Pokemon GO Plus Is Still A Go, Coming Next Week
Taking advantage of renewed attention it has gotten thanks to its appearance at Apple's iPhone 7 and Apple Watch event, Niantic Labs is dropping two good news for the Pokemon GO faithful. First, the game has passed 500 million downloads ever since it publicly launched last July. The second is perhaps more exciting: Pokemon GO Plus is actually finally launching, after having been delayed for an undisclosed amount of time. Soon, Pokemon GO players will be able to play the game without actually playing it.
Snarkasm aside, the Pokemon GO Plus accessory tries to address one of the biggest concerns about Pokemon GO, that you need to be constantly looking at and using your smartphone, leading to all sorts of embarrassing, even fatal, situations. As proven repeatedly, common sense is by no means common and no amount of admonition will save players, especially addicted ones, from themselves.
And so, Pokemon GO Plus was born, a cross between a digital map "pin" icon and a Pokeball. The goal of the clickable button, which can be worn around the neck or even on the wrist, is simple. Allow you to perform actions without whipping out your smartphone. Getting near a Poke Stop will trigger its vibration and lights, alerting you to the fact. click the button and you automatically collect what's there. Passing by a Pokemon does the same thing. No need to look. No need to even look like you're playing Pokemon GO.
Pokemon GO purists my feel that accessory is both a "cheat", since you don't really have to aim for Pokemon, and also detracts from the spirit of the game as well as Pokemon itself. There will probably still be chances for failure and even without that, there's still the element of randomness. You won't really know what Pokemon you wasted your Pokeballs on until you do take out your smartphone.
Initially intended to launch around late July, Pokemon GO Plus was delayed to September. And now we have the exact date: 16th of September, in "most" countries, with South American territories following soon. If the price tag hasn't changed, it should cost $35 or the equivalent in markets outside the US. Given how many die-hard Pokemon GO players there are, it'll undoubtedly sell out in no time flat.
SOURCE: Pokemon GO