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A one-button wearable defeats the purpose of Pokémon Go
Whenever you ask Pokémon players what they enjoy about playing the games, they usually mention the actual Pokémon in some way. Some enjoy training up their creatures to assemble the ultimate battle team; others really get into the breeding aspects of the game. In some titles you can even enter your Pokémon in beauty pageants, in which you dress them in gaudy accessories. And, of course, there's the thrill of finding as many species as possible in order to achieve the ultimate goal: a complete Pokédex containing every single known Pokémon. These characters lie at the heart of most of Pokémon gameplay.
The 'Pokémon Go' wearable costs $35
Next month, Nintendo is going to fulfill the childhood dreams of thousands of people who grew up in the 1990s: it's releasing Pokémon Go, an app that lets you catch pocket monsters in the real world using your smartphone. That alone is pretty exciting for fans, but if you've been following the game you also know that the app is getting a companion wearable that lets you play it without looking at your phone. Today at E3, Nintendo gave us a price for the wearable: $34.99.
'Pokémon Go' beta arrives on mobile devices
Pokémon Go, the real-world equivalent to kicking off your own journey to becoming a Pokémon master, is finally available for beta testers in the US as of today.
'Pokémon Go' field test signups are now live
Pokémon Go, the mobile app that allows users to travel the globe on their own Pokémon journey, is finally open for registration for United States users. Niantic Labs' field test is available to sign up for right now, with users being chosen to try out the upcoming game later on.
How 'Pokémon Go' will work on your smartphone
At last, Niantic and The Pokémon Company are ready to talk about Pokémon Go. Until now we've seen and heard relatively little about the game, save for what was shown in its reveal trailer last September. But following a leaked video from SXSW, the pair have finally divulged how the app actually works. As you walk around with your smartphone, it'll occasionally vibrate to indicate that a Pokémon is nearby. Tapping the screen will throw a Poké Ball, which can be obtained along with other items at a "PokéStop." These stores will be based at "interesting places" including museums and monuments, encouraging exploration.
Here's your first (unofficial) look at 'Pokémon' on smartphones
You no longer have to guess what Pokémon Go will look like when it finally reaches smartphones. An attendee at a SXSW panel led by Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke recorded footage of the mobile game in action, and it's definitely not just a 3DS game writ large. You'll see Pokémon on a map of your surroundings; tap them and you'll zoom into an augmented reality view that plunks the critter into the real world. The clip doesn't show fighting, alas, but it does show staples like different capture balls (up to the surefire Master Ball) and a mysterious Crystals button that might refer to an in-game currency. As for a release date, prices and other details? Those will have to wait, unfortunately, but at least you have a sense of what you're in for.
'Pokémon Go' uses your phone for real-life Mewtwo hunting
We've seen Pokémon in VR before, but how about getting them about and playing with them in the real world? That's what Pokémon Go wants to achieve. It's a collaboration between Niantic Labs (the folks behind the GPS-based Ingress) and The Pokémon Company. From what we can tell, it's going to use Niantic's location-based backend to have you catching, fighting and trading the pocket monsters in the streets around you. Of course, there's a wearable involved dubbed the Pokémon Go Plus too. It's a Bluetooth device from Nintendo that's shaped like one of the series' Pokéballs (capture-gizmos that store monsters after defeating them) that pairs with both Android and iOS to flash and vibrate, giving you alerts when something is happening in the game in your vicinity. It goes a bit further than that though, and you can even use the Go Plus to capture a monster with it.
Google's Alphabet doesn't include N for Niantic Labs
Google's newly-created parent company Alphabet apparently has room for only one "N" brand -- Ingress and Field Trip creator Niantic Labs is telling users that it's becoming an independent company. Google will stick around as a supporter, but there will be "amazing new partners" helping out in the near future. Although the company is shy about where it's going (we're told you'll hear more "in the weeks ahead"), it plans to stick to its exploration-minded projects. You shouldn't expect a major shift in direction any time soon, in other words, although you can opt out of transferring your data by September 11th if you're skittish about the whole thing.
Google taking augmented reality game 'Ingress' to TV
Google and its video game studio, Niantic Labs, are adding another layer to their augmented reality app, Ingress, by bringing it to TV, The Information reports. In Ingress, players travel -- in physical reality -- to marked locations called "portals," and they hack and defend those positions using iOS and Android devices, including Android Wear. It's a lot of mystery, stealth and geolocation wrapped in a sci-fi vibe, and players are meant to feel like operatives in world-changing missions. Plus, the app has been downloaded more than 10 million times since launching in 2012. Yeah, that sounds like it could make for a fairly entertaining TV show.
Barely Related: Twin Peaks returns, so does Ghostbusters
Hello, weekend! It's so lovely to see you again. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Ingress' user-created missions give added meaning to your walking tours
Ingress certainly has a following among augmented reality gamers, but its relative lack of direction can be intimidating -- especially if you're a newcomer. Where do you go first? As of today, you'll (usually) have an easy answer. Google's Niantic Labs has added user-created missions to the game that give you an incentive to get moving. Effectively, they're walking tours with objectives. You're usually asked to hack portals or solve puzzles at each stop, with the promise of special medals at the end. Each mission includes both average completion times and ratings, so you'll likely know in advance whether or not a given adventure is worth the effort.
Google's augmented reality turf war, 'Ingress,' arrives on iOS
Google's Niantic Labs grew the potential audience for Ingress in a big way late last year, when it put out the finished Android version of its augmented reality game. Today, the studio is taking the next (if fairly obvious) step toward grabbing more players: it's releasing the long-promised iOS edition. Both iPad and iPhone owners can now capture territory ("portals" in Ingress-speak) and build up their virtual skills by visiting real locations. The experience will be very familiar if you've played before; missions give you an incentive to keep coming back, while faction chats let you coordinate turf battles and meet fellow players. There aren't any major tweaks or upgrades that we've seen. The game ultimately remains an excuse to explore new places, but that's not a bad thing if you're tired of visiting the same old haunts -- hit the App Store if you're willing to give it a spin.
Google Glass users can now say 'Explore Nearby' to launch Field Trip, discover the world around them
When Google released its Field Trip app for Glass back in August last year, it made perfect sense. You could finally use the wearable computer as a handy visual tour guide when you're out and about, which in our opinion is a far better use-case for it than checking email or reading text messages. That said, the original Field Trip wasn't the smoothest experience, as you still had to tap the eyewear's touchpad to launch it. That changes today, however, with a new voice command feature that lets you activate the app simply by saying "OK Glass, Explore Nearby," effectively making it a top-level command similar to "Take a picture" or "Get directions." Given that the app was developed by Niantic Labs, an internal startup within Google, it's no surprise that it works so seamlessly with the Google hardware.
Google's Field Trip app adds ratings to its recreational recommendations
Google knows that not everything in Field Trip will reach the high watermark of creepy areas around New York, but it hopes that the app's latest update will make cool spots easier to find wherever you are. The search giant's Niantic Labs has added a rating system on Android and iOS and is enabling the community to possibly cull banal info from the mobile point-of-interest database. The five-star rankings should offer more granularity than the previous thumbs-ups/thumbs-down system, and soon enough the cards with the highest average score could be all you see. If your city is inherently boring though, there's nothing Mountain View can do about that.
Google's Ingress to become a platform for other augmented reality games
Eventually, Google's Niantic Labs will have to wind down Ingress' storyline. However, that won't be the end of the developer's augmented reality efforts. Niantic tells The Verge that it's working on programming kits that would let aspiring coders build their own games with chat layers, location info and (if necessary) in-game ads. Jut don't expect to write your own title any time soon. Niantic doesn't yet know when the tools will be ready, and their availability may depend on the kind of flexibility that the team wants to offer. If the developer plays its cards right, though, Ingress fans will have a lot more to look forward to than just the beta's end or iOS support.
Google's Ingress augmented reality game exits beta December 14
It's been just over a year since Google's Niantic Labs launched Ingress, an alternate and augmented reality turf war game, as a closed beta. Last Friday, the game ditched its invitation requirement, and today Niantic announced that Ingress will lose its beta tag on December 14. So, in just over a month, anyone with an Android phone can join in the search for XM and start battling for control of the world's portals by downloading the app from Google Play. The good news isn't just for new players, either. Ingress agents who've been playing awhile can now earn the new Founder Medal badge if they reach level 5 in the game before the beta ends. Lastly, Niantic is announcing the Ingress Elite Agent challenge for all players, which starts today and runs until December 14. Players who have the best Ingress performance stats and submit "a creative social media submission" will get a free trip to California next February to work with Niantic Labs on the ever-evolving Ingress story. Want to know more? The Google plus source link's got all the details you need.
Ingress beta for Android now open to all augmented reality fans
For the past year, the Ingress beta has been as much an exclusive club as it is an augmented reality game -- you've had to request an invitation to play. Google and Niantic Labs must want more of us to join the party, though, as they've quietly dropped the invitation requirement. Any Android user interested in virtual turf wars now just has to download the beta from Google Play to start claiming territory. The promised iOS version still isn't available, although Niantic Labs' Brandon Badger recently told AllThingsD that the port should be available sometime in 2014. While that's a long time to wait, iOS players will at least have plenty of opponents once they arrive.
Google and Abandoned NYC uncover the city's secrets with Field Trip app
Starting today, users of Field Trip for iOS, Android and Glass will be able to experience some of New York City's forgotten -- and occasionally creepy -- locations as Google's Niantic Labs brings Abandoned NYC's content to the app. Normally, Field Trip functions as a convenient mobile tour guide, delivering interesting information provided by sources like the American Institute of Architects and the Little Black Book series. With Abandoned NYC joining the ranks of content providers, Field Trip users will be able to explore obscure, mysterious and atmospheric spots across the five boroughs uncovered by photographer and project founder Will Ellis, like Harlem's Public School 186 and the Red Hook Grain Terminal. Unfamiliar with Field Trip? See it in action after the break or download it from one of the source links below.
Google reveals Field Trip app for Glass, puts recreational recommendations in your FOV
Perhaps you've been enjoying the fruits of Niantic Labs' endeavors on your handset since Field Trip's introduction on Android, and more recently, iOS. However, wouldn't it be nice to have those nifty tidbits of location-based info provided in a less obtrusive manner? Good news Explorers, because Field Trip has arrived on Glass today. That means that all those restaurant and activity suggestions upon which you depend to keep yourself entertained and fed are now delivered directly to your eyeball instead of your pocket. If you're thinking that such a Glass app makes perfect sense, well you're not alone. It turns out that John Hanke, Niantic's chief actually made Field Trip for Glass, and the mobile versions were built simply as a way to get the app out to as many people as possible. That way, the database of info for the app could be built up and more feedback could be gathered and used to refine the Field Trip UX by the time it came to Glass. For folks wanting to see the results of all that hard work (and don't have the $1,500 wearable needed to see it firsthand), a video of the app in action awaits after the break.
Google's Field Trip app granting free admission to 13 museums (update: now 23)
While Google's Field Trip app may find attractions off the beaten path, it's been up to users to foot the bill for their excursions. Now, however, the Niantic Labs-made application is handing out freebies for an unspecified limited time, allowing those who wield it to waltz into 13 museums for free. Folks near the establishments will receive Free Entry cards in the "nearby" tab, which will let them pass turnstiles without forking over a dime. Although Field Trip has been beefed up with points of interest in over 80 countries, the participating institutions -- which range from The Field Museum to the Walt Disney Family Museum -- are all located in six US cities. Head past the break for the full list. Update: Google's let us know that they've expanded the offer to include a total of 23 venues. We've revised the full list after the break. Mountain View says it's on a "first come, first served basis," so you'll want to head out there as soon as your sightseeing self can.
