Mobile gaming firmScopelyis paying $3.5 billion to acquire the video game business ofNiantic, including marquee assetPokemon Go.
The deal also brings titles likePikmin BloomandMonster Hunter Nowinto Scopelys portfolio, along with other apps and live experiences.
Niantics teams will continue to be managed by their longtime game studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu.
People play Pokemon Go on their smartphones in front of Pokemon character PikachuI-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images
Scopely is known for mobile games likeMonopoly Go,Stumble Guys,Star Trek TM Fleet CommandandMarvel Strike Force.
It helped usher in the concept of augmented reality, capitalizing on booming growth of smartphones.
The gamesglobal Google search volumeoffers another gauge of its popularity.
In the past seven days, it was nearly eight times greater than the No.
1 movie on Netflix, nearly 10 times the level of the No.
