Nintendo today announced a new mobile game called Pokémon GO that you will soon be able to play on your Android or iOS device. Developed in partnership with Niantic, the company behind Ingress, the game will let you “search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.”
As with many other Pokémon games, players will be able to catch, trade and battle various Pokémon. Unlike other such games, this one will take place in the real world, allowing players to explore their surroundings thanks to GPS technology.
“Our challenge was to develop a great game for smartphone devices that expressed the core values of Pokémon,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “Pokémon GO is the answer to that challenge.”
“Pokémon GO is a wonderful combination of Niantic’s real world gaming platform and one of the most beloved franchises in popular culture,” said John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc. “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.”
While the game will primarily be played on a smartphone, a wrist-worn device called the Pokémon GO Plus will allow users to manage some simple in-game actions right from their wrist. For example, it will vibrate and light up when a Pokémon is near by. Pressing the button will allow you to then capture the Pokémon much as a Pokéball does.
Nintendo revealed little about the game play itself but this video gives you a sense of what Nintendo is aiming for:
Pokémon Go will launch in 2016 for both Android and iOS. It will be free with in-app purchases available. Pricing for the Pokémon GO Plus has not been announced.
Source: Nintendo