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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2015)
The Asian Reporter Pacific Northwest News q Volume 25 Number 18 q September 21, 2015 q www.asianreporter.com Nintendo, Google spinoff Niantic in smartphone Pokémon game By Elaine Kurtenbach AP Business Writer OKYO — Imagine coming out of your office, home, or school and getting an alert: A Pikachu is lurking behind a nearby tree, and the chase is on. Japanese video-game com- pany Nintendo Co., the Poké- mon Co., and Google spinoff Niantic say they intend to transplant the virtual realities of the famous Pokémon “pocket monsters” into real-world locations with a smartphone app that players can use to catch, trade, and stage battles between the creatures. Location-gaming app Poké- mon GO is similar to Niantic’s “Ingress” real-world adventure game, which reports 12 million downloads. The Nintendo game will be released in 2016, initially as a free download. Nintendo also created Poké- mon GO Plus, a small, wearable Bluetooth device that will use vibrations and flashes to alert players to Pokémon lurking in their surroundings. Pokémon, or Pocket Mon- sters, are a franchise that began in 1996, created by Japanese video-game developer Game Freak, which was acquired by Nintendo and also is involved in creating the new app. The best known of the imaginary crea- tures is likely the tubby, yellow Pikachu, with his lightning- strike tail, rosy cheeks, and brown-tipped rabbit ears. The games call for players to catch and collect Pokémon, train them, and stage battles while pursuing various adventures. Aside from games, there are Pokémon cartoons, toys, and trading cards. Niantic Inc. was founded as a Google subsidiary by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke. Continued on page 3 T ‘Rebel’ Buddhist monks challenge status quo Page 2 Experts concerned by invasive turtle Page 8 Japan continues LLWS dominance Page 9 AUGMENTED REALITY. A Pokémon display of Pikachu hangs above Toy Fair 2014 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York on the opening day of the 111th American International Toy Fair. Japanese video-game company Nintendo Co., the Pokémon Co., and Google spinoff Niantic say they intend to transplant the virtual realities of the famous Pokémon “pocket monsters” into real-world locations with a smartphone app that players can use to catch, trade, and stage battles between the creatures. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) Overwhelmed by debt? Want a fresh start? KELLY K. BROWN BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY 503·224·4124 www.kellybrown.com ★ LOW-COST BANKRUPTCY ★ Free consultation ★ Stop foreclosure and garnishment ★ Evening and weekend appointments 520 SW Yamhill · Suite 420 · Portland 97204 · We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code. The Asian Reporter 922 N. Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217 USA Change Service Requested PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Portland, OR Permit # 2474 L O T T E R Y G A M E S A R E B A S E D O N C H A N C E A N D S H O U L D B E P L A Y E D F O R E N T E R TA I N M E N T O N LY