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Iran bans 'Pokémon Go' over security jitters
A number of governments are already nervous about the security implications of Pokémon Go, but Iran is taking that fear one step further: it just became the first country to ban the critter catching game entirely. The nation's High Council of Virtual Spaces wouldn't say what prompted the decision besides "security concerns." However, it comes after reports that Iran wanted to see what cooperation it could get from Niantic before taking action.
Nintendo loses billions in value after 'Pokemon Go' truth bomb
Pokemon Go is an unprecedented success, but Nintendo recently admitted it won't directly profit from the augmented reality game, leading to a loss of $6.7 billion in Nintendo's market value on Monday. Nintendo's market value rose by $7.5 billion on July 11th, just after Pokemon Go went public and became an instant, massive hit across the globe. Since its launch, Pokemon Go has added nearly $12 billion to Nintendo's market value, meaning today's dip, while sizable, isn't a total disaster for the company.
The live-action 'Pokémon' movie starts production next year
Last week the rumblings of a live-action Pokémon movie were just that. But now Legendary Pictures has confirmed that it has secured the rights for a Detective Pikachu flick, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The game it's based on isn't available stateside just yet, but perhaps it will be by the time production starts on the movie next year. We now know that Universal is doing the distribution work outside of Japan. However, any other details are light.
'Pokémon Go' expansion marred by a possible cyberattack
Good news! Pokémon Go is available in 26 more countries... if you get a chance to play, that is. Trainers can now grab the mobile game across a wider swath of European nations (such as the Netherlands and Sweden), but temporarily went down amid reports of a possible distributed denial of service attack. The internet collective PoodleCorp claims to have flooded Pokémon Go servers worldwide with enough traffic to effectively render them useless.
'Pokémon Go' is now available in the UK
Pokéfans in Britain, rejoice. Pokémon Go, the AR video game that lets you catch colourful critters with your smartphone, is now available in the UK version of the App Store and Google Play. That means you no longer have to fiddle about with APKs or store regions to start your own adventure.
UK children's charity says 'Pokémon Go' needs more safety features
Pokémon Go's biggest strength is that it's tied to the real world. Players are encouraged to explore their surroundings in order to capture new Pokémon and build out their Pokédex. But unlike the fantasy worlds of Kanto and Johto, planet Earth can be a dangerous place, especially for younger players. In the week since its launch, users have been encouraged to visit some inadvisable places, like a Hells Angels clubhouse. Crooks have also used the lure feature, which attracts Pokémon, to pull in players and rob them for real. They're rare, but nevertheless alarming cases.
'Pokémon Go' update fixes the iOS app's nosy Google access
Pokémon Go for iOS doesn't have quite as much access to your Google account as some gamers have feared, but it's clear that Niantic isn't wasting time trying to assuage your concerns. It already has an update for the rabidly popular game that narrows the iOS version's access to your Google data if you sign in using a Google account. In short, you can likely relax about your privacy while you're Pikachu-catching -- the biggest issue now is simply getting to play in the first place.
Robbers used 'Pokémon Go' to lure their victims
Pokémon Go is introducing many people to location-based gaming... and unfortunately, that includes the potential pitfalls as well. Police in O'Fallon, Missouri report that robbers used the mobile augmented reality title to reel in victims. Based on the description, it's most likely that the crooks placed a lure at a Pokéstop (a location where you collect items) and waited for players to show up, becoming unwitting targets in the process. While the police caught the robbers, their advice holds true -- be careful before you give strangers a clue as to where you're going.
Australian police urge 'Pokémon Go' players to pay more attention
Zealous new Pokémon Go trainers around the world are out catching 'em all, but a police station in Australia is warning against actually walking into the station just to nab the items that could be lurking there.
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.
The world's largest Pokemon card is actually 13,000 cards in one
Pikachu has evolved once again -- this time into a massive mosaic featuring his original pose as drawn by famed Pokémon illustrator Ken Sugimori. The mosaic is 32 feet tall, 23 feet wide and it's created out of 12,987 individual Pokémon trading cards. And yes, you better believe that's a new record for trading-card mosaic art. British artist Quentin Devine completed the work as part of The Pokémon Company's year-long 20th anniversary celebration of the Pokémon franchise. Devine previously made a mosaic of the Mona Lisa entirely out of fan self-portraits, and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II using penny coins.
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.
'Pokkén Tournament' joins the Pokémon Championship series
Pokkén Tournament is the latest evolution of the Pokémon video game franchise, featuring your favorite pocket monsters battling one-on-one in a 3D arena. It sounds like an ideal competitive fighting game, which is one reason it's joining the official Pokémon Championship Series this year. Pokkén Tournament isn't even out yet -- it drops for the Wii U on March 18th -- but players around the United States can try out for a spot in the Championship Series on February 27th at a handful GameStop locations. See the full list of participating stores below.
'Pokémon' fighting game 'Pokkén Tournament' hits Wii U in March
Pokkén Tournament smashes into the Wii U on March 18th in North America, Europe and Japan, the official Pokémon Twitter account announced today. Pokkén Tournament combines two of gaming's greatest inventions: Pokémon and the fighting genre. It's in development at Bandai Namco, the studio behind classic fighters Tekken and Soulcalibur, and is published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Nintendo bundles 'Pokémon Red' and 'Blue' in new 3DS pack
Happy birthday, Pikachu! And Bulbasaur, and Charmander, and Squirtle, and Growlithe, and ... about 700 other adorable creatures. February 27th is Pokémon Day, and this year Nintendo is celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary with the release of a special 3DS bundle. It includes Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue pre-installed, plus two cover plates with artwork from the original games and a download code for an exclusive Home Menu theme. Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow will be available to download in the 3DS eShop on February 27th, as well.
The Pokémon fighting game you've been waiting for hits Wii U in 2016
Hold on to your Poké Balls -- Pokkén Tournament, the Pokémon fighting game that debuted in Japanese arcades this year, is heading to Wii U in spring 2016, worldwide. Pokkén Tournament is in development at Tekken and Soulcalibur studio Bandai Namco, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. As reported back in August 2014, Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and Soulcalibur producer Masaaki Hoshino are leading the project. Pokkén Tournament takes a realistic approach to Pokémon (as realistic as it can be, at least) in an attempt to turn the franchise into a serious fighting game. It looks positively buttery in the first trailer, though note that the footage is taken from the arcade version of the game, rather than the final Wii U build. Also note the new Pikachu Libre challenger. Also also note the second video we've included in this post. You're welcome.
Nintendo on iOS? Pokédex arrives on iOS in the US and Europe, costs $2
Nintendo may not be giving up its gaming IPs to smartphones just yet, but the Japanese gaming giant is willing to work with them if it means crosspromoting games on standalone Nintendo consoles. Take, for example, today's release of the interactive Pokémon "Pokédex," available for $2 across various iOS devices -- Nintendo clearly isn't against taking fans' money in exchange for a valuable service: information on over 640 Pokémon on-the-go ... if you buy the three upgrade packs for $5.99 apiece (!!), that is. Support for the app extends all the way back to the aged iPhone 3GS, and through to the newest iPad (as well as the iPad Mini), so you'll be able to explore the wild world of Tepig from a vast array of iOS hardware. Of course, much of this could be meaningless to you if you grabbed the free version previously available on Nintendo's 3DS, but then you put it off, didn't you? And now here we are.
