The Pokémon Company has officially announced "Pokémon Go," a new game in the franchise that will be released for the iOS and Android platforms. The game is being co-developed by developer Niantic, most popularly known for their game "Ingress" which features augmented reality gameplay.
The game will use real world locations and Pokémon will be located in parks, around cities, the countryside and others. This means at any time, the app may alert the player that a Pokémon is nearby. Players can train their captured creatures and also trade or battle with other "Pokémon Go" players.
"Pokémon Go" will be free to play with in-app purchases available, and gamers will also be able to make use of the Pokémon Go Plus, an optional device invented by Nintendo that resembles a wrist watch. This device will allow players to do in-game actions such as throwing PokeBalls to capture a wild Pokémon, all without having to put down their smartphone. It will also feature an LED light and vibration settings to notify a player that a wild Pokémon is nearby and ready to catch. The game can still be played without the device.
As shown in the trailer, there may also be special events held in real locations that will allow groups of gamers to either cooperate or compete against each other to capture a rare Pokémon that may only be available for a limited time. The trailer focuses on Mewtwo, the first Legendary Pokémon in the franchise introduced in the Generation I games.
While the game is primarily being developed by Niantics due to their experience with mobile augmented reality games, Junichi Masuda, one of the core developers and original creators of the "Pokémon" games, is working on the game as well.
No specific release date has yet been announced but "Pokémon Go" is slated for release sometime in 2016.
