Niantic Labs announced today that they’ll be unveiling some new features for their Pokémon GO mobile game. In addition to making the Mythic Pokémon Mew available in-game, they’re also adding more story-driven activities in the form of a “research” feature. Research in the game will take two forms: Field Research, and Special Research.
“Field Research tasks can be collected by spinning nearby PokéStops,” Niantic explained in their press release, “and they include a wide range of Pokémon-related activities … Trainers can complete multiple Field Research tasks each day, with more challenging tasks offering greater rewards. Trainers can also earn one stamp per day by completing at least one Field Research task. When Trainers collect seven stamps, they can achieve a Research Breakthrough to receive even greater rewards—perhaps even an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon!”
Special Research tasks, on the other hand, are “story-driven activities that may be requested by Professor Willow himself, and they will unfold as the Trainer completes more objectives.”
In addition, Mew will soon start appearing in the game, and some of the rewards for research challenges will allow players to access “unique storylines that include discovering the mystery behind the Mythical Pokémon Mew.”
Globally, the Pokémon GO mobile game has been downloaded more than 800 million times since it was released in 2016, and its staggering popularity has inspired a number of similar games for other properties, including another Niantic creation for the world of Harry Potter.
For me, a huge part of the appeal of Pokémon GO was in its simplicity; you could simply pick it up and wander around looking for gyms and PokéStops whenever you were free. I didn’t particularly mind the bare-bones story, so I’m intrigued to see how these more story-based elements will play out with the game’s existing users. Will they enhance the experience I already like, or will they feel like clutter that’s getting in the way of that thing I like?
I’ll soon find out, as these updates should begin rolling out this week, but what do you think? Are you excited about these new features? Or will you mostly ignore them and keep playing like you usually do?
(via Niantic and Kotaku; image: Niantic Labs and Nintendo)
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