The Pokemon Company have revealed a new AR based Pokemon game for mobile, called Pokemon Go.
Hardcore Nintendo fans can relax, as this is not a port of the main Pokemon RPGs, and as is the case with other non Nintendo games, this was approved of and even codeveloped by Nintendo.
Using your smartphone, you can venture out across roads and paths and seek out Pokemon, with the phone functioning as a PokeRadar. You can catch these Pokemon, and then meet up with other pseudo Pokemon trainers to trade or battle. There will also be scheduled events where Pokemon trainers can take on high level Pokemon, such as Mewtwo. Only this time, with multiple trainers using their phones, you can team up all your Pokemon in the hundreds.
The game is being developed with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company by Niantic. Niantic, formerly of Google under Google Earth, previously developed AR MMO Ingress. Unlike Ingress, Pokemon Go will have connectivity with the main games.
Nintendo will sell a special Bluetooth device in conjuction called the Pokemon Go Plus. You can use the Pokemon Go Plus to free up your hands from your smartphone to take actions like throwing out your Pokeball. There will also be microtransactions, but hopefully players who do get the Pokemon Go Plus get some sort of bypass on this.
Japan-based games industry analyst Serkan Toto has confirmed that this is not one of the games Nintendo is working with DeNA, and cites that this is a clear sign the 100+ year old company is serious about mobile.
Pokemon Go is releasing in 2016 on Android and iPhone. So, who’s looking forward to their actual Pokemon LARP video game? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
