available for download at no charge on the App Store and Google Play. In-app purchases will be available.
Look forward to much more information about Pokémon GO leading up to its launch in 2016!
Sources: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-go/, http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv234440920 and http://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/news/
Pokémon GO
Announcements:
- Pokémon GO: Smartphone game for Apple iOS and Google Android which will be released in 2016. Get ready for an all-new Pokémon experience! Pokémon GO opens a universe of Pokémon to find, catch, trade, and battle on your iPhone or Android device! With Pokémon GO, you'll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real location information to allow players to experience catching, trading, and battling Pokémon.
- Developer Partnerships: NIANTIC, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company
- Pokémon GO is based off of the game Ingress which was also made by NIANTIC, a developer that off at Google but became independent company.
- Pokémon will inhabit the real world in locations worldwide.
- GAME FREAK Director Junichi Masuda is helping with the development of the game including the music.
- Masuda is developing ways for Pokémon GO to interact with the upcoming main series Pokémon games.
- Pokémon Go Plus is a separate device that wireless pairs with smartphones via Bluetooth and flashes when the player is near a Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Trailer
Original YouTube Link (No Longer Allows Embedding): http://www.youtube.com/embed/2sj2iQyBTQs
Press Release
Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices! With Pokémon GO, you'll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real location information to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!
The Pokémon video game series has always valued open and social experiences, such as connecting with other players to enjoy trading and battling Pokémon. Pokémon GO’s gameplay experience goes beyond what appears on screen, as players explore their neighborhoods, communities, and the world they live in to discover Pokémon alongside friends and other players.
You can watch the video at the top of the page to better understand the Pokémon GO experience.
A small device called a Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even when they’re not looking at their smartphone. The device connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Pokémon GO is being developed by Niantic, Inc. Originally founded by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke as a start-up within Google, Niantic is known for creating Ingress, the augmented reality mobile game that utilizes GPS technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world. Ingress currently has 12 million downloads worldwide.
Niantic, Inc., The Pokémon Company, and Nintendo Co., Ltd., will all contribute to the Pokémon GO project.
Furthermore, Junichi Masuda of Game Freak Inc., the game director of the Pokémon video game series, is also contributing to the project. He is hard at work ensuring that the fun of Pokémon makes its way into this new project, and is also looking to come up with new kinds of gameplay while thinking of ways to connect this project with the main series of Pokémon video games.
Pokémon GO will be available for download at no charge on the App Store and Google Play. In-app purchases will be available.
Look forward to much more information about Pokémon GO leading up to its launch in 2016!
Sources: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-go/, http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv234440920 and http://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/news/
