Pokémon Go Preview
One of the biggest mobile games to release this year is going to be Pokémon Go. The interest level generated by the game has been huge and expectations are high that it will deliver a unique and fun experience that’s free to play (with in-game purchases of course). There are many people that grew up with Pokémon over the last 20 years, so it’s only natural that some of them don’t own the latest Nintendo handheld to play the recent games. However, many of them have access to a smartphone, so this game has the potential to really capture a large audience.
Not a lot has been shown on the mobile game thus far. Today the Pokémon Company updated its official site and it contained more detailed information about the upcoming game and how players will progress. Pokémon Go uses real locations to encourage users to go outside and try to capture their own monsters. As you move around to new cities and towns your phone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. You can throw a Poké Ball to try and catch it, but of course it could always get away. You will be able to collect to Poké Balls at PokéStops, which will be at interesting places like historical markers, monuments, and public art museums.
You will gain levels as a Trainer, and the higher your level becomes, the easier it will be to capture more powerful monsters. If you are able to catch the same species of Pokémon enough times, you will have the opportunity to evolve them. In addition, you may find Pokémon Eggs, which will hatch after you’ve walked a specified distance. You may discover Pokémon you’ve never seen before this way.
Some of the wild Pokémon will appear in certain places around the world. For example, some water-type Pokémon might only be found around rivers, lakes, and oceans. If you’re on vacation somewhere, always be on alert as you might discover one you haven’t captured yet. There are various Gym locations scattered about as well. Once you’ve joined a team you can assign your own Pokémon to an empty Gym location. Other players on your team can also assign a single Pokémon to that particular Gym. You’ll need a strong team of monsters to help defend it against rival teams. Likewise, if you come across a Gym that’s occupied by a competing team, you can try your hand at fighting the Pokémon to gain control.
We will have much more on Pokémon Go as it approaches release sometime this year. As new information, screens, and video become available, we’ll update this preview as well.
[From the official Pokémon site]:
Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices! With Pokémon GO, you’ll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.
The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!
Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items.
In Pokémon GO, you will gain levels as a Trainer, and at higher levels you will be able to catch more powerful Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. You’ll also have access to more powerful items, such as Great Balls, to give you a better shot at catching Pokémon. Keep exploring and encountering Pokémon to raise your level!
There are other ways to add Pokémon to your roster, too. If you catch the same species of Pokémon enough times, you’ll get the opportunity to evolve one of them. And as you explore, you may find Pokémon Eggs at PokéStops, which will hatch after you’ve walked a certain distance. When they hatch, you may find Pokémon you’ve never seen before!
Some wild Pokémon will appear only in certain places near where you live or around the world. For example, some Water-type Pokémon may appear only near lakes and oceans. If you’re away from home, be sure to stay alert for Pokémon you wouldn’t normally encounter!
At a certain point in the game, you’ll be asked to join one of three teams. Once you join a team, you’ll gain the ability to assign Pokémon you’ve caught to empty Gym locations or to a location where a team member has placed one of his or her Pokémon. Like PokéStops, Gyms can be found at real locations in the world. Each player can place only one Pokémon at a particular Gym, so you’re encouraged to work with others on the team to build up a strong defense.
If a Gym is already claimed by another team, you can challenge that Gym using your own Pokémon. Using the Pokémon you’ve caught, engage in battle with the defending Pokémon at the Gym to claim control.
A wide variety of challenges are available that highlight many different categories, such as catching Pokémon and exploration. By completing these challenges, you’ll unlock achievement medals that will appear in your player profile. Try your best to unlock as many medals as you can!
A portable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even while they’re not looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus will be available soon. Check back for more details.
An early field test limited to Japan only is planned for Pokémon GO while the game is still in active development. The features, available languages, design, and overall appearance are not final. Please stay tuned for information about expansion of the field test to other markets.
Pokémon GO will be available for download at no charge on the App Store and Google Play. In-app purchases will also be available.
Stay tuned to Pokemon.com for more information about Pokémon GO!
[Story Posted on 2/17/16]:
Last year Nintendo along with The Pokémon Company and Niantic announced that a brand new game called Pokémon Go would be created for iOS and Android and would arrive in 2016. We still don’t know the launch date or the beta plans, but we do know that on Monday, March 14 at the Game Developers Conference, John Hanke from Niantic will host a session: Catch’em All: Pokémon Go and Real World Computing. We expect more details to be announced around that time.
Until then, the rollout for Pokémon Go has been revealed by Serebii.net. Tsunekazu Ishihara, head of the Pokémon Company has intimated to a newspaper that the game will rollout first in Japan, Europe, and North America. South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East will have to wait a little longer after the initial launch. He also let loose that they are working on another big project, but of course details on that will have to wait (Pokémon Z, perhaps?).
If you’re unfamiliar with the Pokémon Go game, below is official wording straight from the creators:
Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GOfor iPhone and Android devices! With Pokémon GO, you’ll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real location information to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.
No beta testing has been announced for Pokémon GO at this time. Please keep checking Pokemon.com/GO for updates.
The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!
The Pokémon video game series has always valued open and social experiences, such as connecting with other players to enjoy trading and battling Pokémon. Pokémon GO’s gameplay experience goes beyond what appears on screen, as players explore their neighborhoods, communities, and the world they live in to discover Pokémon alongside friends and other players.
A small device called a Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even when they’re not looking at their smartphone. The device connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Pokémon GO is being developed by Niantic, Inc. Originally founded by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke as a start-up within Google, Niantic is known for creating Ingress, the augmented reality mobile game that utilizes GPS technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world. Ingress currently has 12 million downloads worldwide.
Niantic, Inc., The Pokémon Company, and Nintendo Co., Ltd., will all contribute to the Pokémon GO project.
Furthermore, Junichi Masuda of Game Freak Inc., the game director of the Pokémon video game series, is also contributing to the project. He is hard at work ensuring that the fun of Pokémon makes its way into this new project, and is also looking to come up with new kinds of gameplay while thinking of ways to connect this project with the main series of Pokémon video games.
Pokémon GO will be available for download at no charge on the App Store and Google Play. In-app purchases will be available.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
