At Niantic, we are making announcements today that will put us on a daring new path.
We broke away from Google over ten years ago as a tiny team with the audacious goal of using technology to superimpose rich digital experiences on the real world. At a time when relationships were becoming more and more computerized, we wanted to encourage individuals to explore their surroundings and cultivate relationships in the actual world.
We began creating games in order to realize this goal and technology; currently, over 100 million individuals play our games every year, and over a billion friend connections have been created worldwide.
People have traveled nearly 30 billion miles, explored new locations, and found their neighborhoods. Additionally, they have united at our live events, where everyone participates rather than merely watches, generating over $1 billion in economic effect for the areas where they are held.
As we expanded, the business inevitably took two complimentary routes: one centered on developing and releasing games, and the other on developing augmented reality, AI, and geospatial technologies.
In the meantime, the quick development of AI strengthens our conviction that geospatial computing will open up new avenues for commercial and consumer applications in the future. However, we are still dedicated to making "forever games" that will endure for many generations. Read more...
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