Niantic Inc. is reportedly set to sell its video game development business to Scopely Inc. Discussions are underway and are believed to be finalised within a few weeks, with a reported value of around $3.5 billion (~RM 15.6 billion). The sale to the Saudi Arabian-owned company involves all of Niantic's IP, including Pokemon Go. So, what should you know about it?
For your information, Although Pokemon Go was the most-played game in the world in 2016, its popularity has waned as Niantic has failed to test the waters with its other games. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, for example, was discontinued in 2022 after just three years of release. As a result, 230 employees were laid off and a studio was closed in 2023.
With the business sold, Niantic will likely focus on developing artificial intelligence (AI). Last year, the Giant Geospatial Model (GGM) was announced, trained using data from Pokemon Go and Ingress players. We have yet to confirm other details on the rumours. So, we should wait for more confirmation from Niantic.
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