What is Pokémon GO?

Pokémon GO is the new mobile game for Android and iPhone developed by The Pokémon Company and Niantic, released on July, 2016, a former Google startup that has since branched out on its own and is known for its earlier augmented-reality mobile game Ingress. Nintendo is also contributing with the development and manufacture of the companion Pokémon GO Plus

Pokémon GO is a mobile app that you can download to your android or iphone smartphone, but play in the real world through augmented reality.

What is Augmented Reality? 

Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Information about the environment and its objects is overlaid on the real world. This information can be virtual or real, e.g. seeing other real sensed or measured information such as electromagnetic radio waves overlaid in exact alignment with where they actually are in space.  (Source: Wikipedia)

John Hanke, founder of Niantic, said: "For the first time, Pokémon will roam free in the real world. Pokémon GO will allow players to capture Pokémon who inhabit parks, shopping areas, sidewalks and the countryside all around the world. Imagine discovering a Squirtle hiding along the waterfront in San Francisco, a Bulbasaur at Shinjuku Station or a Pikachu beneath the Eiffel Tower."

In Pokémon GO the aim is to locate, catch, battle and trade Pokémon, and you are encouraged to connect with other nearby Pokémon GO players as you do so.

"Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you're near a Pokémon. Once you've encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone's touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items," writes The Pokémon Company on its official blog.

Complete guide to Pokémon GO: How to play Pokémon GO

• When you first launch Pokémon GO you need to select the clothing for your avatar. At the moment there is no way to alter this later, so pick carefully.
• You are then offered three Pokémon, of which you get to choose one to try to catch. Tap on the Pokémon and your camera app will open showing the Pokémon somewhere near you. Find it, then try to catch it. This is achieved using a PokéBall, which you flick at the Pokémon aiming at the circle that appears over its head. The smaller the circle the easier the Pokémon will be to catch, but the better your aim will need to be. A green circle means the Pokémon is relatively easy to catch, orange is medium difficulty and red is hard. Top tip: You can get Pikachu as your starter Pokémon if you are the patient type. To do so, ignore the starter Pokémon you are offered and walk away. Do this four times and you should eventually be offered Pikachu.
• Now it's time to go out and about to find Pokémon in the wild. Pokémon GO displays a map of your surroundings, and nearby Pokémon are shown as leaves rustling on the ground. A bar at the bottom right shows which Pokémon are nearby, and just how close they are is represented by the number of footsteps displayed beside them. If there are no footsteps you're basically sitting on top of a Pokémon. If the Pokémon is greyed out then it is one you haven't seen before and is not yet in your PokéDex.
• You'll find different Pokémon in different areas. For example, near a lake or river you might find water Pokémon, and in towns and rural areas you'll likely find a lot of normal Pokémon. In our experience some of the most common are Pidgeys and Rattatas, but both can become quite powerful when powered up fully and then evolved.
• For every Pokémon you catch you'll get 100 stardust and 100 XP points. If it's a Pokémon you haven't seen before you will get an extra 500 XP when it is added to the PokéDex. You can also earn extra XP by completing a nice throw. You also get a number of candies which are required when you power up or evolve a Pokémon; the exact number depends on the Pokémon you catch.
• Soon enough you will run out of PokéBalls. You can collect more from PokéStops, which are usually found in towns and cities or places of interest. Alternatively, PokéBalls are among the items you can buy with coins in the Shop; you will receive some coins for levelling up, or you can make an in-app purchase.
• You can see which Pokémon you have at any time by clicking the PokéBall at the bottom of the screen and choosing Pokémon. The aim of the game is to power up your Pokémon so they are sufficiently powerful to win gym battles, which become accessible from level 5.
• Our best tip is to power up Pokémon in their first stage as far as you can before you evolve them, and you will get a much higher combat rating in return. If you have a Pokémon with a low combat power that has already been evolved it's not worth keeping. You can power-up, evolve or trade a Pokémon by selecting the PokéBall icon, tapping Pokémon and then choosing the Pokémon in question and scrolling down to choose one of those options. If you trade a Pokémon you cannot get it back later, though you will get one candy in return.
• Until you hit level 11 the number of XP you need to progress through each level goes up in increments of 1000XP. After level 10 you need 10,000 XP to progress to each new level.
• Once you hit level 5 you get to choose your team: Team Instinct (yellow), Team Mystic (blue) or Team Valor (red). You will be prompted to do so when you first visit a gym. Choose carefully: you can't change your mind later.
• You'll see four types of gyms on the board: grey, yellow, blue and red. Grey gyms are unclaimed, and you can walk straight up to these and add a Pokémon, although the game has proved so popular you'll be very lucky to find a grey gym.
• If a gym matches the colour of your team you can enter and train your Pokémon in order to increase the Prestige of the gym (which makes it more difficult for rival teams to win). If you level up the gym through training you will also be able to leave behind one of your Pokémon to help protect that gym from rival teams.
• To begin training in a friendly gym you enter and press the glove icon. Battle will commence, and you will use a single Pokémon to beat as many of the Pokémon defending that gym as possible, so it makes sense to choose your strongest Pokémon. Tap your opponent to fight (but be careful not to tap too fast or the game may glitch), and long-tap to perform a special move. If you know your Pokémon you'll know some types are better at fighting certain types than others - you can pick which Pokémon you take into battle by tapping on it and selecting a new one before the contest begins.
At the end of the battle, whether you win or lose, the gym's prestige will increase and you will earn XP. However, your Pokémon will also lose HP. You can increase its health with a Potion, Super Potion or Revive, which can be picked up from PokéStops or when you level up and are found in your Items (click the PokéBall and choose Items). If you manage to level up the gym, click the icon with the plus to add a Pokémon of your choice.
• If a gym is not friendly and you want to battle in an attempt to take it over, visit the gym and scroll left and right through the defending Pokémon to see whether your Pokémon are powerful enough to take it on. If you think you can do it, press the star icon to begin. You get to choose six Pokémon to take into battle with you, and if you manage to take out any of the Pokémon defending the gym you will lower its prestige. Again, your Pokémon will lose health, so you may need to revive them in between battles. When the gym's prestige hits level one a win will turn the gym grey, or neutral. At this point it is free to anyone, so get in there quick to add your Pokémon before the rival team beats you to it.
• If you can hold on to a gym for a day you will receive stardust and XP in return. If you don't regularly visit an area where there are lots of Pokémon to catch, for instance a city centre, this is one of the easiest ways to gain stardust.
• The ultimate aim of the game is to catch all the Pokémon. You can hold 250 Pokémon in your inventory without upgrading it; likewise, you can hold only 350 things (such as PokéBalls) in your items without upgrading your bag.

Complete guide to Pokémon GO: Pokémon GO FAQ

What is a PokéBall?

A PokéBall is the ball you use to catch wild Pokémon. You can collect more PokéBalls from PokéStops, when you level up or from the Shop.

What is a PokéStop?

A PokéStop is a place from which you can win rewards simply by visiting. You might get PokéBalls, potions and revives, for example. You need to be near the PokéStop in order to access it - a blue circle will appear around it when you are close enough. When you have visited that PokéStop it will turn purple, and you need to wait a few minutes before you can visit it again.

What is the PokéDex?

The PokéDex is a catalogue of all the Pokémon you have caught, plus any that you have seen but not managed to catch. The aim of the game is to catch them all.

What is a gym?

There are neutral, friendly and rival gyms. You can claim a neutral gym by adding your Pokémon. In friendly gyms you can train up your Pokémon to increase the gym's prestige and to earn XP; if you level up the gym you can leave behind a Pokémon to help defend it. In rival gyms you can battle Pokémon in an attempt to lower the gym's prestige and eventually take over that gym.

Why can't I add my Pokémon to a friendly gym?

You need to level it up through training first. A level one gym needs to be level two before it can accept a second Pokémon; a level two gym needs to be a level three gym before it can accept a third Pokémon and so on.

Why can't I win a gym?

If you have all but defeated your opponent but it refuses to die, this is a server issue. If it won't let you walk away, restart the game and try again. Try tapping slower on your opponent to prevent it glitching.

How do you get more PokéBalls?

You can get more PokéBalls at PokéStops, by levelling up or in the Shop.

How do you get more stardust?

Stardust is earned by catching a Pokémon- you'll get 100 stardust for each Pokémon you catch. A faster way to earn stardust is to leave Pokémon in as many gyms as you can. For each Pokémon you manage to keep in a gym for a day you will earn 500 stardust. Note that the time limit is an overall limit - when it gets down to the last few minutes you need to adding Pokémon to gyms everywhere in order to get the most benefit. You can also earn stardust hatching eggs.

How do you get more candy?

Candies are earned when you catch a Pokémon, though the number you receive depends on which Pokémon you catch. You can also earn one candy when you trade a Pokémon. Candies are specific to a Pokémon type, so you can't use Rattata candy with a Pidgey, for example.

How do you get more coins?

Coins are earned by levelling up and by leaving your Pokémon in a gym for a full day. It takes a while to earn them, so you can also buy them in the shop if you're prepared to spend real money.

How do you level up? How do you earn XP?

XP is earned for basically everything you do. You'll earn 500XP for evolving a Pokémon, 50XP for visiting a PokéStop, and a minimum of 100XP for catching a Pokémon (you'll get 500 bonus XP if it's a Pokémon not currently in your PokéDex). When you earn enough XP you will progress a level, and get various goodies in return.

What is Potion? What is Super Potion? What is Revive?

When your Pokémon either train or battle in a gym they lose health. This can be restored using a potion, super potion or revive. A potion restores the Pokémon's HP by 20 points, and a super potion does so by 50 points. A revive restores a fainted Pokémon.

What is incense?

Incense, available in the Shop or when you level up, draws nearby Pokémon to your location for 30 minutes. Only you benefit from it.

What is a lure module?

A lure works like incense, drawing out nearby Pokémon. However, it must be used at a PokéStop, and all players can benefit  you'll spot one by the pink and purple petals coming out of it. Be warned that the lure will be visible on the map to all players, so for your own safety it's probably not a good idea to use one in a dodgy area when you are alone if you want to keep your phone. 
What is a lucky egg?
A lucky egg earns double XP for 30 minutes. For a quick way to level up, collect as many rattatas and pidgeys as you can, then activate the lucky egg and evolve those Pokémon. You'll get 1000 XP for each one you evolve. You can get lucky eggs by levelling up or in the shop.

How do you get more eggs?

You'll get Pokémon eggs at PokéStops and when you level up.

How do you hatch an egg?

To hatch an egg you will need an incubator, which you can sometimes find at PokéStops or you can get them when you level up or buy them in the Shop. Some incubators are three-uses only. To hatch an egg, click the Pokémon icon, choose Pokémon and slide across to the Eggs tab. Pick an egg. To hatch it you will need to walk a certain distance, which is shown below the egg. Longer distances are likely to return more powerful Pokémon. Add it to an incubator, then get moving to hatch that egg. Distance is tracked via GPS, and if you move too fast it won't be counted, so no cheating by getting in the car.

What is a Great Ball?

A Great Ball is like a PokéBall but better, and has a more successful catch rate than a standard PokéBall. If there's a Pokémon you really want to catch, use a Great Ball instead of a PokéBall. This is achieved by tapping the bag icon mid-capture attempt. 

What are Razz Berries?

Razz Berries can be fed to tough Pokémon in order to make them easier to catch on your next throw. You can pick them up when you level up and at PokéStops.

Complete guide to Pokémon GO - Pokémon GO updates: What new features are coming to Pokémon GO?

At some point in the future the game is expected to allow the trading of Pokémon with other players, and to also feature branded PokéStops sponsored by retailers and other businesses.


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