When the talk comes to Augmented Reality games (AR) here at Gamewheel offices, we have tones of new information technologies and games to discuss about. But, this week was different than any other week. We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the introduction of “Pokémon Go”, which we believe it is for sure the talk of the month!

As discussed in previous blog posts in Gamewheel website, related to AR games , the future is here, and the image of Gaming industry is ready to accept the big challenge! The latest game that entered the market and seems to have an impressive effect of the AR gaming world is “Pokémon Go”: The evolution of AR games.

Since 6th of July , the gaming industry will never be the same again. The introduction of Pokémon Go in the game industry is a fact, and within the first few days of release, it managed to hit the top on the chart of downloaded games.

Pokémon Go is a GPS based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. It was only released in first week of July but it has already become extremely popular. The game allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual Pokémon who appear throughout the real world. The game is downloaded for free, but players can make purchases through the app while playing as are tempted to buy extra PokéBalls and other in-app features.

Pokémon Go is the first edition of the game – whose slogan is “gotta catch ‘em all” – for mobile phones and lets players apprehend the eponymous monsters using their smartphone cameras. “It has turned Nintendo from a reluctant adopter of mobile gaming to an augmented reality trailblazer that has taken gaming off the sofa and into uncharted territory” The Guardian stated online.

By end of July the company promised that will launch “Pokémon Go Plus”, a portable Bluetooth wearable device. Pokémon Go Plus is an accessory that will offer players an improved experience, and will alert them when a Pokémon is nearby so to try catch it. It will also let them know when they are near a PokéStop, enabling them to gather items without having to look at their phone. Really cool, right?

Reference: Mobile Action

In just 24 hours upon its release, Pokémon Go, Niantic Labs’ new free-to-download mobile game was the top grossing app on the App Store in the United States. Yahoo tech updates, stated that Pokémon game adds $7.5 billion to Nintendo market value in just two days! Download estimation for Pokémon Go reached 1 million based on Mobile Action metric data presented in graphs above. Guardian Online reported that some Australian servers experienced problems in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane due to the game’s popularity.

We are so looking forward to experiencing all the exciting features that Pokémon Go and Pokémon Go Plus will offer to the world of AR Games. Just remember to play safely!

Are you ready to “catch’ em all” ?