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