Pokemon Go Is Partnering With McDonald's - Report

Pokemon Go is getting sponsored locations in the future, and one of the first could be with one of the biggest brands on the planet: McDonald's. After people on Reddit this week discovered some lines of code that suggested developer Niantic and McDonald's were working together, a "well-placed" source now tells Gizmodo that it's indeed happening.

According to the source, the sponsorship deal will see every McDonald's restaurant in an unspecified Asian country become a PokeStop or a gym. Gizmodo suggests the country could be Japan, which is The Pokemon Company's homeland. Pokemon Go isn't out yet in Japan, though a recent report said it could launch there any day now.

It's also worth noting that The Pokemon Company, as well as part-owner Nintendo, have partnered with McDonald's in the past for promotional campaigns. As for why this new campaign would only take place in one country, it's possible Niantic sees it as a trial that could later expand to other regions, though this is not confirmed.

Further specifics about the reported partnership, including how long it would last and what special bonuses might be offered, were not mentioned in the report.

We have reached out to The Pokemon Company and McDonald's in an attempt to get more details on this story.

Niantic CEO John Hanke told The New York Times this week that the developer has already signed deals with some retail establishments to turn their businesses into sponsored Pokemon Go locations. Official announcements are coming "in the future."

Businesses don't need an official partnership with Niantic to attract people to their establishments. A Long Island pizza place recently announced that sales are up 75 percent after they used Pokemon Go's "lure" items to bring Pokemon to their location, which in turn brought in customers. Additionally, Australia's Sydney Opera House has announced it will lure Pokemon to the famous music hall this coming Monday for a Pokemon Go party.

What do you make of McDonald's possibly becoming a sponsored Pokemon Go location? What other retail establishments would you like to see join the program? Let us know in the comments below.