Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO is an upcoming augmented-reality game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices.[1] The game will be released sometime in Summer 2016, alongside the Pokémon Go Plus, a small wearable device developed by Nintendo, which uses a Bluetooth connection to notify users when a Pokémon is nearby with an LED and a light rumble.[2] The game will allow players to capture, battle, train, and trade virtual Pokémon who appear throughout the real world.[2] The game will be free-to-play, although it will support in-app purchases.[3]
Gameplay
Different Pokémon will live in different areas of the world; for example, water-type Pokémon will live near water. There will be events held where players can trade Pokémon to build up their collection. A wristband device called the "Pokémon Go Plus" will ship with the game, to allow a more "heads-up" gaming experience than Ingress, where the player can be alerted to a nearby Pokémon by the Go Plus vibrating, press the button in a coded sequence to capture it and check the app later to find out what they've captured.[4]
Development
The idea for the game was conceived in 2013 by Satoru Iwata of Nintendo and Tsunekazu Ishihara of The Pokémon Company. In 2015, Ishihara dedicated his speech at the game's announcement on September 10 to Iwata, who died two months earlier.[5] The decision to create the Go Plus rather than create a smart watch app was to increase uptake among players for whom a smart watch is prohibitively expensive.[6]
On March 4, 2016, Niantic announced a Japan-exclusive beta test would begin later that month, allowing players to assist in refining the game before its full release. The beta test will be expanded to other countries at a later date.[7] On April 7, it was announced that the beta would expand to Australia and New Zealand.[8]
References
- ↑ Reilly, Luke (September 10, 2015). "Pokémon GO Coming to Smartphones". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- 1 2 Webster, Andrew (September 10, 2015). "With Pokémon Go, Nintendo is showing that it takes mobile seriously". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ↑ Domanico, Anthony (September 10, 2015). "Catch Pokemon in real life with Nintendo's upcoming mobile game". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ↑ "How Pokémon Go will benefit from Niantic's lessons from Ingress on location-based game design - GamesBeat - Games - by Dean Takahashi". VentureBeat.
- ↑ "Pokémon go is brought up into the real world through iOS and Android". GeekSnack. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Watch Future - Time killers: The strange history of wrist gaming". Polygon.com.
- ↑ Frank, Allegra (March 4, 2016). "Pokémon Go heading out to the field in Japanese-only beta test". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Vuckovic, Daniel (8 April 2016). "Pokémon GO field testing is expanding to Australia and New Zealand". Vooks. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
External links
