Topic: Pokemon Go

The Pokemon Company just announced Pokemon Go, a new game for mobile devices that allows you to essentially go out and capture Pokemon in real life. It uses location based technology to help do this. You can then trade and battle those Pokemon with others too.

Alongside this is the Pokemon Go Plus accessory, which is a bluetooth device that vibrates and has an LED light to notify you of something going on in the game. It comes in either a clip or a watch style.

Pokemon Go is developed by Niantic, which was founded under Google and recently split from them, as well as Game Freak and Nintendo. Iwata had apparently been working closely with TPC on this, as Miyamoto came on stage to talk about the game. He's definitely trying to carry out Iwata's plans.

Pokemon Go will be available in 2016 on iOS and Android.

Oh wow! That truly sounds great!
Love when companies play around with augmented reality.
Also this somehow brings to mind Denpa Men.

@Pahvi: Yes, they did.

Serebii confirmed it will be free with in-app purchases.

There's going to be functuality with the main games so I'm really hoping some Pokemon will have exclusive moves like some did on the Pokewalker. Really excited to see more about this.

Initial reactions were that Nintendo handhelds are dead and this will take over the main series, but learning more about the app and them hinting at a main series title in 2016 during the presentations quickly squashed that lol.

I can see me, going around town. In one hand, catching Pokemon with my phone. On the other, catching denpa men with my 3ds.

I wasn't excited about this, until I saw the video... now I want this so bad. It kinda makes me wish my 3DS had GPS and could run this game instead of my phone

I teared up a little bit, can't wait.

I dunno...
The concept sounds creative enough (for a mobile game), but I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be more of a shallow money pit than a fun game, if Pokémon Shuffle is any indication. Also, having to buy an external device for just one mobile app is a risky venture, and even a reasonable price tag for the bluetooth connector doesn't mean much to the average phone consumer. I doubt this'll be successful - too many barricades getting in the way of apps being downloaded quickly and playable right away.

So where did they say that this will be compatible with the main games? o.o

@Kaze_Memaryu: The accessory isn't required. Also, while there are in-app purchases, we don't what they are yet. I doubt that there's any of the "Oh no, you ran out of energy" type of microtransactions that games like Shuffle use though.

@Megumi In the conference. Masuda came on stage and said that he's looking at ways for there to be connectivity with the main series games. So that probably means some event Pokemon will be obtainable through Pokemon Go and can then be transferred to the main games. The event Pokemon will probably just be Pokemon that are obtainable in the main games through normal gameplay but with a special move or two. So something like Surfing Pikachu. I can see them having a Mew be available through Pokemon Go though.

I am afriad the microtransactions might be, buy 6x Pokeballs for $1, Buy 6x Greatballs for $2, Buy 6x Ultraballs for $3, Buy 1x Masterball for $5. Please let me be wrong.

Yes sounds like an awesome concept but I just have a feeling it will fall pray to the pitfalls most popular mobile games do.

I'm with Jazzer here, I just know there will be some limitation like with Shuffle.

@IceClimbers Okay, that raises the question what it's there for, then. I can only guess that it's a middlepoint between the app and the 3DS games to possibly send Pokés over. Also, I hope that Nintendo isn't gonna put exclusive content behind this app. The current legendaries distribution is already frustrating enough, Pokés with app-exclusive abilities/moves or completely app-exclusive Pokés would just be unfair.

Eh, it kinda reminds me of the Dream World somewhat, guess I'll be fine with that.

I would be more ok with a Shuffle (energy) like mechanic rather than having to pay for Pokeballs.

Wasn't interested until I heard that the guys behind this game, Niantic, made Ingress for Android and iOS. It's an ARG just like this new game. That game is very hardcore and a pretty deep experience. It came out some years ago. I hadn't really seen something like it at that point and actually haven't yet. There are still many people playing Ingress.
https://www.ingress.com/
So my hopes have risen quite a lot. It's not just a mobile game. but a novel idea. I think this could be very interesting.

How do they monetize ingress?

@Kaze_Memaryu: The accessory is just a glorified notification system. It alerts you to things like nearby Pokemon by vibrating and a flashing LED. I heard that there's a button in the center that you can press to throw a Pokeball though. Perhaps it might be used to activate Mega Evolution during battles (again optional).

I'm glad Nintendo turned Google's April Fools joke into a full app.