Pokemon GO: Region Exclusive Pokemon Clarified

Niantic CEO John Hanke responds to a fan on Twitter, clarifying whether or not region-exclusive Pokemon in Pokemon GO can be hatched from eggs anywhere in the world.

Even after one dedicated player caught all the Pokemon in North America in Pokemon GO, he still was short a few of the original 151 Pokemon. Besides the Pokemon that haven't been added to the game at all yet, the player also lacked region-exclusive Pokemon that can only be found in specific parts of the Earth. It was said that these Pokemon could still be caught by players in other regions by hatching them from eggs, but Niantic CEO John Hanke has offered some clarification, confirming to an inquiring fan on Twitter that region-exclusive Pokemon can only be hatched from eggs obtained from PokeStops in their regions.

Unfortunately, this means that the majority of the Pokemon GO population simply won't be able to "catch 'em all," unless they dig out their passport and buy a plane ticket to another continent, of course. While this news may be disappointing for some that were hoping to fill out their Pokedex before new Pokemon are added to the game, at least they now won't waste their time endlessly hatching eggs for Pokemon that are impossible for them to collect.

Even though some Pokemon are region-exclusive now, though, there may be a chance for fans to collect them in the future. Niantic could always release these Pokemon in other regions, or alternatively, make it possible to at least hatch them from eggs in other regions. If Pokemon trading is implemented and allows people to trade with others online, that is another way fans could potentially obtain region-exclusive Pokemon without having to break the bank with raveling fees.

@lady_maethoriel the eggs can only be found in their natural habitat.

— John Hanke (@johnhanke) September 22, 2016

If Pokemon trading doesn't include online functionality, it should still theoretically make it easier for region-exclusive Pokemon to be caught by those in other countries. People that do travel overseas could bring with them multiples of their region-exclusive Pokemon to trade, which would start populating other regions of the world with the exclusives. Of course, this all depends on Niantic adding Pokemon trading to the game, which is a feature fans have been asking for ever since the game's reveal trailer teased it.

Niantic is purposefully slow when it comes to adding features to Pokemon GO, but hopefully it fast tracks Pokemon trading to make it more likely for players to capture region-exclusive creatures. In the meantime, anyone from North America hoping to capture a Mr. Mime, Kangaskhan, or Farfetch'd will have to go on an exotic vacation.

Pokemon Go Plus Review: As Engaging As It Is Frustrating

We spend some rigorous time with the highly desired Pokemon GO Plus peripheral, coming away both impressed and a little deflated by the companion accessory.

I've always thought of myself as technologically progressive. I have the new iPhone 7 Plus on back order, there's one of every gaming console currently found on the market in my possession, and I'll probably pick up a pair of the divisive AirPod headphones upon their release. As much as that trait may be a factor in day to day life, I'm also heavily nostalgic, which could very well be the reason for my continued support of the ever-popular Pokemon GO. So, the arrival of a device that paired with the game seemed like an all too appropriate purchase, but the end result left me with the acceptance that this item is an asset, albeit shrouded in a 'warts and all' mantra.

For anyone unsure of how the hardware functions, it's important to keep in mind how basic the product (appropriately titled Pokemon GO Plus) is designed. As a means of playing the game without having to physically wield a phone at all times, the peripheral works as advertised, utilizing a distinct number of vibrations and color flashes to indicate what's happening around the player – all sans screen. It's a rather simple layout: Green means there's a previously obtained wild Pokemon in the area; Yellow indicates there's a never before captured beast in the vicinity; Blue implies that there's a PokeStop nearby; and Red means that the creature has fled.

As a major plus (pun somewhat intended), users will be constantly emptying their virtual bags in order to make room for all of the additional items they'll undoubtedly be gathering from PokeStops. Obviously, catching Pocket Monsters is the main reason to own the device, but since it only hurls standard Pokeballs at them it's not overly practical for those hoping to stockpile candies from rare 'mons. In fact, the higher the level of the individual, the stronger the Pokemon tend to be, and in most cases this means that the tried and true Pokeball is not enough to condemn these monsters to life on a mobile device. In that regard, this is not an ideal way to go about experiencing the title.

Pokemon GO Will Release for Android Watches

Android Wear users are in luck, as dataminers at the Pokemon GO Hub have confirmed that the app will be coming to the smartwatch devices in the near future.

Global sensation Pokemon GO may be losing its paying players, but Niantic isn't giving up on the ambitious AR project, giving its fans a whole new way to play the game over the coming months.

Only a few days ago, Niantic took to the stage at Apple's Special Event in order to announce that the game would soon be coming to the Apple Watch, a fact that will allow Pokemon GO fans to catch more of the classic 151, without using their mobile devices. Now however, dataminers over at Pokemon GO Hub have confirmed that the game will also be available on Android Wear, sometime in the near future.

Pokemon Go Apple Watch 3 encounter

According to the discoverers, the android version of the app contains code for a range of Android Wear devices. The code is complete, ready to be implemented, and will use bluetooth to connect to the player's mobile. It's not just Android phones that will be able to used with the Android smartwatches however, and certain watches will work with iOS devices too.

For those who make use of the Android Wear to play Pokemon GO will be able to have the app running on the watch, without the mobile version needing to be open. Players will be able to track and capture Pokemon, recieve items, and notify the Android app in case of issues (such as lack of Pokeballs).

In other recent Pokemon GO news, the long-awaited "buddy" update has finally begun to launch, following delays. The update adds to ability to gain candy for your favorite Pokemon, by walking with them set as your buddy. For those who have been lucky enough to catch or hatch their very own Pikachu, an amazing Easter egg is available, once over 10 KM have been walked alongside the iconic electric mouse.

Introducing new features into the game is a good way to attempt to gain back some of Pokemon GO's lost users, though we'll have to wait to see if this is enough to bring back the hype that the title has lost recently. Similarly, giving players new ways to access the game, other than from their mobile devices, is a good move as it eliminates the severe issues that Pokemon GO has with battery-drainage.

Pokemon GO Dev Talks Pokemon Battles Between Players

Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke talks about the future of Pokemon GO, and discusses the interest in trainers battling each other and whether it will come to the game.

Pokemon GO's initial debut trailer gave gamers a hint of what the game would ultimately offer, but much of what was shown in the video hasn't been implemented in the game yet. Niantic CEO John Hanke is addressing one of those possible features, discussing the potential for Pokemon battles in a future update.

In a recent interview at TechCrunch Disrupt SF, John Hanke got down to business talking about Pokemon GO's future. In addition to the news that Pokemon GO will come to Android smartwatch devices eventually, Hanke also discussed Pokemon battling. According to the CEO, his own son loves the Pokemon series, and wants to be able to battle with his friends in the Pokemon GO game. Regarding whether or not this could happen, Hanke had this to say:

"Battling is something we talk a lot about. It's probably something that will make its way onto our roadmap."

Unfortunately, this isn't the most solid answer most Pokemon fans were probably hoping for. It sounds as though the Niantic team is only considering the possibility of allowing players to battle each other directly at this time, rather than saying with a certainty that it will be a future feature, or that the team is currently working on it. Many players probably thought trainer battles would undoubtedly be included in Pokemon GO, considering that the main goal of catching and raising Pokemon in the original series was always to battle against other trainers, including NPCs and other players.

Pokémon Go wil valsspelers aanpakken met jailbreak-blokkade

In een poging valsspelen te voorkomen is Pokémon Go binnenkort niet meer speelbaar op telefoons met een jailreak of root.

Pokémon Go-ontwikkelaar Niantic wil op die manier voorkomen dat mensen bijvoorbeeld bots gebruiken of de gps van hun toestel voor de gek houden, meldt het bedrijf in een verklaring.

Voor de meeste van die valsspeel-methodes moeten spelers hun toestel jailbreaken of rooten. Gebruikers hebben dan volledige toegang tot hun toestel en kunnen ook apps die toegang verlenen.

Die toegang wordt bijvoorbeeld gebruik om Pokémon Go te laten denken dat de gebruiker ergens anders is. De makers van Pokémon Go-kaartenapps gebruiken de toegang ook om de locatie van Pokémon in de buurt in kaart te brengen.

De blokkering van toestellen met jailbreak of root wordt ingevoerd bij de aanstaande grote update voor Pokémon Go. Dan wordt ook het Buddy-systeem toegevoegd, waarbij spelers één Pokémon als hun buddy kunnen aanwijzen en zo bonussen kunnen vrijspelen.

Ontwikkelaar Pokémon Go werkt al aan nieuwe projecten.

Niantic, de ontwikkelaar van de succesvolle mobiele game Pokémon Go, werkt al aan nieuwe projecten. Dat laat CEO John Hanke weten aan Game Informer.

Voordat Niantic Pokémon Go maakte, werkte het aan Ingress, een soortgelijke game maar dan zonder pokémon om te vangen. Pokémon Go gebruikt veel informatie en techniek die al in Ingress zit.

"Het is altijd onze strategie om een platform onder een game te bouwen die ook voor andere games gebruikt kan worden. Het hoeven niet eens echt games te zijn, maar wel in diezelfde richting qua beweging, ontdekking en sociale interactie", aldus Hanke. "Het Niantic-platform is onderdeel van onze langetermijnvisie en we hebben wat projecten in een vroeg stadium die hier op voortbouwen, dus je kunt meer van ons verwachten in de toekomst."

Hanke denkt daarbij dat er meer games uit gaan komen die net als Pokémon Go gebruikmaken van echte locaties en augmented reality. "Ik denk dat het gezond is. Er is zeker ruimte voor meerdere succesvolle games in dit genre. Het is een fris idee voor ontwikkelaars en uitgevers die diverse soorten gameplay willen verkennen. Er kan nog veel innovatie bij komen kijken."

Sony gaf deze week al aan zich agressief op mobiel gamen te richten na het succes van Pokémon Go.