Pokémon Go, the augmented reality (AR) game that’s been making quite the splash on social media, has only just been released in the US and Australia, but it’s already caused quite a stir online.
It seems AR gaming is about to hit the big time, following the first official release of Pokémon Go, an app that lets you wander around the world you live in capturing invisible Pokémon characters by pointing your cameraman at them.
The app has been in development for three years now with leaked images and video getting fans of the Japanese show – both old and young – excited, but now the app is being slowly rolled out to users on iOS and Android in Japan, the US and Australia initially.
The first breakthrough AR game
This isn’t unusual with app releases, but it seems that the many clips appearing on social media of players playing it has gotten users in the rest of the world rather anxious to get their hands on it.
While not the first AR game to be released for phones – Ingress, which was released in 2014, being the best-known example out there – Pokémon Go is clearly going to set a trend for similar apps that will have us all roaming the streets like zombies hunting out our next source of food.
Its developers, Niantic, which is also the same company that made Ingress, has even bigger plans for the app in the coming months. There are plans in place for a companion wristband to be worn called the Pokémon Plus that will integrate itself with the smartphone app.
So, while it’s only been a day since launch, Twitter’s reaction clearly shows that in the US, Australia and Japan, people are scrambling around trying to ‘catch ‘em all’.
we walked to get more pokemons and so many are spawning in this spot #PokémonGO pic.twitter.com/cqRYWiBsFD
— Bee (@heyimbee) July 7, 2016
I can't even go GROCERY SHOPPING normally anymore #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/044tZcfrrC
— Cha ⭐️ (@ayyyvocado) July 7, 2016
#PokemonGO got me wandering around my neighborhood like pic.twitter.com/yCcsOs7rNH
— MAN (@MANvsGAME) July 7, 2016
This is the most accurate #PokémonGO post I've seen yet pic.twitter.com/XbH5iuNJSg
— Ti Butler (@tibutler) July 7, 2016
Boss: I know work can be tiring but you can't be falling asleep at your desk…
Me: but…#PokemonGo pic.twitter.com/DqAcG2Jt9l— Johnee Pixels (@johneepixels7) July 7, 2016
Uber Driver: "I'm driving you to the lake front downtown. Are you going out to eat?"
Me: "Nah about to catch some Pokemon." #PokemonGO— TrueTriz (@TrueTriz) July 7, 2016
Please come to Ireland, Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Go toy image via Myimagine/Shutterstock
