Pokémon Go was an all-ages breakout mobile game hit in the summer of 2016, and it kept on existing even after it was no longer in the headlines. This morning, there was good news for lapsed and loyal players: The game is introducing 80 new species of critters, adding more in-game boosts, wardrobe options for players’ avatars, and items that will help players direct the evolution of their Pokémon.
Back in July and August, the game annoyed property owners, government officials, and privacy advocates, but now it mainly annoys remaining players who are tired of catching the same Pidgeys and Rattatas over and over. Its presence in news headlines faded as its overall popularity did, but the game still has plenty of players.
While non-players may not know it even while visiting those businesses, sponsored Pokéstops came to the United States, with Starbucks restaurants and Sprint, Boost Mobile, and RadioShack stores signing up for the program.
The 80 new creatures will come from Gold and Silver editions of the Nintendo version of the game. Niantic Labs, maker of Pokémon Go, isn’t owned by Nintendo: The game licenses the characters from The Pokémon Company, an entity that Nintendo only partially owns.
Even if the game does have a resurgence in popularity while it’s winter coat weather in much of the northern hemisphere, you won’t see as many people chasing the critters while holding their phones out: Since the game’s debut, the Go Plus wearable device and Apple Watch functionality for the game have been added, helping players stay safe and preserve their battery life.
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist