Niantic Games has confirmed that "Pokemon GO" is finally launching in one of the world's biggest gaming countries, China.
According to reports, the move is now possible after Niantic was able to struck a deal with the East Asian country's local gaming company NetEase.
Niantic chief executive John Hanke explained that NetEase provided just the right partnership to allow them to legally launch under Chinese Internet regulations.
"We absolutely intend to bring our existing games into China," Hanke said in a statement to Financial Times. "Beyond that, there are opportunities to build games in China, both for China and for the world."
The Niantic executive was talking about the company's great plans for 2018. The company rose to huge success in 2016, when "Pokemon GO" was launched to the world and was downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users, a momentum that Hanke compared to Elon Musk's SpaceX launch.
"I would say 2017 was about firing the second stage and getting into a stable orbit," Hanke continued. "2018 is about the journey to Mars."
This voyage will be fueled by a $20 million fund from a round of investors, including NetEase.
Niantic has yet to give a specific date of release, but the announcement alone is a huge step from a report made in January 2017. Back then, Reuters said that China is holding off license for "Pokemon GO" and other augmented reality games due to potential security risks.
According to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), which was at that time evaluating the global hit game, "Pokemon GO" poses a "threat to geographical information security and the threat to transport and the personal safety of consumers."
Considering the number of accidents caused by the popular mobile game, China was right to be cautious. This announcement, however, gives Chinese fans hope that they will finally be able to experience the game in their home country.
