Pokémon Go is a free downloadable reality game, which was released on the of the 5th of July 2016.
It became the most downloaded mobile app in its first week of release in the history of the App Store.
Also according to mobile analytics firm SuperData Research, Pokémon Go had earned as much as $14 million by July 11th, putting its daily revenue at about $2 million in the first week alone.
Crazy figures right? I’m sure you are eager to know how the game works.
It’s simple.
The game challenges users to find and catch Pokémon characters in their real world surroundings.
As explained on the official Pokémon website: “When you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away!”
The above explanation aligns with Pokemon slogan: you ‘Gotta catch ‘em all!’
Pokémon GO can been downloaded on an Iphone via apple store and Android device via Google Play Store.
How to play
The game has an augmented reality map that tracks your movements in the real world via GPS. When walking around, Pokémon will appear on your smartphone screen. Tap them to attempt to capture them, and you’ll enter a battle screen in which you must fling the Poké Balls at the bottom of the screen at your targeted Pokémon.
Walking through the world, you can also tap on blue landmarks to create Poke Stops(Pokémon Stops) and you can visit them to collect items such as Poké Balls, Potions and so on. Something like a virtual market to buy your weapons and health gear to help you on your mission.
By visiting Poké Stops and catching and evolving Pokemon, you will gain experience points which will upgrade your level over time. The higher your level,the more chances of catching rare Pokemon and eventually completing the game, in other words,the easiest way to get a lot of experience points is to evolve Pokémon – even ones that you have done before – as well as finding new ones simultaneously.
You can also find new Pokémon by hatching them from eggs. Find your eggs by going to your Pokémon screen and swiping left, from where you can select an egg and start incubating them till they’re due for hatching. You may have to walk a certain distance to hatch eggs – 2km, 5km or 10km – and the longer the distance, the rarer the Pokémon.
The whole aim of the game is to capture as many Pokémon as you can and 142 are currently available in the game. After you reach the optimum level which is level 5,you take your Pokemon to the Pokemon Gym where you challenge other gamers online to determine who the ultimate Pokemon trainer is!
Pokémon GO mania is sweeping the globe, but since it is being released at different times in different locations, some people are still (impatiently) waiting.
So far, the game has been released in:
- United States
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- CzechRepublic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Greece
- Greenland
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
There are rumours that it will reach Asia and eventually Africa by Mid-August. Gamers get ready!!!!
Will you play Pokèmon go once it is released in Nigeria bearing in mind the security situation of the country?
Let me know what you think.
