"Pokemon Go," the first smartphone game in the franchise being developed by The Pokemon Company and Niantic Labs, will officially launch this July. According to a report by Polygon, the release window was confirmed during Nintendo's presentation at this year's E3.
However, the game will not be complete upon launch. According to the report, the option to trade Pokemon from one user to another is being developed and will be a crucial aspect of the game but it will not be available upon launch. This feature is expected to be available after the developers release a free patch sometime after the game's release.
It is further stated that the Pokemon Go Plus accessory, which allows wearers to capture Pokemon without having to look at their phone, will also release after the game's July launch. No specific release date for the accessory has been stated but it is said to cost $34.99.
"Pokemon Go" will allow players to create their avatar and then encounter, capture and battle Pokemon in the real world using their smart phone's features and augmented reality. However, at the beginning of the game while the player is still a low level trainer they will only be encountering a select number of Pokemon such as Rattata or Pidgey.
More Pokemon will be unlocked as the player levels up. This can be achieved by capturing more Pokemon and winning more battles.
According to the report, players will be joining one of three teams: Red, Blue or Yellow. Each team will be in charge of a Pokemon Gym and players will have to fight to fight the Pokemon guarding the Gym and claim the area for their respective team.
The report also points out that The Pokemon Company has not yet revealed how they will deal how Legendary Pokemon such as Mewtwo will be distributed. It is stated that the developers previously expressed interest in hosting events where said Legendary Pokemon may be available for capture but only for a limited time.
