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‘Harry Potter: Wizards Unite’ gathered location data while users slept
It's no secret that games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Pokémon Go track their users' locations. But it can be alarming to see just how much data companies like Niantic have. As part of an extensive report on how tech companies are mapping the world, Kotaku revealed that Niantic's Wizards Unite, in particular, gathered a surprising amount of data.
Pokémon’s New York-inspired monsters join 'Pokémon Go' today
Starting today, September 16th, Pokémon Go players can begin collecting Pokémon from the series' fifth generation of games. As with any of the other Pokémon you could collect previously, you'll be able to catch Gen 5 monsters by finding them out on your daily commute, taking part in the game's co-operative 'Raid' mode and by hatching eggs. Some of the more notable additions included in today's update are Gen 5's three starters, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. For the full list of new Pokémon, as well as information on how to obtain them, visit developer Niantic's website.
'Pokémon Go' has racked up 1 billion downloads
So much for Pokémon Go's initial success being nothing more than a fad. The Pokémon Company has released a series of videos in Japanese noting that Niantic's location-based mobile game has been downloaded over 1 billion times since launch. Some of those are re-downloads, and it's not clear how many players are active (Superdata estimated 147 million monthly users as of May 2018). All the same, it's an achievement for a game many thought might fizzle out after a few months.
Team Rocket is now prepared to fight Pokémon Go trainers
We hope you're prepared for trouble, because you can now fight Team Rocket grunts in Pokémon Go. Niantic has started rolling out the update it promised a week ago, adding dark-colored PokéStops with the Team Rocket logo at various locations in the game. Just spin the stop to fight a grunt's shadow Pokémon and capture the poor, abandoned monster with a Poké ball after you beat its heartless trainer.
Upgraded 'Pokémon Go' battles will have you swiping on the screen
Niantic finally launched trainer battles on Pokémon Go late last year, giving you a way to take on friends or any other random players you come across. Now, the game developer has started rolling out an upgrade for the feature that'll have you swiping on the screen. The Charged Attack mechanic in trainer battles used to be all about tapping on icons as fast as you could. After installing the update, though, you'll have to swipe on the screen to collect as many icons as you could to power up your Pokémon's attack instead. It's more Fruit Ninja than Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, but it could amp up your enjoyment if you never quite liked furiously tapping on your phone.
Niantic sues group of alleged 'Pokémon Go' cheaters
It's not just multi-platform gaming giants suing cheaters. Niantic has sued members of Global++ for allegedly offering "unauthorized derivative" (read: hacked) versions of Pokémon Go, Ingress and even the still-in-beta Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The modified mobile apps not only violate intellectual property rights, Niantic said, but "undermine the integrity of the gaming experience" by helping players cheat. This hurts player enthusiasm for the games and thus could "interfere" with Niantic's business.
Stop saying 'Minecraft Earth' is essentially 'Pokémon Go'
Minecraft Earth is a mobile AR game, but that doesn't mean it's Pokémon Go. Yes, it uses a mobile device. Yes, it superimposes digital objects on the physical landscape -- but that's just the definition of AR. Many stories and conversations about Minecraft Earth immediately compare it to Pokémon Go, describing it in terms of what's different or what's similar to Niantic's creature-collecting game. It'd be like contrasting The Life Aquatic with Billy Madison just because they're both shot with a camera and play out on a screen, but one happened to come out first. Pokémon Go and Minecraft Earth are vastly different experiences from the ground-up.
'Pokémon Go' will drop Apple Watch support after July 1st
If you're used to advancing your Pokémon Go game with an Apple Watch, you'll want to change your habits. Niantic is ending support for the Apple Watch after July 1st -- beyond that, you can't connect your watch to the creature-catching game. Simply put, it's not as useful any more. Now that Adventure Sync can track steps, earn Buddy Candy and hatch Pokémon on your phone, Niantic wants to "focus" on using the feature on one device instead of splitting your attention.
'Pokémon Go' gamified walking, so now 'Pokémon Sleep' scores your naps
So how will the Pokémon Company follow up the success of Niantic's Pokémon Go? At a press conference today they revealed Pokémon Sleep, a new mobile game that tracks your time sleeping to unlock new characters. It's being made by Pokémon Magikarp developer Select Button. There's also some new hardware with a Pokémon Go Plus + that works as a sleep tracker thanks to its integrated accelerometry, and also works just like the $35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory for use with that game.
'Pokémon Go' players are getting 10 days of 'Detective Pikachu' events
Pokémon used brand synergy. It's super effective! To celebrate Detective Pikachu hitting theaters on May 10th, Pokémon Go is getting a heap of new content. From May 7th to May 17th, players of the popular mobile game will find themselves encountering Pokémon featured in the film, having a chance to participate in special Raid Battles and Field Research events and collecting limited edition items for their avatars.
'Pokémon Go' challenges you to photograph its AR creatures
Now that Pokémon Go has a photo mode, Niantic is encouraging you to use it the best way it knows how: the promise of goodies. It's launching a Go Snapshot Challenge that rewards you for taking photos that include the game's augmented reality critters. A Buddy Challenge category encourages you to take selfies with your favorite creature, a Habitat Challenge asks you to take a picture based on a Pokémon's 'natural' element, and a Go Create Challenge allows more free-form photography.
'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite' is about protecting muggles
We may not know when the new Harry Potter mobile game is coming, but we do have an inkling of what it'll be like when it arrives. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will focus on the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, hunting out and capturing rogue creatures, people and objects that have escaped from the wizarding world. You, as a new recruit to the team, will be tasked with protecting the muggle world from these calamities as they crop up.
'Pokémon Go' is testing high noon raids
Next week, Pokémon Go will experiment with a new feature: lunch hour raid battles. On March 13, from 12pm to 1pm in your local time zone, Pokémon Go will increase the number of raids. If the one-day trial run goes well, lunchtime brawls might become a regular part of the game.
'Pokémon Go' update gives Android gamers an AR portrait mode
Earlier this month, Niantic promised a feature called "Go Snapshot" that would turn Pokémon Go into an AR photo machine. Now, the feature is live -- for Android devices, at least. You'll also have to be a Level 5 or above trainer to be able to be able to access Go Snapshot, so you may want to walk around and go capture monsters if you want to take a photoshoot with your favorite Pokémon.
'Pokémon Go' settlement promises action on nuisance Pokéstops
Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go, has reached a tentative settlement in a class action lawsuit filed against the company by homeowners who claim the game caused players to stumble into their yards searching for Pokémon. As part of the agreement, the company will be more responsive in fielding nuisance complaints from private property owners and will remove gyms and PokéStops that appear near residential areas.
Niantic is turning ‘Pokémon Go’ into an AR photo machine
The augmented reality photo mode in Pokémon Go will soon offer a better way for you to take pictures of your Pokémon. While you've already been able to take photos of Pokémon you see in the wild using the AR+ mode, the Go Snapshot update will allow you to pose and interact with Pokémon you've already captured.
Niantic plans 'Pokémon Go' events in US national parks
In addition to being a fun and entertaining pastime in its own right, augmented reality games have also proven to be a decent way to make players more physically active. Niantic, the developer of two of the most well-known AR games — Pokemon Go and Ingress, — is about to take this aspect further by encouraging players to visit nature trails and scenic rivers across the US. It's also planning to host a series of small-scale events in American national parks.
Pokémon Go's top players can nominate PokéStops in Brazil and Korea
Hot off its 35 percent active player boost this summer, Pokémon Go aims to keep the momentum going with a new PokéStop nominations beta. "Coming soon" for level 40 trainers in Brazil and Korea (excluding kids), with plans for a wider rollout, the feature will let you submit PokéStop locations and objects -- all from within the app's Settings menu.
Des Moines' city council is trying to 'opt out' of 'Pokémon Go'
The City Council of Des Moines, Washington is working hard to cut down on its residents' access to Pokémon Go, even going so far as to make attempts to "opt out" of the game.
French mayor bans 'Pokémon Go' in his town
In what is either great technological misunderstanding or extreme territorialism, mayor Fabrice Beauvois wants every digital pocket monster out of his village. He mailed a decree to Niantic, creators of the mobile game Pokémon Go, demanding they pull their game from the 800-person settlement of Bressolles northeast of Lyon.
