Leaked Pokemon Go footage may have given us an unofficial glimpse at the upcoming smartphone game from Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, but now we have some details straight from the Ponyta's mouth. A new page full of details has gone live on the official Pokemon website, as well as new screens showing gameplay.
As the off-screen footage showed, Pokemon Go will feature 3D, animated pokemon rendered over real-world landscapes. Once you've stumbled into an area with a pokemon that you want to capture, you'll use your phone as a viewfinder to locate it and tap the screen to capture it. Seeking out elementally-infused critters won't be your only goal though. The site also suggests paying a visit to PokeStops; museums, historical monuments, and famous landmarks where you can stock up on pokeballs and other items, such as pokemon eggs.
Much like the handheld games, you'll level up the more pokemon you capture, and that will in turn allow you to nab more powerful pokemon. Once you've proven yourself, you'll join one of three teams. Teams can assign their pokemon to gyms - which, like PokeStops, are found at real locations in the real world - and compete with others for control of an area, though it's not clear what you'll earn for having the most territory under your banner (other than bragging rights, of course).
Lastly, a Bluetooth-enabled device called the Pokemon Go Plus - I know, I'm not loving the name either - will let players partake of the game without having to pull out their phone. The wrist accessory will vibrate to let you know when a pokemon is near, and you can attempt to capture it simply by pressing the button on it. It's not as visually stimulating, sure, but when you're at your cousin's beachfront wedding, the last thing you want is to be remembered as the jerk who pulled out their phone and started screaming, "Gyarados! I need to catch the shiny Gyarados!!"
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