I still don’t understand how Niantic botched such a killer lead on Pokémon Go. When it first launched they were making millions _per day_ and somehow couldn’t scale to keep the servers alive.
Now they have less than 1/3 of the active users compared to then, but their revenue is closer to 1bn then it was then.
It does seem like a failure because they were so popular and culturally relevant at their peak, whereas now I don't hear about them at all. But, I still think they are printing money and have one of the best "outstanding data collection to the public" apps ever
I think if you compare it to other fads they are doing quite well. I doubt fidget spinners and slap bracelets were making as much 7 years later.
It really was only because of the Pokemon IP it did/does so well.
Did you know they have NBA, Pikmin, and Peridot (whatever that is) games?
(Also they apparently developed a now shutdown Harry Potter game)
They also have Marvel and Monster Hunter games coming out this year.
I don't find their game loops fun, but damn do they have amazing IP partners
From the article:
The CIA’s venture capital investment firm, In-Q-Tel, took a particular interest in Keyhole. According to a 2003 press release, within two weeks of In-Q-Tel’s investment, Keyhole’s tech was implemented to support Pentagon initiatives in Iraq.
In-Q-Tel’s leader at the time was Gilman Louie, a video game industry veteran who’d designed or produced a handful of flight simulators, including the Falcon series. Louie, who currently sits on the board of Niantic and whose venture capital firm is a major investor in the company, has had a decades-long relationship with Hanke, apparently fueled by their shared enthusiasm for mapping and augmented reality. Keyhole also proved seductive to Google, whose cofounder Sergey Brin led the initiative to acquire Keyhole for a reported $35 million in 2004.