“Pokémon Go gives us the opportunity to catch Pokémon while we’re out in the real world, not just in a virtual world. It really brings the two worlds together”, says N2O’s Developer Junaid.
The Pokémon franchise – in which hundreds of unique and adorable “pocket monsters” are collected, traded and battled – first entered into existence in the mid-nineties. Soon swarms of schoolchildren were seen huddled around each other in the playground, excitedly swapping characters.
Now back with a bang, the modern-day technology behind the game is giving it a new dimension.
“It’s something millions of kids over the world would have dreamed of years ago, as they were collecting cards with friends and playing the game on their Nintendo Game Boys.”
“The overall narrative of Pokémon is about exploration and travelling, so it’s ideally suited to becoming a game of real-life adventures. Pokémon Go provides a whole avenue to merge the fictional world of Pokémon and the augmented real-world areas.”
The technology itself is from Niantic, a start-up company from Google; access to the Google Maps knowledge and location-based technology has been an obvious advantage for the game’s designers. The game incorporates GPS, Cellular Network and the use of the device’s camera, which makes for a rich and powerful augmented reality experience.
“The time for ‘real world’ gaming has begun,” says Junaid.
