Pokemon Go: Hidden Code Hints Sponsored PokeStops With McDonald's

Niantic Labs, the developer behind Pokemon Go, may be finding ways to monetize its massively popular augmente reality game: sponsored PokeStops.

Multiple Reddit users have spotted the McDonald's logo within the app's code, Gizmodo reports. As you can see in the image below, "MCDONALDS" can be seen following "Sponsor" and preceding "POKEMON_STORE."

Image: via Gizmodo

Niantic CEO John Hanke also hinted at the possibility of sponsored PokeStops. , Hanke told Financial Times that "sponsored locations" are the "second component to our business model at Niantic," with the first being in-app purchases. Hanke explains that these sponsorships would have companies paying Niantic "to be locations within the virtual game board — the premise being that it is an inducement that drives foot traffic."

Niantic's last game, Ingress, used this same method of monetization: selling in-game spots to companies, and it drew sponsorships from Jamba Juice, Duane Reade, and Zipcar.

So what do you think about the idea of sponsore PokeStops? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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