While it may be awhile until Chipotle and Starbucks begin delivery services in the Ville, it won’t be too much longer until you may be able to catch your own Pokemon on campus. Yes, you heard me right. Catching Pokemon!
Due for release in the next couple of months, a revolutionary app called “Pokemon GO” will bring childhoods to life. This app will allow users to experience all the greatness of the classic Japanese video games with the real world as their backdrop. Players can catch, trade, and battle all their favorite characters right on their smartphones wherever and whenever they want. They will even be able to connect with friends and other worldwide players who are also using the app. The “Pokemon GO” app, once availble, will be free of charge in the Google Play and the App Store on Apple and Andriod devices. There will be in-app purchases available.
Pokemon is orignally a Japanese gaming franchise which has trading cards, stuffed animals, and some of the most popular video games of the 1990s and today. Their many games in a variety of color based titles such as Gold and Silver included new characters and adventures for players with every new edition. Players are refered to as “trainers” in the series, as they catch and train the animal-like characters to devlop skills based on elements such as fire, water, rock and plant. Pokemon’s most popular characters include Pikachu, Charazard and Squirtle. Pokemon also produced several animated movies and television shows for both Japanese and American audiences.
“Pokemon GO” is the first of many new augmented reality video games where users actually interact with a virtual world that coexists with their real one. This means that while using the application, you can see Pokemon freely roaming everyday places. The camera on your smartphone now becomes your eye into this parallel universe. According to Pokemon’s official website, Niantic Inc. and Nintendo are working together on the project. They will even include a special “Pokemon GO” Plus package which includes a wristband device that allows the game to keep going while you are attending to your daily activities. The wristband will look simliar to the Poke-Ball items available within the game and is eaisly one of the most stylish accessories for even a beginner Pokemon trainer.
Niantic Inc. already has another augmented reality mobile game available for download called Ingress. It uses location technology through your smartphone’s GPS sensor to fuel a science fiction story for it’s more than 12 million mobile users worldwide.
Xbox, PlayStation and many other video game makers are also looking at incorporating similar technology into their games. Even retailers are considering using this concept to allow shoppers to try on products from home (as if simply browsing in your pajamas wasn’t enough!). Virtual reality is also becoming popular with many major technology brands. Samsung has even created a headset where your Samsung phone can be transformed into a virtual reality experience.The company is also considering a partnership with movie studios and producers to place consumers into their favorite films. Google has also been working on virtual reality experiences for students in the classroom while using their program, Google Earth.
As this technology continues to enhance our world, we have so much to look forward to…including the race to catch them all!