Pokemon Go has Pokestops scattered from all around the globe from frozen Antarctica to the hot and wild Australian outback. Not many are aware however, that most of the location was picked via Google Earth.
Mashable reported that Pokemon Go developer Niantic first launch the game in Australia on July 6 before eventually making it available on the United States. The novelty of the mobile game has sparked a craze among its players.
Instead of staying inside the house, players are actually encouraged to go outside and find the cute Pokemons and other items at the designated Pokestops and gyms. Niantic President and founder John Hanke told reporters that game's mapping system was based on Google Earth.
This does not come as a surprise since Hanke had worked with Google Earth and Maps before. He is well aware of its accuracy which is why he did not hesitate in integrating it to the game.
Much of the location used in Pokemon Go was actually contributed by players in an earlier game of Niantic. Five years ago, the company launched Ingress a multiplayer game that also uses augmented reality just like Pokemon Go.
Initially, the locations were either of historical significance or popular local sites. About 15 million sites from all over the globe have been submitted. But Hanke said that only a third of them have so far been approved.
The Niantic CEO explained that the most popular sites in Ingress became the gyms for Pokemon Go while the rest where designated as Pokestops. The geographical are so varied that some of the locations are quite out of reach for many players. It took Niantic more than two years to verify the locations.
Safety has also become a major concern. A number of Pokemon Go players have been victimized by muggers and there was incident where one teenager saw a dead body. Hanke assures that all of the locations are in public places and away from the roads.
