'Pokemon GO' Out Now for iOS and Android: Mobile AR Game Released in Select Countries; When Will It Be Available in the US?
Nintendo's Mobile AR Game is Slowly Rolling Out to Select Countries this Month
"Pokemon GO" is currently now out for iOS and Android in the US and other select countries.
Nintendo's Mobile Augmented Reality (AR) "Pokemon GO" first rolled out to app stores in Japan, Australia and New Zealand yesterday. The US iOS App Store version and Android Play Store version of the game is now live and players can now proceed to begin their journey as Pokemon Masters.
"Pokemon GO" Region Launch
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Game developer Niantic Labs, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have gone ahead and released the game to Australia, New Zealand and the US. iDigital Times reports that the countries who were first to play were the places where "Pokemon GO" have beta tested the game. The US version wasn't available in the country until May.
The US already has the game available but it is not known how long it will take before Canada gets theirs too. Europe will reportedly have "Pokemon GO" by the end of the week. Those who are eager to know the latest from Niiantic Labs themselves can follow their official Twitter account for updates.
Nintendo to Make Tablet, Game Controller for Mobile Games
With the inevitable sweeping success of "Pokemon GO" it is not suprising for Nintendo to turn to making their own console for their own mobile games. This may also be caused by a lot of players reporting online that the AR game drains their batteries really fast. According to the "Pokemon GO" official website, battery drainage is listed a known issue. They wrote that the team is working on something to create a solution.
Nintendo general manager of entertainment planning and development Shinya Takahashi said that the gaming company is looking at developing devices suited for their games. During the Japanese company's annual general shareholders meeting, they were discussing about putting in resources for smart devices like tablets, smartphones, and game controllers for their games. They also discussed about software to operate the devices, Polygon reported.
Furthermore, Nintendo is also interested in developing other types of games beyond the traditional and AR types like "Pokemon GO." The Verge adds that the company is busy developing "Animal Crossing" which is a casual game and "Miitomo," a social networking app.
Do you think Nintendo will be successful in making their own smart device or game controller for their games? Will it be more advantageous now that it is know that "Pokemon GO" has the ability to quickly drain a smartphone battery? Discuss in the comments below.
