‘Pokémon GO’ Happening Very Soon: Release Date, Nintendo Updates, And Pricing

When Pokémon GO was unveiled by Nintendo in September, everyone just had one question in mind: when will Pokémon GO be available for download?

It has been a very slow last few quarters for Nintendo, and Pokémon GO is one of the most exciting products that the company is releasing to date. Especially owing to the fact that Pokémon is still, next to Super Mario Bros., one of the masterpieces and trademark games that define Nintendo, Pokémon GO is getting very positive feedback from Pokémon and Nintendo fans all over the world.

But while several issues rise despite the anticipation for Pokémon GO, especially since Pokémon GO is a game that aims to really revolutionize gaming with augmented reality, Nintendo is still keeping their mouth shut about what Pokémon GO will really offer to millions of Pokémon fans waiting.

Nintendo Insider reached out to Pokémon GO developer Niantic Labs, the company who was first acknowledged for their location-based social game, Ingress, for more Pokémon GO news and rumor confirmation. And while like Nintendo, Niantic is still holding back from answering questions, the developer promises that by mid-October, they will be revealing more Pokémon GO news and information to the public. Niantic representative Evan Dexter tells Nintendo Insider the following.

“We’re not quite ready to talk in more depth about Pokémon GO than what was revealed in the announcement press release and assets. Come mid-October we’ll be able to start going into more depth about our plans for the game, and about our plans for real world gaming overall.”

So for now, we just have to stay patient and wait.

But if there’s one thing we do know, it’s that Pokémon GO will be available for Android and Apple devices in 2016. 2016 is the 20th year anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, anyway, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than releasing the Pokémon GO free for everyone? Youth Health Mag is expecting Pokémon GO to be available on Google Play and iTunes free of charge early next year.

But while Nintendo’s Pokémon GO will be free to download, another device will be needed to fully experience the game, and it’s not coming to Pokémon fans on a silver platter—the Pokémon GO Plus. The Pokémon GO Plus is a companion device that could be clipped on or strapped to the wrist, and is the key to experiencing augmented reality with the Pokémon GO.

PC Advisor clarifies that Pokémon GO will still be playable without the Pokémon GO Plus, but it’s a great device that will let the player roam around freely without looking at their phone every so often. The Pokémon GO Plus device will deliver haptic feedbacks and flashing LED lights to notify the player if there are nearby Pokémon or other notifiable events. So how does the Pokémon GO Plus interact with the Pokémon GO game? The device connects to the phone over a Bluetooth connection, much like wireless headsets, and even lets the player perform simple actions such as throwing a Poké Ball to capture a Pokémon.

As of now, there is still no price available for the Pokémon GO Plus, so we might have to wait for the mid-October update by Niantic and Nintendo for more information.

News Everyday reports that testing of Pokémon GO will already start in winter of this year, so watch out for possible public beta testing, since that is the trend, it seems, nowadays. If all goes well, we will be able to get our hands on the game early next year.

Pokémon GO is one of the most-awaited releases by Nintendo come 2016, and it’s also the first mobile title by Nintendo. But it’s not one of the five mobile games Nintendo is planning with the new partnership with mobile developer DeNA, Nintendo’s move “to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide.”

Nintendo is really upping the ante, as they are already getting left behind by Sony and Microsoft. The company is hoping that their new console, codenamed Nintendo NX, and Pokémon GO will propel the company back to the competition.

[Images screenshots of Pokémon GO trailer by The Official Pokemon Channel]