I think Google/Niantic owes me a lot of money.   =)

I played Ingress from beta.
It was a pretty significant part of my life for a while.  Jason and I went to meetings, anomalies, met with other players, and even some of the player characters.     I don’t know if I’d say it was fun, but it was definitely involving.

One of my personal goals in Ingress was setting up portals.  To do so, I’d have to take a picture of someplace that met the guidelines.   Submit it.   And wait.   Sometimes, up to a year.   But, I didn’t mind.   I just kept submitting.

Enter in Pokemon Go.
My portals have become Pokemon stops and gyms.   In several cases, the same image is used as well as the description, if I wrote any.    Although my player name was taken off the picture, I was still pretty happy.   The locations were being used by others.   Couples, individuals, and entire families played Po Go.   In a small way, I contributed to the gaming community — to the community period.

Yay me.

Wizards United, which was just released a couple of weeks ago, my portals have become greenhouse, inns, and fortresses.   Because it’s a Harry Potter property, a lot of people are playing that game in addition to some Po Goers who switched over.

So, Niantic is using my submissions…   work that I did for free… to help make literally millions of dollars globally over the course of ten years and counting.

HEY Niantic —  It would be nice to at least have a thank you every once in a while.   How about putting me on the Christmas list.     I know you send Youtube contributors a Chrome book or whatever.    Well, I’m a contributor too and you don’t have to worry that I’ll do anything to be banned.

I know Niantic is making huge money off Pokemon Go as well as Nintendo, the owner of the Pokemon property.     Wizards Unite is Warner Brothers, of course.    Harry Potter has made Rowling bucks off her creation.   She’s richer than the Queen of England.

How about tossing twenty or thirty thousand my way for helping you build your games?