Australia and New Zealand are set to be part of Niantic’s Pokemon GO field tests, and those two countries will be the first Western locations to get its hands on an in-development version of the upcoming augmented-reality Pokemon game. For those interested in catching a wild Ivysaur in the middle of the Australian outback, or a Charizard in the picturesque New Zealand mountains, sign up at Niantic’s website. To be eligible, fans must reside in Australia or New Zealand, and have an iOS or Android device. The developer also states that playability may not be available at this stage, which is understandable given that this is essentially a beta test.
As one of Google’s most searched games in 2015, there are massive expectations surrounding Pokemon GO, and Niantic’s expansion of its field tests will go far in squashing any concerns about the final product. Having stated that different Pokemon types will live in different parts of the world, it is in Niantic’s best interests to test Pokemon GO beyond Japan. It remains to be seen whether other Western countries besides Australia and New Zealand will be included in these field tests.
Despite some concerns over Pokemon GO, Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, and Google have invested an estimated $30 million into the game, suggesting that there’s confidence in Pokemon GO’s prospects. It’s still early days yet, but based on what’s been revealed about the game - such as the Ingress play-style and the inclusion of gym battles - Pokemon GO looks like it is shaping up nicely, and the upcoming field tests can only mean good things for the final product.
With Pokemon GO set to corner the mobile game market, and Pokemon Sun and Moon coming later this year for the Nintendo 3DS, there is little doubt that 2016 is truly shaping up to be the year of Pokemon.
Pokemon GO is scheduled to launch this year for Android and iOS mobile devices.
Source: GameSpot
