Pokemon Go Launch Postponed Again in Japan After Email Leak

Pokemon Go Launch Postponed Again in Japan After Email Leak

Video Game  

Game-maker Niantic has postponed today’s scheduled launch of Pokémon Go in Japan following an email leak.

Yesterday we reported that the game was due to go live in Japan today (Wednesday), but the companies behind Pokémon Go have canceled that plan, a source close to the launch told TechCrunch. One major reason for that change of heart is that internal communication from McDonalds Japan, the game’s sponsor, detailing the launch made its way to internet forums (including 2ch, “Japan’s Reddit”) and photo site Imgur.

An initial morning launch time was pushed back to early afternoon as the email went viral. Later, however, the companies decided to cancel today’s launch entirely due to concerns that the hype generated would overload the game, our source explained. We don’t have an immediate update on when the game will finally go live in Japan, but understand that the launch is “imminent” but unspecified.

The postponement will frustrate many in Japan who are still waiting but, on the positive side, Niantic, Nintendo and the Pokémon Company — the three firms behind the smash game — are confident that, if the game is launched right, their serves can handle the undoubtedly huge demand that Pokémon Go will generate in Japan. Ninatic CEO John Hanke previously cautioned that the company needed time to ensure it had enough servers to cope with a deluge of Pokémon addicts in Japan.

The delay means also that we will have to wait to see the impact of the first “sponsored location” in the game. McDonalds has agreed to become the first paying sponsor, turning its 3,000 stores in Japan into “gyms” where players can battle, adding a new source of revenue to the game beyond its already lucrative in-app purchases and potentially driving real-world traffic to McDonalds stores. That’ll be a partnership to watch since there are plans to offer sponsored locations in other parts of the world.

The success of Pokémon Go is unprecedented. Just two weeks after its U.S. debut, it has reportedly passed 30 million downloads and $35 million in revenue, and surpassed Twitter on active users and Facebook on engagement. That has doubled the valuation of Nintendo — yes, in just two weeks — and all without launching in Japan, the home of Pokémon, yet.

Pokémon Go is available in more than 30 countries right now thanks to a steady rollout across Europe last week. WebyFeed understands that Japan is planned as the first launch in Asia and, once the game is available there, it will be extended to other countries in the region.

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Pokémon Go will launch tomorrow with game’s first sponsored location Japan

Pokémon Go will launch tomorrow with game’s first sponsored location Japan

Video Game  

Pokémon Go fever has doubled the value of Nintendo’s business, pushing it past Sony in the process. Can you imagine what will happen when the game finally goes live in Japan, the birthplace of the Pokémon phenomenon?

Well, you don’t have long to wait since Pokémon Go is scheduled to launch in Japan tomorrow (Wednesday), sources have confirmed to TechCrunch. Niantic, the company behind the title, did not reply to our request for comment.

Pokémon Go is currently available in over 30 countries, including the U.S., Canada and much of Europe, but Japan has so far been left off the list. That’s upset and frustrated a lot of true Pokémon addicts, but Niantic — which has watched the game become more popular than Twitter, Tinder and a host of other top apps — has tried to rationalize the situation.

Niantic CEO John Hanke recently told Forbes that the delay is because the companies behind the app — which include the Pokémon company and Nintendo — want to ensure that its servers are suitably robust to withstand the demand that the Japan launch is sure to generate.

“We expect it to be released by the end of July,” Hanke said.

Well, surprise! Tomorrow has been earmarked as launch day so we won’t have to wait quite that long to watch Pokémania hit Japan.

Beyond the inevitable crazy adoption and likely billions more added to Nintendo’s valuation from the buzz, Pokémon Go’s Japan launch will be notable for another reason: it’ll be the first time that the company has tied up with an official partner.

Hanke previously said that Niantic would augment the already significant revenue that the game is making from in-app purchases by allowing selective partners to become “sponsored locations” in the game. A sponsor can create “gyms” — where Pokémon can be battled or trained by gamers — at their retail store or locations, a move that could drive real-world traffic and potential sales to their business.

TechCrunch understands that McDonald’s will be the first launch partner in a tie-in that will see its 3,000 plus fast food restaurants across Japan become gyms for would-be Pokémon collectors. (Gizmodo previously reported that the two sides were hatching a collaboration somewhere in Asia.)

That’ll be a collaboration to watch since it will be replicated in other parts of the world and, if Pokémon Go can sustain itself beyond a temporary craze, sponsorship could be lucrative for both the game makers and brands seeking to drive foot traffic. Bloomberg reported that McDonald’s Japan has already seen its share price rocket thanks to Pokemon-branded Happy Meal sales, even before the game launch.

Japan will mark the first launch of Pokémon Go in Asia which, Australia and New Zealand aside, has been ignored as Niantic has focused on getting the game to market (and stable) in North America and Europe first. TechCrunch understands that further launches in Asian countries will happen this week and next, so there’s still lots more to come.

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5 New Trends To Expect With Virtual Reality!

5 New Trends To Expect With Virtual Reality!

Video Game  

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, virtual reality is coming and coming quickly. Leading headsets have been demo’d and tested publicly pretty much throughout 2016 so far and in a matter of months we’re expecting at least a few of them to be available to the mass market.

While we’ve all been free to imagine incredible and immersive VR gaming experiences, what specific changes will these new tech gadgets bring to our lives with regard to entertainment? It’s hard to say exactly until the headsets are on store shelves and games (and other programs) are widely released. But based on a combination of news and speculation, here are a few trends to expect.

We’ll see an early wave of games based more on creativity than traditional gameplay. Arguably the most high profile demonstration of a VR experience to date showcased Minecraft on Oculus Rift, and it revealed a game in which players can create worlds as if they’re actually walking through them. We’ve also seen some other early VR demos that are almost artistic in nature and more grounded in augmented reality (meaning the environment resembles the room you’re in but you can touch and manipulate imagined materials within that space).

Traditional video games are fast, detailed, and frankly daunting even to some players who are excited about the prospects of VR. Creative experiences, however, can still show off the power and fun of VR without the risk of jarring visuals or clunky gameplay.

We could also see the formation of a new branch of popularity for tabletop card and casino games. Those who haven’t stayed closely involved with the development of online casinos may not be aware, but there’s actually a very high level of sophistication with this style of gaming already.

The games hosted at Betfair cover the full spectrum of tabletop casino experiences while approximating their own form of virtual reality on a computer screen. That is to say rather than simply showing you a screen with crudely animated cards or roulette wheels, this site generates interactive experiences with realistic graphics, live opponents, and in some cases video feeds of real live dealers. These experiences worked into VR would be simpler than most gaming adaptations and would spread a lucrative genre to the new format, which makes them seem like a likely early development.

 

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How Video Gaming Can Be Beneficial For Brain?

How Video Gaming Can Be Beneficial For Brain?

Video Game  

Benefits of video gaming

Almost every kid is used to the scolding of parents over their addictive knack in video games. But recent research and scientific studies are showing some otherwise contradictory truths to this long held notion. Almost all of these studies and researches agree that that playing video games is actually good for the brain in more than one way. The long held notion concerning the connection between violence and video games seem no longer to enjoy any support from the scientific community. Playing video games in its entire avatar is good for developing the brain function and psychological makeup of children. Here we would discuss on some ways that it can actually be beneficial for our brain.

It helps in curing mental disorders

Several medical researches over the effectiveness of gaming on individuals concluded that video gaming can actually increase the volume of grey matter inside your brain and thus help you fight the disorderly thinking or similar mental and cognitive problems. From spatial navigation to strategic planning to memorizing, a video game typically involves a lot of these brain activities while playing. These activities in the player’s brain help making the neuro transmitter and motor function better.

It boosts cognitive skill and reflex

Just like real life shooting or real life movement in dangerous areas you always to keep on toe while playing video game. This makes you more alert and helps developing cognitive skill and reflex. Playing a video game you just cannot afford to be absent minded and this actually makes your cognitive faculties work more and work faster. Playing video games a child develops reflexive, smarter and more alert sensory perceptions and thought process.

It helps to slow the ageing process

To combat ageing process in elderly people video gaming can be highly effective. We gain age primarily on our brain faculties and then on physical aspects. When your brain gets the regular exercise and maneuvers to stay alert and active your ageing process slowed down. That is why video gaming can be a great aid in making your cognitive faculties busy and make your thought process work as young people. In playing complex video games your brain needs to process information from multiple points and playing such game regularly results in better memory, cognitive ability and thought process.

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