Pokémon Go Maker Niantic Invests in Black Game Developers to Close Diversity Gap by CNBC
Pokémon GO maker Niantic Labs announced in early February its Black Developers Initiative (BDI), a program designed to support Black game and augmented reality (AR) app developers.
The five-month program will fund new projects for Black game development teams with the intention of building a playable prototype and pitch deck for their real-world AR games.
“BDI is our commitment to providing access, opportunity, resources, and mentorship,” said CEO John Hanke in Niantic’s official announcement.
Trinidad Hermida, Niantic’s head of diversity and inclusion, told CNBC in an interview that the company’s recent Pokémon Go Fest 2020 raised $13 million, and roughly half of those funds will be dedicated to this initiative.
“Developing a game costs a lot of money,” said Hermida. “It’s a billion dollar industry and it’s moving fast with so many different pieces, so finance can be a huge barrier.”