"Pokemon Go," an upcoming game being developed by the Pokemon Company in collaboration with Nintendo and Niantic Labs, will allow gamers to capture the little monsters in the real world using their smartphones and tablets.
According to the developers, the game play of "Pokemon Go" heavily relies on the concept of augmented reality technology, The Verge reported.
The game will be released sometime in 2016 as a free app for Android and iOS devices. Although the game will be free, it will come with various in-app purchases.
As for its game play, Engadget noted it might be similar to that of "Ingress." This is an augmented reality online multiplayer mobile game released by former Google subsidiary Niantic Labs in 2013. Through GPS tracking, the game monitors the gamer's surroundings and displays it as a map on the mobile device.
The map will then contain points pertaining to the app's content such as portals, Exotic Matter, control fields and other items. The players will then be able to interact with these items by physically going near them with the help of the virtual map.
Although the developers of "Pokemon Go" did not go into detail regarding its mechanics, they noted that the game will also make use of the players' surroundings. Instead of a map, the players will be able to see the Pokemons in their surroundings through their device's camera. The creatures will be displayed in the form of AR cards.
They will be able to capture these creatures and even swap them or engage in battles with other players through their mobile devices.
"Our challenge was to develop a great game for smartphone devices that expressed the core values of 'Pokemon,'" Tsunekazu Ishihara, the CEO of the Pokemon Company said in a statement according to Engadget.
Aside from the game, Nintendo will also release a companion accessory that will function like a wearable device. Sporting the look of the Pokeballs, the small red and white spherical containers used in the series to capture the monsters, the device is called the "Pokemon Go" Plus, according to IGN.
Designed to work on the Android and iOS platforms, this wearable device can be programmed to light up and vibrate whenever a game-related event, such as the appearance of a Pokemon, is happening near a player's location. Through the accessory, mobile gamers will not have to keep on checking their smartphones all the time.
"Pokemon Go" Plus will be released at the same time as the game but its price has not yet been announced by Nintendo.
