Launch of the new Harry Potter game anticipates big Go with $200 million boost

From a fascinating story from the Wall Street Journal we find the creator of Pokémon Go, Niantic, raises $200 million in new funding. There's noted participation from Javelin VC, Founders Fund, Meritech, Megan Quinn from NetEase, Inc. Spark and You & Mr. Jones are all joining in the Series B venture that's raising eyebrows on Wall Street.

Many know Niantic as a key player in games of augmented reality, notably Ingress, the sci-fi spy multiplayer game that came about during its startup days within the Google empire. Niantic then spun away as its own entity in 2015, and shortly afterward launched the much lauded Pokémon Go which attracted all kinds of interest at its launch. Massive gatherings of real-world players came together as part of a very exciting incentivization program which spiked the in-game success of the Pokémon AR game.

Now that Super Mario Run is available on the App Store, your mobile gaming experience is all about moving forward. You can slow down Mario and Luigi if your timing is on point, but you can't stop them from taking down everything in their paths. Of course, this means that Mario leapt right through Nintendo's original plans for release, crashing expectations down in his path.

Mario fans have waited months for Super Mario Run, which was supposed to come out around 10 a.m. Pacific Time today. Available on iPhone and iPad, this platforming app is simple enough for casual gamers to play with just one hand. A $10 price tag makes this game more expensive than most, but likely worth it for the hype. Plus, Nintendo offers an end-of-world castle's three levels as a free trial to anyone who's on the fence.