Niantic News Articles
Monday22nd Aug 2016
News Pokémon GO Player Aims For Million XP In 24 Hours, Unwittingly Triggers Anti-Cheat Mechanism
"Games are meant to be played, and in my opinion played well"
The topic of cheating in Pokémon GO has been a hot one over the past week or so as Niantic attempts to deal with the hordes of players who are seeking a means of getting an unfair advantage in the game, but it would seem that the automatic measures put in place by the developer can be a...
News Pokémon GO Player Apparently Gets Belgium's Biggest Mobile Network Banned
UPDATE: Ban now lifted, Proximus confirms "security" issue was to blame
Update: It would seem that the ban has been lifted this morning, with Proximus confirming that a security issue was indeed to blame. Original story: Niantic has been stepping up its game when it comes to banning people in Pokémon GO. It would seem there are quite a few ways...
Friday19th Aug 2016
News Italian Bishop Likens Pokémon GO To Nazism, Claims It Turns Players Into "Walking Dead"
App has "alienated thousands and thousands of young people"
Pokémon GO may have captured the hearts and minds of millions of players all over the globe, but like so many elements of popular culture - and the Pokémon craze in general, it should be remembered - it hasn't made fans of everyone. Agence France-Presse reports that Antonio Stagliano,
Thursday18th Aug 2016
News Niantic Is Dropping The Ban Hammer On Pokémon GO Players Who "Cheat"
"Your account has been terminated"
Like any game that becomes stupidly popular, Pokémon GO has seen its fair share of "cheaters" - people who use shady measures to get an unfair advantage over others. In Pokémon GO's case, this includes faking your location to rake in items and capture Pokémon, using third-party trackers to pinpoint certain...
Wednesday17th Aug 2016
News Pokémon GO Has Set Five Guinness World Records
And likely many more to come
Though it's popularity has declined to more normal levels now, Pokémon GO's worldwide success is undisputed. The game made a big splash when it debuted this summer, breaking records seemingly left and right, and now Guinness World Records has finally acknowledged some of these records, cementing the game's status as an...
Tuesday16th Aug 2016
News Work For Volkswagen? Better Delete Pokémon GO From Your Phone
The only bug you're going to catch is the Beetle
Yesterday we reported on the news that people working inside The Pentagon have been instructed not to play Pokémon GO due to security concerns, and today we've got another sad tale - German automobile maker Volkswagen has told 70,000 of its staff that they have to delete the game from their phones...
Monday15th Aug 2016
News Pokémon GO Predicted To Make More Than One Billion Dollars Worldwide In 2016
Could exceed global box-office for 2016’s highest-grossing film
While there are a great many people out there hoping that the Pokémon GO bubble is about to burst, the figures indicate that is unlikely to happen any time soon.
News Satoru Iwata Offered Pokémon GO Feedback From His Hospital Bed
Former Nintendo president worked closely on the game
It's been more than a year since Satoru Iwata sadly passed away, leaving behind an enviable legacy in the video game arena. However, his influence is still being felt in one of Nintendo's more recent successes, Pokémon GO. Iwata was the in charge when the bold choice was made to expand...
News United States Department Of Defense Bans Pokémon GO At The Pentagon
"Poses a potential a security risk", apparently
Pokémon GO's hold on mobile phone users shows little sign of weakening, so much so that workers at the Pentagon are being told they're not allowed to use the app when on the premises. The move follows concerns that the game could potentially used to spy on activities within the facility, which houses...
Monday8th Aug 2016
News PokéAdvisor is the Latest Third-Party Pokémon GO Service to Bite the Dust
Niantic continues to clear the server decks
A recent source of debate around Pokémon GO has been takedowns of third-party apps that, in the opinion of some, were offering features the main game should already have. Another has now joined the ranks, with the creator of PokéAdvisor stating that their website is having its access to GO data blocked...
Saturday6th Aug 2016
Talking Point Pokémon GO's Next Major Update Should Target Gen VII Pokémon
Skipping generations for further integrations
With Pokémon GO dominating gaming news over the past several weeks, and with Pokémon Sun and Moon looming its head around the corner, it's truly an exciting time to be a Pokémon fan. Assuming you are one and can't wait until the series' next instalments in November, Pokémon GO may be that experience...
Friday5th Aug 2016
News Take-Two Interactive President Praises the Success of Pokémon GO
Doesn't expect any NX impact for the company's financial year
Take-Two Interactive has been sharing its Q1 financial results, reporting better than expected sales but also forced to admit that hyped shooter Battleborn has struggled; it arrived around the same time as Overwatch, which definitely won that battle. Take-Two Interactive president...
News Niantic Explains Decision to Stop Unofficial Apps From Accessing Pokémon GO's Servers
Shows some data to prove its point
Pokémon GO has been enduring its most sustained negative backlash to date this week, at least in online forums and social media. The latest update removed the three-step radar feature that barely functioned, and at the same time multiple popular third-party apps were taken down. One of these, Pokévision, got a...
Thursday4th Aug 2016
News Pokémon GO Rolls Out in Latin America as Niantic Reclaims Legendary Pokemon
Fix for battery saving mode on iOS also due soon
Niantic has continued its recent quest to communicate more and reverse the tide of online negativity around Pokémon GO by posting its second notable message of the week; it addresses a few key areas. For one thing, the app is finally rolling out in Latin America, with special mention given for...
Wednesday3rd Aug 2016
Random Japanese Olympic Gymnast Racked Up Massive Bill From Playing Pokémon GO in Rio
"Looked dead at the team meal" after 500,000 Yen charge
A lot of players are obsessed with Pokémon GO, playing it a lot and rattling through data while out roaming for 'mon. If you roam too far, however, it can cause problems. Japanese Olympic gymnast Kohei Uchimura, who won all-around Gold during the London 2012 Olympics, had been playing the AR...
News PokéVision Creator Writes Open Letter On Niantic Shutting Down Fan-Made Pokémon GO Tools
We made Pokevision not to "cheat"
We recently debated the rights and wrongs of shutting down Pokemon GO fan-made tools like Pokévision, and it's fair to say it has become a bit of a heated topic, with many feeling that Niantic has been a bit heavy handed. Pokévision was one of the most popular fan-made apps to help track down elusive Pokémon, and...
Rumour Articuno Has Been Caught in Pokémon GO
Niantic says it's not from them
Ever since Pokémon GO launched, many people have been wondering how the game would be handling the distribution of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. It's known that they're in the game, but there's no indication as to how to obtain them. It's expected that they'll be given out as part of a social event of some sort,...
Tuesday2nd Aug 2016
News Niantic Addresses Pokémon GO's Removal of 3-step Display and Third-Party App Access
"We hear the frustration from folks"
With great success comes significant pressure, and in recent days that's started to weigh a little on Pokémon GO. A double-whammy of an unpopular update - which removed rather than fixed the '3-step' display - and the closing down of third-party apps caused a bit of a storm online. We considered some of the...
Monday1st Aug 2016
Editorial The Rights and Wrongs of Shutting Down Pokemon GO Fan-Made Tools Like Pokévision
Some dedicated players are rather angry
I may spend my days writing about Nintendo and related topics, but I've had a fairly limited engagement with the global phenomenon of Pokémon GO, in comparison to its biggest enthusiasts in any case. I've probably expended more energy looking at download statistics and the ups and downs of Nintendo's share...
Sunday31st Jul 2016
News Nintendo Clarifies Reasoning for Pokémon GO Plus Release Delay
Preparations for updating the app are cited
The Pokémon GO hype has been quite something to behold, though it's calming down a little despite the app's continuing success. As we heard earlier in the week, the Plus accessory - which allows you to receive updates and play aspects of the game with the press of a button - was pushed back to September,...
Saturday30th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Updates to Make Game "Respectful" of Private Institutions
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum already removed from the game
The rapid rise of Pokémon GO has brought plenty of benefits, fostering communities of fans and helping players explore and get exercise. There can be negatives, however, and not just in terms of absent-minded players being robbed of their phones. There have been multiple reports of...
Friday29th Jul 2016
Random Pokémon GO Road Signs Are a Reality
Dutch event made cool signs that were stolen, entrepreneurs steps up
The Pokémon GO craze has various weird and wonderful parts to it - we're had many bizarre PR emails plugging GO 'walkers' that you pay to play the game for you, and even 'recharging rescuers' in town centres. Where there's a craze, there are entrepeneurs seeking opportunities...
Thursday28th Jul 2016
Random There Are Pokémon GO Players That Have Caught 'em All
You have to hatch a lot of eggs
For most players Pokémon GO is a game that adds extra fun to walks and journeys, picking up new 'mon as you find fresh spots in which to engage in some augmented reality. It's also developed a strong community of players that meet up and play together, so the social element is key to its ongoing popularity. Some...
Wednesday27th Jul 2016
News Pokémon GO Players Told To Steer Clear Of Japanese Nuclear Disaster Zone
Strangely evolved Pokémon discovered at Fukushima plant
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings has requested that Pokémon GO developer Niantic remove the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from its database after discovering that the app spawns Pokémon on the site. The plant was partially destroyed by a nuclear reactor meltdown in March 2011,...
News Nintendo Delays Pokémon GO Plus Accessory Until September
Was supposed to launch this month
If you're one of the many people who pre-ordered their Pokémon GO Plus accessory the moment it was available, then you'll no doubt be wondering where it actually is. The device - which pairs with your smartphone via a low-energy Bluetooth connection and allows you to acquire items and catch monsters in Pokémon GO...
Tuesday26th Jul 2016
News Android Wear Users Can Now Get Pokémon GO Notifications Direct To Their Wrists
Who needs the Pokémon GO Plus, right?
While the rest of the world waits for the arrival of the Pokémon GO Plus device, those who own an Android Wear smartwatch can now keep their phones in their pockets while they hunt for Pokémon out and about. A new smartwatch app called PokéDetector has been released which tracks any nearby monsters and...
Random Pokémon GO Costs WWE Tag Team A Win
No luchador Pikachu here
We've already reported on the fact that Pokémon GO has reached the level of awareness that permits it a mention during a WWE broadcast, and now the popular app is making its presence felt once more, this time to the detriment of one of the organisation's tag teams, The Shining Stars. During the team's match against Enzo...
Monday25th Jul 2016
News Niantic Reveals What's Next For Pokémon GO
PokéCenters, trading and a fix for the "three step" bug all on the way
Pokémon GO developer Niantic held a special panel regarding the game at the recent San Diego Comic-Con where it not only lifted the lid on the identities of the three team leaders but also outlined future plans for the game. Niantic CEO John Hanke claimed that only around 10...
News Here Are Your Pokémon GO Team Leaders
Which one did you pledge allegiance to?
When you reach level 5 in Pokémon GO you've given the opportunity to select which of the three teams you'd like to pledge your allegiance to: Valor, Mystic or Instinct. This choice has serious consequences as it determines whether or not you have to fight for local gyms or add your strength to them if...
News Hollywood Director Oliver Stone Brands Pokémon GO "Surveillance Capitalism"
"It's not really funny"
Pokémon GO may have ensnared millions of players with its monster-catching gameplay but not everyone is a fan, it would seem. Hollywood director Oliver Stone - famous for such critically-acclaimed movies such as JFK, Platoon and Nixon - has been speaking about the game at this year's Comic-Con, and he's clearly a little...
