The strategy is relatively new in the AR world, where you're more likely to see companies scanning environments with dedicated equipment. Google only just previewed an augmented reality navigation feature). However, Niantic would be following a familiar strategy of turning a game's location info into a business model -- Foursquare, for example, provides its business check-in data to third parties.

The company didn't say when the mapping would start, or whether it would include info from the upcoming Harry Potter AR game. Any use of the technology may depend on Niantic assuring users that it won't collect private info, though. While it'd be relatively easy to anonymize data collection, there are bound to be people worried that they'll inadvertently create public AR maps of their homes.