Update 13 August 2016:
Pollster YouGov in the UK has compiled data on Pokemon Go which reveals that the game has become massively popular in the country. More than 6.1 million British adults have already downloaded Pokemon Go (by August 12), and this accounts for 13% of the population. About 5.3 million of these players (87% of those who installed the game), are still using the app. About 600,000 users paid between 80p and £14.99 for purchasing items in the game, while about 250,000 users have spent £15 or more on the game.
The game has been a massive hit in the United States, according to YouGov poll. Pokemon Go has been downloaded and installed by about 34.5 million US adults so far since its release on July 6, 2016 in the country. About 30.8 million people in the US are using the app, and about 10 million users have made in-app purchases.
Pokemon GO Update: Pokemon GO Android version 0.33.0 and iOS Version 1.3.0 Released
Niantic has rolled out a new update for Pokemon GO – Version 0.33.0 for Android and Version 1.3.0 for iOS – with many fixes and enhancement.
Players were expecting the new update to restore the tracking feature that was earlier removed by the game developers. Although, that feature has not been included in the Pokemon GO version 0.33.0 for Android and 1.3.0 for iOS, the good news is that trainers will now receive XP bonuses from Poke Balls.
The new update will also remind players not to play the game while driving above a certain speed. Trainers need to confirm – before start of the game – that they are not driving, and only then, the player can continue the game. Nicknames can also be changed, but only once, so better to choose a name wisely.
The new changes are aimed towards improving the accuracy of the curveball throw. The new update now shows the correct Medal icons in achievements.
Battery saver mode option for Apple iOS devices was having some issues in the previous update, which now been resolved. Visuals for Team Leaders Blanche, Candela, and Spark have been added. The bug which was preventing players from getting the right XP bonuses for ”Nice,” ”Great,” and “Excellent” Poke Ball throws has also been fixed.
Pokémon GO has also touched the milestone of 100 million downloads in the Play Store within a month after its release. For the past one month, Niantic had been working hard to expand the availability of the game across all of North and South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
Update 8 August: Iran Bans Pokemon Go due to “Security Concerns”
Iran, the second-largest country in the Middle East, has imposed a nation-wide ban on augmented reality smartphone game Pokemon Go. The ban was imposed by Iran’s High Council of Virtual Spaces, a governmental online filtering and monitoring agency, which said some “security concerns” were the reasons behind the restrictions being imposed on the game.
Since its launch in early July, Pokemon Go has created several disturbances as it encourages players to visit real-world locations and landmarks to catch Pokemon and get in-game items. Many players have been reported to be wandering onto military bases to catch Pokemon.
According to BBC, the authorities in Iran had contacted Niantic Labs, the developer of Pokemon GO, in July and asked the company to co-operate with them. However, the government has now decided to completely ban the game within its territories. There are some reports that regardless of the restrictions, people in Iran are still playing the game and discussing about the game on social media.
On Saturday, a 20-year-old man Calvin Riley was reported shot and killed in San Francisco’s Aquatic Park when he was playing Pokemon Go. According to officials, the shooting occurred late at night on Saturday in Aquatic Park, located next to Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Riley was walking on the promenade and playing the Pokemon Go when he was shot. The investigators said the attackers did not attempt to rob him or take any of his property.
In a bizarre incident in Australia, a funeral at St Joseph’s Catholic church in Corinda, Brisbane was disrupted last Friday by two teenagers who were playing Pokemon GO. The pair – trying to chase Pokemon – entered the church when a memorial service was underway. The wife of the deceased said a church was not a place for catching Pokemon and that the game could prove to be a safety risk.
In Thailand, authorities have warned Pokémon GO players to refrain from entering polling stations in search of cyber creatures. The country is holding a plebiscite to accept or reject the new constitution crafted by military after it toppled a democratically elected government in 2014. Pokémon Go was rolled out in Thailand on Saturday.
Update 4 August: The Latest Pokemon Go Update Makes It Tougher to Catch Pokemon
Niantic has released an update to its latest game Pokemon Go, which has made catching Pokemon a bit tougher. Many players across the world have complained that the Pokemons are now running away easily after the new changes, and players have to use more Pokeballs.
A gamer on Reddit said the catch rate is now “bad” and he has to waste “3-4 pokeballs for under 100 Pidgey.” It seems as if Niantic wants “people to buy pokeballs.”
Players have also complained that earlier Pokemon Go was scanning for monsters every five seconds but now it is doing that every 10 seconds, which has severely impacted players’ game.
“Even at moderate biking speeds, 10 second refreshes have the potential to entirely miss Pokemon located towards the outer half of your ‘detection circle.’ Now, if you bike and hope to catch Pokemon, you will catch fewer.” reported another player.
Last weekend, Niantic updated the Pokémon GO to version 0.31.0 for Android and 1.1.0, providing many bug fixes. Players can now customize their avatar from Trainer profile screen. Another notable change is removal of the footprints from nearby feature. The game now warns players not to play while driving and not to enter dangerous areas. Memory issues have been improved. The Pokémon details screen and achievement medal images are now updated. Some Gym animations have also been refined.
How to Download Pokemon Go APK, Install, and Play on Android
While the Pokemon Company has officially released the Pokemon Go for many countries, the game is still unviable in many regions. However, you can still download and enjoy the game if you are an Android device user. You just need to download the APK file of Pokemon GO, and set the region to Australia. However, when the official app will be rolled out in your country, you can find it at Google Play Store or App Store. Just click Update to receive later updates automatically.
How to Download Pokemon GO on Android Device:
– Go to Settings, and Tap on Security.
– Go to Unknown sources.
– Select Allow for the installation of apps from unknown sources.
– Download Pokemon Go from online filesharing site (58.1 MB file).
– Install the Game from Downloads folder on your device, and start playing the game.
Pokemon GO in China
Chinese government has banned Google services in China, and therefore there are no Pokemon to catch in the country. Lovers of the game in China have bought Australian App Store IDs, and are using a GPS spoofing app to use Google services. Many players have also downloaded City Spirit Go, a clone app that was released after Pokémon Go’s beta test in Japan.
Update, July 16: Pokémon GO is now available in most European Countries
Pokemon GO has been released in Croatia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Denmark, Greenland, Estonia, Hungary, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania, Norway, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland and Sweden.
Update, July 15: Pokémon GO Goes Live in Italy, Spain and Portugal
Update, July 14: Pokémon GO is now available in the UK
Update, July 13: Pokémon GO is now available in Germany.
Pokemon Go has been rolled out for players in Germany. Earlier, Niantic CEO John Hanke had announced that high demand of Pokemon GO upon release is straining servers and release of the game in other regions will remain “paused until Niantic was comfortable” fixing the issues.
Update July 7: Pokémon GO Finally Launches in US
Pokémon Go – augmented reality mobile game – is finally available for players in the US for Android and iOS users. The game first appeared in app stores in Australia and New Zealand yesterday, and at that time, the Pokémon Company told US and Japan players to “wait a while.”
iPhone users in the US can download the game from Apple’s US online store. The Play Store link has also become active for android users in the US. Pokemon Company has not yet revealed when Pokémon Go will be made available in Canada, Japan, the UK, and other markets.
July 6: Pokémon GO Goes Live in Australia and New Zealand
Pokemon Go, a free-to-play game co-developed by The Pokémon Company and Niantic Labs (a former Google startup), is now available for players based in Australia and New Zealand through Play Store. According to some reports, the game is also coming soon to the United States and Japan, most likely within few hours.
Pokémon GO is a location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic for Android devices and iOS. The game’s concept was first conceived in 2014 by Satoru Iwata of Nintendo and Tsunekazu Ishihara of The Pokémon Company. In March, 2016, Niantic announced a Japan-exclusive beta testing (later expanded to other countries including Australia, New Zealand and United States) for players to help in refining the game before its full release. The testing was concluded by the end of June.
Players in Pokémon GO will have to find new pokemons while exploring the real world using mobile device’s GPS capability. They will locate, capture, and train virtual Pokemon creatures, while protecting Gyms and having battle with other players. Players need to physically travel to different places to explore the game’s map and visit PokéStops. Players will be able to join one of three allegiances. In-app purchases available for players will include Poké balls, coins, incense, eggs, and various upgrades. Players can buy PokéCoins – the in-game currency – to unlock some items within the game. Players can also pick them up without spending real cash, but then they will be available at a slower rate.
While Pokemon GO is being credited for a variety of things, such as increased data usage and encouraging people to visit public places more, the game has also contributed to increasing the battery pack sales by 101% in two weeks spanning July 10 and July 23, according to analytics firm NPD Group. The augmented reality game is eating up mobile batteries, NPD says most of the spike in battery sales can be credited to Pokemon GO.
