Pokémon is coming to the real-world with a new
Pokémon GO augmented-reality game for Android and iPhone and companion
Pokémon GO Plus device. Here's all there is to know about Pokémon GO and Pokémon GO Plus, including the Pokémon GO UK release date rumours, price and gameplay details - and we'll know even more after
GDC 2016. Plus: what's the deal with the
Pokémon GO closed beta?
What is Pokémon GO?
Pokémon GO is a mobile game for Android and iPhone that is being developed by
The Pokémon Company and
Niantic, a former Google startup that has since branched out on its own and is known for its earlier augmented-reality mobile game
Ingress. Nintendo is also contributing with the development and manufacture of the companion Pokémon GO Plus (see below for more details on that).
Pokémon GO is a mobile app that you download to your
Android smartphone or
iPhone, but play in the real world through augmented reality.
In Pokémon GO the aim is to
locate,
catch,
battle and
trade Pokémon, and you are encouraged to connect with other nearby Pokémon GO players as you do so.
What is Pokémon GO Plus?
Pokémon GO Plus is a companion device that is either clipped on or strapped to the wrist and worn like a watch. Pokémon GO functions without the Pokémon GO Plus, but the device is expected to enhance enjoyment of the augmented reality game.
Pokémon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo, and as of yet there is no firm release date or pricing information for Pokémon GO Plus. (We'll update this article when there is.)
Pokémon GO Plus lets you play Pokémon GO without looking at your phone by delivering haptic feedback and flashing LEDs in a series of colours. It encourages players to look not only at their phones and Pokémon GO, but to experience what's going on around them in the real world.
In Pokémon Go Plus, all the maps were designed by famous cities in real world such as Hokkaido, Kanto, New York, Paris and more. It will strengthen the bond between real world and virtual world. Players are available to trade with other gamers face to face and join co-op event to challenge rare Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Plus connects to your phone over Bluetooth and notifies you about events within the game, such as a nearby Pikachu. A button on the front of the Pokémon GO Plus also lets you perform simple actions such as throwing a Poké Ball and catching Pokémon.
When is Pokémon GO coming out for Android and iPhone?
The closest we've got to something believable came from an Ingress Report video from
September 2015, in which it was claimed Pokemon Go would have an early 2016 release after entering a closed beta in winter 2015.
However, one thing we do know for sure is that we will know an awful lot more about Pokemon Go on 14 March following
Niantic's GDC 2016 session.
One thing we are sure thatPokemon Go on 14 March following Niantic's GDC 2016 session. Any further information, we will report it immediately.
Over the last three years, Niantic, Inc. has been defining the genre of Real World gaming, using smartphones and tablets to connect the digital world to the physical world. Niantic's newest game, Pokemon GO, ups the challenge of real world gaming design, taking a beloved franchise and setting its hundreds of brightly-colored monsters loose across the globe, adding a new Bluetooth wearable device created by Nintendo to the mix. Join Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke as he discusses how the company has developed a unique vision for delivering a mobile Pokemon experience that gets would-be trainers into the outdoors.
Attendees will get a first-hand, in-depth look at how players are interacting and exploring the world with one another through Pokemon GO, the collaborative approach to design and development for the game and the next evolution of augmented reality and real-world mobile gameplay experiences.
Pokémon GO UK closed beta access
It's not that easy. On the official Pokemon site it's worth pointing out the following statement: "No beta testing has been announced for Pokémon GO at this time. Please keep checking
Pokemon.co.uk/GO for updates."
Pokémon GO UK price:
Pokémon GO will be free to download from the Google Play Store for Android and App Store for iPhone, but there will also be paid-for content available within the game. It is not yet clear whether the paid-for in-app content will be required to progress within the game.
Source: pcadvisor.co.ukMore related:
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