Pokémon GO developers are getting $ 300 million to develop Metaverse.

Niantic, the developer of the augmented reality game "Pokemon Go", announced on April 23 that it raised his net worth to $ 9 billion by raising $ 300 million from the world's most technological hedge fund giant KOATUE. The San Francisco-based startup has launched Google and will use the investment to create "real change."

In August of this year, Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke called the meta-universe (at least the meta-world derived from virtual reality headsets like "Ready Player One") a "dystopian nightmare."

Referring to his plan to create a meta-world, John Hanke said, “We are building a future where the real world is digitally, entertainment and IT oriented. », Where the real world becomes magical, happy and rich. "John Hanke We believe that if we can bring people into the real world through the virtual world, we can bring them the greatest happiness. Unlike the fiction of meta-world research," the real meta-world "will use technology to improve human knowledge and understanding of the real world for thousands of years.

However, Niantic did not say in his comments whether his meta-universal vision will include blockchain technology, including NFTs or cryptocurrencies, and other applications.

Earlier this month, Niantic released the Lightship AR Development Kit (ARDK), where anyone with a straightforward understanding of the Unity game engine can get free AR game development tools.

Investments in securities include Coachella, Historic Royal Palaces, Universal Pictures, SoftBank, Warner Music Group and Warner Music Group. . Thus, AR activities encourage people to explore their surroundings, often using smartphones instead of technologies such as VR headsets. Most people still cannot use VR headsets. For example, you might see the same mural every day, but in Pokémon GO the user-created Pokéstop tells you that the mural really represents. Niantic says tens of millions of people visit Niantic games every month and have traveled more than 10.9 billion miles in-game since the game's release.

“Niantic is developing an AR platform based on the 3D world map,” said Matt Mazzeo, director of Coatue. We believe this platform will play an important role in future accounting changes. We are delighted to partner with Niantic. The infrastructure will support the meta-world as well as the real world and facilitate future internet transitions. "

From Hanke's perspective, the virtual reality metacosm may be "dystopian," but like all technology, reality is not without its problems. Niantic's latest game, “Pikmin Bloom,” is designed for walking tours, which may make it difficult for seniors or people with disabilities to participate. Pokémon GO has a community of people with disabilities, and with a few tweaks in the game we can make the game accessible to people with disabilities.

Niantic Vision is to provide alternative options for the Headphone Meta. Released in 2016, Pokémon GO is one of the best mobile games. At the start of this year, total game sales exceeded $ 5 billion. Some blockchain industries were inspired by Pokemon Go, for example, IoTeX started the Pebble Go project, which aims to bring global data into NFTs using GPS.

As independent developers call Niantic's Lightship ARDK, we'll see how far the concept of "meta-world" can go.