The reinvention of Google's business has only started, with game developer Niantic Labs being spun out from the company.
The split is coming just days after Google announced a complete restructuring, creating a new company named Alphabet that will be overseeing Google along with several other organizations that were previously run by Google.
"We'll be taking our unique blend of exploration and fun to even bigger audiences with some amazing new partners joining Google as collaborators and backers," posted Niantic Labs on its Google+ page.
Niantic Labs is the developer of Ingress, a game which involves users traveling to different landmarks around the world, such as historical sites and public sculptures. The user then "captures" the landmark for their team through different commands on the user's smartphone.
Niantic Labs added that it will look to build upon the success that it found with Ingress, which has been downloaded over 12 million times and has attracted over 250,000 people to live events happening across the world. In addition, Niantic Labs said that Ingress has inspired its users to walk an aggregate distance equivalent to the distance between the earth and the sun, while exploring, playing and discovering.
Alphabet will create a more visible division between Google's core products and its peripheral projects, such as the games that Niantic Labs develops and the company's driverless cars. The separate businesses within Google would be given more independence under the Alphabet umbrella, but Niantic Labs will still be pushing through with its plan to become an entirely separate company altogether.
It is not clear, however, whether the plan to separate from Google has been in development by Niantic Labs for some time now or if it was decided upon the formation of Alphabet.
A spokesperson for Google said that Niantic Labs is ready to accelerate its growth through its decision to become an independent company, but Google will continue its support as the company continues to bring fun and exploration to more users worldwide.
The exact details surrounding the spin out of Niantic Labs from Google have not yet been revealed, with the company stating that it will release more information about its decision to do so through its website and through its social media channels.
In March, reports surfaced that Google could be turning Ingress into a TV show. It is not clear what the spin out would mean for the planned project.
