Pokémon GO is an upcoming augmented reality game that is being developed by Niantic for mobile phones. The game will be rolled out at a later point of time in the ongoing year for the platforms of iOS and Android.
A wearable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will also be released alongside the game. This wearable device can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth and it will have the function of notifying the wearer whenever a Pokémon is nearby.
Pokémon GO is one of a kind as it will enable players to physically travel and capture Pokémon. It has been 20 years since the release of the first Pokémon game and the release of Pokémon GO is just another way of the Pokémon Company to celebrate this remarkable feat.
The first Pokémon games to be released were the Pokémon Blue and the Pokémon Red. They were released for the Game Boy platform back in 1996. Fans of the franchise who would want to take a nostalgic trip back to the worlds of Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red are in for some good news.
It has been confirmed that both the Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red will be re-released for the 3DS platform. The games will be available for download from February 27, which is the anniversary date.
Tsunekazu Ishihara the CEO of Pokémon Company recently stated in an interview that the game will not be released at the same time in all the parts of the world. The first regions where the game will be released are Japan, North America and Europe.
However, fans of the franchise in other countries need not worry as Tsunekazu Ishihara confirmed that the game will be rolled out in various other parts of the world which include- Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East, at a later point of time.
No specific reasons have been stated by the company behind this particular strategy but it is being assumed that the company first wants to release the game in the biggest markets before rolling it out in other parts of the world.
This will enable them to get a firsthand reaction from fans regarding the game before it is launched in the remaining countries. It would also allow them to check if the game is functioning as intended before it is released worldwide.
However, it should be noted that Ishihara did not mention the names of countries like Australia and New Zealand in his statement related to the launching of the game.
A panel of Niantic will be present at the 2016 GDC which is scheduled to be held in March. It is in this event that the developers of the mobile app will provide various insights regarding it to the people present. A demo of the game itself will be presented to the attendees at the event.
It was reported that the core functions of the game will be supported by a GPS feature of the wearable device Pokémon GO Plus. This will enable players to locate, hunt, collect and trade Pokémon within the game.
Players are likely to find Pokémon around them which are well suited to that region. For example, if a player is near to a body of water, it is more likely that he will find a water Pokémon in his vicinity.
The game will basically tack the player’s location using the GPS sensors of their smartphones. This will allow them to travel through the real world in pursuit of Pokémon which they can capture and add to their collection.
They will also be able to trade these Pokémon with other players. The game itself will help a player in tracking down other players with whom he or she can trade Pokémon.