From Nowhere
to Pokémon GO
About
In March 2025, as we reached the 10th anniversary of Pokémon GO’s development, it was announced that Niantic’s gaming division—including Pokémon GO—would be acquired by Scopely.
My journey with Pokémon GO dates back to 2014 while I was working on Google Maps, where I planned the April Fools’ project “Google Maps Pokémon Challenge” with a few coworkers. That project eventually led me to Niantic, where I became the Game Director of Pokémon GO. I experienced the wild ride of its global launch and spent over four years living and breathing the game until mid-2018. I vividly recall the first time I saw someone playing Pokémon GO in the real world. It was on my way home after a long day at work on launch day. I couldn’t resist asking her if she was playing Pokémon GO. Seeing my creation being enjoyed by real users was a joyful moment, and I never anticipated it would become a global phenomenon.
After leaving the Pokémon GO team, I returned to Japan to establish Niantic Tokyo Studio, where I served as the Studio Head and Game Director. There, I led the development and launch of Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now with an incredibly talented team. Since 2023, I have stepped away from Niantic but continue to support the team as an external advisor. We started the studio with just a handful of people and grew it to a team of 50 by the time I departed. I am grateful to have met such kind and talented individuals.
2025 is a meaningful year for me—it’s the final year of my thirties and a moment of reflection as all the games I developed with the teams at Niantic will move forward under a new company. I was incredibly fortunate to have collaborated with so many talented individuals at Google, Niantic, as well as partners like The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, Creatures, Nintendo, Capcom, and countless others, learning immensely from them over the years. As a way to mark this chapter, I’ve decided to make my book, From Nowhere to Pokémon GO (originally published by ShoPro in 2017), available online. The book will be shared in its original form, alongside Chinese and English translations made possible with the help of AI. The physical edition is currently out of print, and I didn’t want it to quietly vanish.
This humble book, written nearly a decade ago with little more than youthful energy and impulse, is rough around the edges—but I’d be grateful if you gave it a read with a smile.
Tatsuo Nomura (Lei Shi)
April 16, 2025
P.S. With love and thanks to my wife and daughters, who always give me strength and make me smile.