Google Maps' Pokémon Challenge: A prank or a Sneak Peek?

On April's Fool Day 2014 Google Maps Prank was a video calling people to find Pokémons hidden on Google Maps' and become part of Google Team as a "Pokémon Master".
They even released a video presenting the Challenge:



Rumour has it that this "challenge" gives majour clues on what to expect from Pokémon GO since Niantic who will create the mobile app (along with Nintendo) ...is actually a Google-spawned company.

What do you think?
Are those two related somehow?