A new augmented reality mobile game called Pokemon Go will hit iOS and Android phones in 2016, featuring a smartwatch to catch Pokemon in the real world. Pokemon Go is a joint investment by The Pokemon Company, Niantics, and Nintendo.
Pokemon Go is the next-gen location-based Pokemon mobile game for smartphones. It blurs the line between the real world and the virtual Pokemon world. According to Tech Times, the mobile game lets users discover, catch, trade, and battle Pokemon in reality. It takes after Ingress, an augmented reality video game created by Niantic Labs for Android and iOS on July 2014.
The Guardian reports that Pokemon Go will be available for iOS and Android as a freemium game, meaning that the game can be downloaded for free just like the Pokemon Shuffle for mobile. It will also include in-app purchases once the game is released in 2016.
Pokemon Go is a joint investment by Niantic, Nintendo, and The Pokemon Company who put their brains together on the project. Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokemon Company, has been working on the game with late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata for almost two years.
As per a report by The Verge, Pokemon Go will be accompanied by a smartwatch device to allow users to play the game without having to operate their smartphones. This device is called the Pokemon Go Plus which has a screen shaped like a location icon and capped with a Pokeball emblem.
Pokemon Go Plus works by pairing it with iOS and Android phones via Bluetooth. Once it detects a Pokemon nearby, the smartwatch flashes and vibrates to alert the user. Players can catch a Pokemon with a simple click of a button. The price of the device is not yet known.
Chief executive John Hanke of Niantic says, "Our partnership with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo is an exciting step forward in real-world gaming and using technology to help players discover the world and people around them." Indeed, it brings excitement and new opportunities to smartphone users and Pokemon fans alike, giving them a chance to release their potential as Pokemasters.
A Youtube video trailer connected to the Pokemon Go gives the public a feel of how the new game will look like and operate. Pokemon Go will be released to the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android by next year.
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