How the gurus behind Google Earth created 'Pokémon Go'

If you spotted dozens of people silently congregating in parks and train stations over the weekend, they were probably just busy trying to catch a Pidgeotto. 

Niantic's Pokémon Go, the augmented reality mobile game, has become a global phenomenon since it launched Wednesday in Australia before rolling out in the U.S. The game requires players to explore the real world to find Pokémon, collect items at Pokéstops and conquer gyms, and a lot of work has gone into the game's mapping.

John Hanke, the CEO and founder of Niantic, is a Google veteran. He was one of the founders of Keyhole, the company Google bought to start Google Earth, and had a hand in Google Maps before forming Niantic. The company spun off from Google's parent company Alphabet in 2015. Read more...