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I'm giving 'Pokémon Go' another try
I'll be the first to admit that I am not a serious Pokémon player. I don't know a Kanto from a Johto, and really have no clue where an Alolan Exeggutor comes from. Still, when Pokémon Go came out for mobile two years ago, this almost 50-year old was outside with everyone else in our downtown area, capturing little pocket monsters and trying to take over gyms.
Niantic will let developers use the 'Pokemon Go' AR platform
Niantic Labs, the developer behind Pokémon Go, Ingress and the upcoming Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, will allow third-party developers to use the AR platform that drives those games. It's called the Real World Platform and developers interested in it can sign up through Niantic to get more information about the platform and how to get access to it. "Because we are so excited about the opportunity in advanced AR, we want other people to be able to make use of the Niantic Real World Platform to build innovative experiences that connect the physical and the digital in ways that we haven't yet imagined," CEO John Hanke said in a blog post today. "We will be selecting a handful of third-party developers to begin working with these tools later this year."
After two years, 'Pokémon Go' is finally letting you trade monsters
It's been almost two years since Nintendo and Niantic released the mobile hit Pokémon Go. While the game's (very) slow feature rollout has whittled down the userbase to diehard fans, interaction with the upcoming Switch games make it a good time to get back in the game. But today, the game announced it's ready to roll out a Poké-critical function that's been missing since launch day: Trading your little beasties with anyone and everyone.
It's the perfect time to give 'Pokémon Go' another chance
I loved the idea of Pokémon Go when it launched in the summer of 2016. Like so many others, though, I eventually deleted the app due to numerous bugs and the toll it was taking on my smartphone's battery. If you fall into the same camp, but still love the Pokémon franchise, I have a proposition for you: give the game one more try. A lot has changed since its release, and the reveal of two new Switch titles -- Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! -- has created some extra incentives to play.
'Pokémon: Let's Go' will connect 'Pokémon Go' and Switch this fall
A new series of Pokémon games coming to the Switch this fall will link the "classic RPG experience" with 2016's augmented reality hit Pokémon Go. Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go Evee! will also support multiplayer, and there's a Poké Ball Plus accessory that works to throw Poké Balls in-game as a motion controller and works as a Pokémon Go Plus when you're away from home.
Niantic is building AR maps with help from 'Pokémon Go' players
Niantic may have split from Google years ago, but there's a little bit of Google culture left -- namely, the Maps part. The developer told Reuters that it's planning to create 3D augmented reality maps with the help of Pokémon Go players' cameras. Gamers would help map public spaces (such as parks and plazas) so that the AR experience could extend to the entire environment, not just characters. And crucially, these wouldn't be limited to Niantic's own games -- the company hopes to offer these AR maps to third-party developers.
Niantic details this year's 'Pokémon Go' events
Last year, Niantic hosted a day-long Pokémon Go festival in Chicago with 20,000 diehard fans of the smash hit mobile game. Unfortunately, it was a disaster, with both the local data networks, and the game's servers, unable to cope with that many players at once. It recovered from that initially bumpy (and expensive) start to host events in Japan, Korea and Europe, and now it's hoping to maintain that streak this year.
Niantic settles 'Pokémon Go' festival lawsuit for $1.5 million
Niantic has already refunded the ticket costs for attendees of 2017's disastrous Pokémon Go Fest, but it's now poised to pay more. The company is settling a class action lawsuit over the festival to the tune of $1.57 million, with an official settlement website due to appear by May 25th. The payout will cover hotel and transportation costs for the many attendees whose event was ruined by connectivity and logistical problems. Be sure to read the fine print if you were one of those affected, though -- you'll need evidence you were there.
‘Pokémon Go’ fetch quests could bring you closer to Mew
Well over a year later, Niantic is adding more traditional gameplay to Pokémon Go. Soon, you'll be able to tackle "Research Tasks." Essentially, they're fetch-quests like you'd find in a typical RPG. The carrot on the string? Finding out if the "series of mysterious happenings" in the game are related to Mew, the illusive psychic, Mythical Pokémon. You'll pick up normal research tasks (finding and catching predetermined pocket monsters, battling) from Pokéstops, while "Special Research" objectives from Professor Willow are rather ambiguous.
Niantic buys Escher to power shared world AR experiences
While Pokémon Go was a big step forward for AR in gaming, it appears that Niantic, the studio behind the game, has grander ambitions. This week, the company announced the acquisition of Escher Reality, which focuses on "persistent, cross platform, multi-user experiences," according to the release.
‘Pokémon Go’ Community Days bring exclusive captures every month
Starting this month, Pokémon Go players will be able to participate in monthly events that will bring out special Pokémon with exclusive moves. Community Days will be worldwide events and to take part, you'll just have to head outside to your local park. Each Community Day will feature a special Pokémon that will pop up more frequently for a few hours. Other event perks could include increased XP or Stardust, and Lure Modules activated on Community Days will last for three hours.
Say goodbye to 'Pokémon Go' on older iPhones
If you're a hardcore Pokémon Go trainer with an old phone, it might be time for an upgrade. Niantic has announced its plans to drop support for iOS devices that can't be updated to iOS 11, so phones released in or before 2013 (that's the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C) aren't going to work with the game anymore.
Charizard will look life-size with the 'Pokémon Go' AR+ update
The latest update for Pokémon Go doesn't add new monsters. Instead, it takes advantage of iOS 11's advanced augmented reality tech to give you a better look at them. "The new AR+ feature builds on the core AR gameplay in Pokémon Go and leverages Apple's ARKit framework to enhance the visuals and dynamics of catching Pokémon in the real world," a blog post says. Meaning, Pikachu and pals will now be the proper size based on where you find them. Getting closer or backing up will cause them to change in size and perspective from here on out assuming you have an iPhone 6s or newer.
‘Pokémon Go’ will soon incorporate real-world weather
Pokémon Go is getting a slew of new Pokémon this week as well as a dynamic weather system later this month. The game will soon reflect the real weather around you and that will affect which Pokémon you see and how strong they are. If it's raining, for example, you'll see more water-type Pokémon than usual and they'll start out with a higher CP than they typically would.
'Ingress' revamp will take cues from 'Pokémon Go'
With all the buzz around Pokémon Go and an upcoming Harry Potter game, it's easy to forget about Niantic's original augmented reality title, Ingress. It's looking old in the tooth, and not just because of its 2012-era visuals -- it's using aging tech that was made long, long before augmented reality hit the mainstream. The pioneering release is about to catch up, though. Niantic has offered a peek at Ingress Prime, a revamp of its hidden-reality sci-fi game due to launch in 2018. It'll sport a more polished, up-to-date design, but the biggest improvements will come from Pokémon Go... and not just the expected under-the-hood elements.
'Pokémon Go' legendary Ho-Oh is catchable for limited time
After amassing 500 million Pokémon in less than 48 hours, Pokémon Go players seemed primed to smash the Global Catch Challenge to nab 3 billion pocket monsters. Sure enough, they did, and (as promised) Niantic made region-locked Pokémon Farfetch'd available globally for two days. As it turns out, that wasn't the only reward the developer was planning. It's now making Ho-Oh, one of the Johto region's two legendary Pokémon, up for grabs in Raid Battles worldwide until December 12th.
'Pokémon Go' is making major changes to raids
Niantic has announced big changes to Pokémon Go raids, designed to even the playing field for trainers at all levels -- and pleasing Magikarp fans in the process. The raid system, particularly EX Raids, has faced criticism because of the way it seems to favor certain players and locations, but the changes -- a result of field-testing and feedback -- should rectify things.
'Pokémon Go' players catch 500 million Pokémon in under two days
Spurred by Pokémon Go's latest event, players have caught 500 million pocket monsters in less than two days. Developer Niantic kickstarted the Global Catch Challenge on Sunday (inviting fans to collectively catch a whopping 3 billion Pokémon in return for prizes) and it's well on its way to becoming the game's biggest hunt yet.
Harry Potter AR game is coming from the makers of 'Pokémon Go'
It's hard to exaggerate the success of Pokémon Go, Niantic's augmented reality game. That's why it's such big news that the company has announced the hit game's successor. Niantic Labs will once again work with a much-loved property, but this time, it's Harry Potter. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is set to launch in 2018, in cooperation with Warner Brothers Interactive and Portkey Games, reports TechCrunch.(Update: Niantic has since officially confirmed this news and released more details on the game.)
'Pokémon Go' developer buys social animation startup Evertoon
Game developer Niantic has become a well-known name since it released Pokémon Go to massive popularity last summer. Unfortunately, the game has recently seen a rather sharp decline in its active user community in the past year and a half. Perhaps that explains the company's recent acquisition of a relatively unknown startup, Evertoon, which makes an app for creating animations with customized avatars. "Today I am excited to announce that we have acquired the Evertoon team," wrote Niantic boss John Hanke, "who bring with them a wealth of talent and experience in mobile products, tools for creativity, and community building."
