Pokemon Go creator thinks metaverse needs to keep it ‘real’

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke has been working on technology that helps people navigate and enjoy places in the real world since he helped create Google Maps nearly 20 years ago. So it’s not surprising that Hanke isn’t a fan of the current hyperbole surrounding the notion that technology is poised to hatch a “metaverse.” That’s a term Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has been popularizing to promote his vision for a three-dimensional simulation of the actual world populated by digital avatars of ourselves. Hanke recently discussed with The Associated Press why he thinks technology should remain rooted in reality.