Niantic's Decision to Spin Off From Google

If you opened up Google Maps on April Fool's, you would see Pokemon hidden throughout the maps. And if you clicked on the Pokemon, or if you were using a smartphone, it would add them to your collection. If you collected all 151 of the little critters, Google would send you a business card with your name on it. To promote the joke the team released a video that showed people in real world locations seeking out their Pokemon's. It was a gag, but it gave the Niantic team the inspiration to pitch the idea for a real life Pokemon game. ThePokemon company and Nintendo fronted $20 million to Niantic in order to work on Pokemon Go,. With