https://www.scmp.com/rss/323003/feed Pokemon Go is a mobile augmented-reality game that launched in July 2016 and generated considerable attention in Hong Kong and around the world. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This year’s Pokemon Day, which falls on February 27, also marks the 30th anniversary of the internationally known and loved multimedia franchise. Helmed by the determined and compassionate Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum and his loyal but stubborn “pocket monster” partner Pikachu, this Japanese IP has spawned a huge range of anime series, films, video games and merchandise. The now multibillion-dollar franchise began life as a role-playing video game series created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344721/how-pokemon-took-over-world-beloved-franchise-turns-30?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344721/how-pokemon-took-over-world-beloved-franchise-turns-30?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan’s wildly popular Pokémon franchise distanced itself on Friday from a recent viral US government video that linked the brand’s “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” slogan to Washington’s immigration crackdown. The US Department of Homeland Security posted a clip on social media this week that showed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid. The clip showed armed police and border patrol officers handcuffing what it portrayed as illegal immigrants, with Pokémon’s famous English-language theme... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327037/japans-pokemon-slams-us-immigration-video-using-gotta-catch-em-all-slogan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327037/japans-pokemon-slams-us-immigration-video-using-gotta-catch-em-all-slogan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:20:07 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Without Pokemon Go, 16-year-old Cheng Yip-kai might never have met 75-year-old Lai Ching-lung, a renowned liver expert in Hong Kong and fellow enthusiast of the augmented reality mobile game. The Form Six student, who plays under the username Yekai0904, is the first Hongkonger to be crowned Pokemon Go world champion, attributing his win in August to Lai’s financial backing that allowed him and his team to get an initial taste of international competition last year. The pair met for the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3283971/pikachu-pals-how-hong-kongs-teen-pokemon-go-star-teamed-75-year-old-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3283971/pikachu-pals-how-hong-kongs-teen-pokemon-go-star-teamed-75-year-old-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2024 03:00:17 +0000 A 75-year-old liver expert has been hailed as a key contributor to the success of a Hong Kong teenager who this week became the city’s first world champion at Pokemon Go. Sam Cheung Lok-hang, who managed the team of Hong Kong representatives at the Pokemon World Championships, said on Thursday that Dr Lai Ching-lung had helped them financially last year and offered much-needed encouragement when they were repeatedly snubbed while seeking sponsorships. “I was criticised, teased and ignored every... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3275531/hong-kong-liver-expert-75-hailed-key-player-teens-pokemon-world-championship-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3275531/hong-kong-liver-expert-75-hailed-key-player-teens-pokemon-world-championship-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:41:35 +0000 Fendi is heading into the Year of the Dragon strong with a Lunar New Year collection that promises to be instantly legendary as fashion staples such as the famous Baguette bag meet beloved characters from the Japanese anime Pokémon. Artistic directors Silvia Venturini Fendi and Kim Jones find a new muse in the “godfather of streetwear” Hiroshi Fujiwara and The Pokémon Company for this latest collaboration in the “Friends of Fendi” line-up. The fun and funky Fendi x FRGMT x Pokémon collection... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3247011/fendis-chinese-new-year-collection-year-dragon-2024-fendi-x-frgmt-x-pokemon-collaboration-features?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3247011/fendis-chinese-new-year-collection-year-dragon-2024-fendi-x-frgmt-x-pokemon-collaboration-features?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2024 07:00:22 +0000 Tracey Furniss Tracey Furniss Keith Rumjahn says entertainment habits are changing and the CEO and co-founder of OliveX has identified three major trends. “More people attend esports events than the Olympics and World Cup, and other sporting events,” he claims. “No 2, is that gaming is the biggest entertainment industry. So people used to watch TV and go to movies – but now the biggest entertainment is gaming, because it’s like a movie, but you get to control the movie.” The third, he says, is virtual concerts, as we saw... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3165385/fitness-30-active-gaming-and-blockchain-meet-metaverse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3165385/fitness-30-active-gaming-and-blockchain-meet-metaverse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Feb 2022 01:00:25 +0000 China has kept Pokémon Go outside its borders for years, but several new trademarks are reviving hopes that the blockbuster game might eventually arrive in the country. It’s been recently revealed that last month, Nintendo applied for two trademarks using the simplified Chinese name for Pokémon Go, according to a National Intellectual Property Administration database. And that’s not all: The record shows that Nintendo has been filing for dozens of Pokémon-related trademarks for months now. They... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3097211/nintendo-files-chinese-trademarks-pokemon-go-china-where-mobile-ar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3097211/nintendo-files-chinese-trademarks-pokemon-go-china-where-mobile-ar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2020 03:00:14 +0000 Nintendo Switch players in China can rejoice: They’re getting another game. Biped follows two cute robots trying to solve puzzles to complete their quest. The cooperative platformer comes from Next Studios owned by Tencent -- Nintendo’s official partner in China. It’s the same game maker behind the puzzle game Iris.Fall, also available on China’s Switch, and the audio mystery Unheard. Biped now joins the slim pickings officially available on the local version of Nintendo’s console. Next Studios... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3091699/chinas-nintendo-switch-gets-yet-another-tencent-game-biped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3091699/chinas-nintendo-switch-gets-yet-another-tencent-game-biped?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2020 10:37:33 +0000 If getting your kids to brush their teeth is a constant struggle, there’s a new smartphone game for you. In Pokémon Smile, your aim is to rescue captured Pokémon by defeating cavity-causing bacteria. The only way to do that? Brushing your teeth properly. The augmented reality game puts your face on the screen (wearing a Pokémon cap) while it judges how well you’re brushing your teeth. Just like other Pokémon games, there’s a Pokédex that tracks all of the different creatures you’ve saved through... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3089767/kid-friendly-pokemon-smile-delights-adult-fans-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3089767/kid-friendly-pokemon-smile-delights-adult-fans-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2020 08:14:14 +0000 Gaming is now humanity’s favourite form of entertainment, and the medium’s legacy was cemented this past decade. While the early 2000s saw video game creators honing their ability to tell stories and build worlds in 3D, this past decade built off those nuts and bolts of game making and propelled the medium towards bigger ambitions such as open-world design, virtual and augmented reality and an influx of new genres such as battle-royale multiplayer. This past decade achieved several milestones... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:00:12 +0000 Consider the case of veteran British actor Bill Nighy, who played Clifford Enterprises founder Howard Clifford in the film Detective Pikachu (2019). When speaking about his time on set, Nighy remarked that he had been “generationally disqualified” from Pokémon in the franchise’s early days, but had since found joy in discovering the wonders of the encyclopaedic Pokedex book. This affection, fostered at the age of 69, is a sign of a broader trend: it is simply impossible to escape Pokémon in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3038744/how-pokemon-fever-has-gripped-world-connecting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3038744/how-pokemon-fever-has-gripped-world-connecting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Nov 2019 21:00:14 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS It looks like the latest Harry Potter game could come to China first. A pre-order link is circulating on Chinese social media for Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, a mobile game from NetEase. Magic Awakened is a card game with role-playing elements, according to a press release from Warner Bros and NetEase. They’re jointly developing the game, which will be launched under the brand of Portkey Games -- a Harry Potter-focused gaming label that was responsible... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3035526/theres-new-harry-potter-game-coming-netease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3035526/theres-new-harry-potter-game-coming-netease?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:42:38 +0000 It looks like the latest Harry Potter game could come to China first. A preorder link is circulating on Chinese social media for Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, a mobile game from NetEase. Magic Awakened is a card game with role-playing elements, according to a press release from Warner Bros and NetEase. They’re jointly developing the game, which will be launched under the brand of Portkey Games -- a Harry Potter-focused gaming label that was responsible for Wizards Unite, built on the same... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/theres-new-harry-potter-game-coming-netease/article/3035509?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/theres-new-harry-potter-game-coming-netease/article/3035509?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 07:33:53 +0000 How will you be watching television and screen content in the future, what will you be watching it on, and what kind of entertainment experiences will you be having? According to the Future of Television conference, which took place in New York last month, you’re likely to be watching a lot more shows via your phone, and a lot more in augmented reality (AR) – which means that the action takes place in your personal viewing space, like your own living room, rather than in the imaginary space... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3031966/100-beyonces-your-living-room-future-television-conference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3031966/100-beyonces-your-living-room-future-television-conference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Oct 2019 21:00:06 +0000 Update: Niantic denies that the image in question is intended as a tease for an imminent Chinese release of Pokémon GO. We've updated the story below with their response. Pokémon GO fans are busy catching a new wave of creatures just released into the game. The fifth generation of Pokémon, first introduced in the Black & White games, are said to be from the “Unova” region -- an area loosely based on New York City. But the promotional image released with the game’s launch doesn’t show New York.... https://www.scmp.com/games/pokemon-go-image-hinting-china-release/article/3027796?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/pokemon-go-image-hinting-china-release/article/3027796?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2019 02:00:10 +0000 If it were up to me, I would lie on the couch and play games all day – I have perfected what my husband calls the fine art of “smushing”. The problem with most fitness apps is that they’re too boring Alas, an office job and a penchant for pizza force me to move around for the sake of a pay cheque and what one might loosely term “health”, and this summer I figured I might as well download apps that would help me reach a daily target of 10,000 steps – the widely accepted standard if fitness... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3027565/geocaching-pokemon-go-7-best-walking-apps-people-who-hate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3027565/geocaching-pokemon-go-7-best-walking-apps-people-who-hate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 18:00:11 +0000 You might get more than you bargained for when swiping through Tinder in Hong Kong. As the city rolls into its third month of unrest, some are using the popular dating app to invite people out into the streets. So it’s come to this—I’m getting protest info on Tinder pic.twitter.com/bMfRYCJv1T — Gavin Huang (黄藹禧) (@GavinHuang) August 1, 2019 Posting information about protests on Tinder is just one of several creative ways Hongkongers are using tech to mobilise people. For more than eight weeks... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3021560/how-hong-kong-protesters-are-using-tinder-and-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3021560/how-hong-kong-protesters-are-using-tinder-and-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2019 01:20:28 +0000 You might get more than you bargained for when swiping through Tinder in Hong Kong. As the city rolls into its third month of unrest, some are using the popular dating app not to invite people on dates, but out into the streets. So it’s come to this—I’m getting protest info on Tinder pic.twitter.com/bMfRYCJv1T — Gavin Huang (黄藹禧) (@GavinHuang) August 1, 2019 Posting information about protests on Tinder is just one of several creative ways Hongkongers are using technology to mobilize people. For... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/swipe-right-revolution-why-hong-kong-protesters-are-using-tinder-and-pokemon-go/article/3021460?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/swipe-right-revolution-why-hong-kong-protesters-are-using-tinder-and-pokemon-go/article/3021460?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:02:01 +0000 Fans of augmented reality will soon be chasing after more than monsters on the streets of Hong Kong. Apple on Tuesday announced a series of immersive public art experiences based on its augmented reality platform, with the highlight being a two-hour walking tour available in six cities from August 10 until the end of the year. These [AR]T Walks will be held daily in Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Paris, New York and San Francisco for groups of up to 10 people at a time. Here’s how it works: a docent... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3020667/apple-launch-augmented-reality-art-tours-six-global-cities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3020667/apple-launch-augmented-reality-art-tours-six-global-cities?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2019 12:35:09 +0000 Three years ago today, the augmented reality smartphone game Pokemon Go – where players catch animated characters in the real world – “invaded” Hong Kong, spawning hordes of phone-wielding zombies who took over streets, parks and other public spaces. Trainers (that is what players are called) varied in age, race, sex and religion, but they shared one mission: to catch as many weird-looking virtual creatures as possible. Soon after the launch, the city – like the rest of the world – was in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3019891/how-pokemon-go-craze-lives-three-years-after-mobile-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3019891/how-pokemon-go-craze-lives-three-years-after-mobile-game?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2019 23:45:07 +0000 Chinese gaming and social media giant Tencent has announced that its TiMi Studio Group is teaming up with The Pokemon Company, backed by Nintendo, to develop a new game – much to the excitement of mainland fans. Tencent said the two companies had agreed to work together to develop the game, but it did not give further details or a timeline in a statement on its Weibo microblog account on Monday. Gamers welcomed the news on the Chinese mainland, where the wildly popular monster-hunting mobile... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3019788/chinese-fans-excited-tencent-and-pokemon-team-develop-new-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3019788/chinese-fans-excited-tencent-and-pokemon-team-develop-new-game?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:17:48 +0000 Tencent Holdings and The Pokemon Company will jointly develop games, an alliance that may help the Nintendo-backed firm crack the world’s largest mobile gaming arena. Hong Kong-listed Tencent, whose WeChat social media service is used by more than a billion people across China, said its TiMi Studio Group will take the lead in developing titles with the Japanese company behind the popular monster-hunting game franchise. The two have struck a broad agreement on collaboration, Tencent said in a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3019646/tencent-nintendo-backed-pokemon-join-forces-create-new-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3019646/tencent-nintendo-backed-pokemon-join-forces-create-new-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 22:00:09 +0000 Casting magic in the real world is something that Harry Potter fans can only dream about. At least, until now. Released over the weekend by Niantic – the same video game developer that gave us Pokemon Go in 2016 – Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is the latest augmented reality (AR) title for mobile phones running on Android and iOS. Just as you can catch different Pokemons in your neighbourhood, here, as a newbie wizard, you can zap spells at all sorts of fantastic creatures at your desk. There is a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3015971/magic-new-harry-potter-ar-game-pokemon-go-creators-wizards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3015971/magic-new-harry-potter-ar-game-pokemon-go-creators-wizards?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:00:08 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS It looks like the Nintendo Switch may finally be coming to China. Unlike elsewhere in the world, game consoles are far from mainstream in China. An entire generation grew up without playing the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360 thanks to a long ban on console gaming that wasn’t lifted until four years ago. Why the impact of China’s 15-year console ban still lingers today Still, some Chinese gamers say they are excited about the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029304/five-things-gamers-china-want-nintendo-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029304/five-things-gamers-china-want-nintendo-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:14:08 +0000 It looks like the Nintendo Switch may finally be coming to China. Unlike elsewhere in the world, game consoles are far from mainstream in China. An entire generation grew up without playing the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360 thanks to a long ban on console gaming that wasn’t lifted until four years ago.   Still, some Chinese gamers say they are excited about the Switch, as long as the release includes what they want to see, such as… Pokémon: Let's Go When Pokémon Go sent... https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/five-things-gamers-china-want-nintendo-switch/article/3007474?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/five-things-gamers-china-want-nintendo-switch/article/3007474?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:14:08 +0000 Imagine a China that’s swamped with demons and monsters. That’s the world Tencent’s new AR game Let’s Hunt Monsters presents you with, and it looks a lot like Pokémon Go. Despite the communist party’s decades-long crusade against superstition, monsters and demons are crawling their way back to China as Tencent unleashes its new clone of the popular Niantic mobile game. Let’s Hunt Monsters copies Pokémon Go in just about every respect. But rather than catching Pokémon, you are out in the world... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/theres-pokemon-go-clone-tencent-copies-almost-everything/article/3007485?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/theres-pokemon-go-clone-tencent-copies-almost-everything/article/3007485?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:12:52 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Imagine a China that’s swamped with demons and monsters. That’s the world Tencent’s new AR game Let’s Hunt Monsters presents you with, and it looks a lot like Pokémon Go. Despite the communist party’s decades-long crusade against superstition, monsters and demons are crawling their way back to China as Tencent unleashes its new clone of the popular Niantic mobile game. Let’s Hunt Monsters copies Pokémon Go in just about every respect. But rather than... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029303/theres-pokemon-go-clone-tencent-copies-almost-everything?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029303/theres-pokemon-go-clone-tencent-copies-almost-everything?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:12:52 +0000 The world’s biggest gaming market is finally getting a taste of Pokémon Go and CryptoKitties. Not the original versions but a new title that merges concepts underlying the two games into one, produced by Chinese gaming giant Tencent. The Shenzhen-based company on Thursday launched its long anticipated augmented reality (AR) game called Let’s Hunt Monsters, where users can cruise around streets and catch hundreds of virtual monsters, while rearing and trading millions of digital kittens stored on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005911/tencent-launches-new-blockchain-game-merging-concepts-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005911/tencent-launches-new-blockchain-game-merging-concepts-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2019 03:45:04 +0000 Videos of Taiwanese grandfather Chen San-yuan have gone viral, thanks to his 21-phone bike setup. Chen says that playing on multiple phones increases his chance of catching rare creatures in the augmented reality game Pokemon Go. The 70-year-old Taoist priest has been obsessed with the game since his grandson introduced him to it in 2016. Videos of Chen and his phones fixed to a bicycle that carries him between Pokestops have gone viral online, and even earned him a gig endorsing a mobile phone... https://www.scmp.com/society/last-wonton-taiwanese-grandpa-uses-21-phones-play-pokemon-go/article/3002162?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/last-wonton-taiwanese-grandpa-uses-21-phones-play-pokemon-go/article/3002162?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:12:59 +0000 Chen San-yuan turns heads as he cycles through a suburb of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. Attached to the front of his bicycle are 15 mobile phones which Chen, 70, uses to simultaneously play the augmented-reality game Pokemon Go, which requires players to “catch” animated characters that appear in real locations. Known as Pokemon Grandpa, videos of Chen and his fan-shaped phone set-up cycling between “Pokestops” have gone viral on the internet and made him a minor celebrity in Tucheng district,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2172969/taiwanese-grandfather-tries-catch-em-all-playing-pokemon-go-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2172969/taiwanese-grandfather-tries-catch-em-all-playing-pokemon-go-15?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Nov 2018 08:59:52 +0000 By Ben Gilbert Excited for a new entry in the Pokémon series, on a main Nintendo console for the first time ever? How does four sound to you? Pokemon Go adds vital steps for healthier life, US study shows That’s exactly what Nintendo’s doing. As of now, you can download and play the “free-to-start” game “Pokémon Quest” on the Switch. It’s available for download on the Nintendo eShop digital storefront. “Pokémon Quest” isn’t a standard Pokémon game. Instead, Nintendo describes it as a,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2148422/nintendo-just-announced-3-new-pokemon-games-switch-and-one-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2148422/nintendo-just-announced-3-new-pokemon-games-switch-and-one-out?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 May 2018 04:45:15 +0000 The Pokemon Go frenzy – or Poke-frenzy – did not take long to eclipse Hong Kong after Nintendo’s revolutionary augmented reality (AR) mobile game was launched in the summer of 2016. Perhaps you passed by dozens of players congregating at ‘gyms’ or a lone ranger rooted to a ‘lure spot’ – or more likely you were one of them. Regardless, this May sees the introduction of the District Race, an urban exploration experience with shades of both Pokemon Go and The Amazing Race. “People have talked about... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2139450/gotta-pass-em-all-pokemon-go-meets-amazing-race-hong-kongs-inaugural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2139450/gotta-pass-em-all-pokemon-go-meets-amazing-race-hong-kongs-inaugural?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Mar 2018 07:09:53 +0000 By Matt Weinberger The fad may be long over, but Pokémon Go still has a strong, committed group of players — myself among them. So I was extremely excited when, on Monday morning, Pokémon Go developer Niantic announced that the game is getting a big update later this week, bringing quests and a storyline to the game. And, for those who complete these quests, Niantic is teasing that players will be rewarded with Mew, the long-lost 151st Pokémon, who’s been MIA since the game first came out in the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2139061/theres-great-new-reason-return-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2139061/theres-great-new-reason-return-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Mar 2018 04:30:30 +0000 Fans of Pokemon Go will finally be able to play the popular game in mainland China, though its developer has yet to announce when. Niantic chief executive John Hanke said the US company intended to bring its games to China, according to a Financial Times report on Monday. Niantic is best known for its augmented reality (AR) mobile games including Pokemon Go, which was progressively released around the world from July 2016 – including in Hong Kong. But the location-based game – in which players... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2126716/chinese-fans-will-finally-get-chance-play-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2126716/chinese-fans-will-finally-get-chance-play-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2018 11:29:59 +0000 While Hongkongers eagerly Googled a popular local television drama about a taxi driver with supernatural abilities, Singaporeans were concerned with just one thing – where they could catch Pokemon. According to Google’s Year in Search 2017 report, the top trending search for Singapore was “Sgpokemap”, a real-time map for Pokemon Go players in Singapore which gives exact locations of where users can capture different Pokemon. For the uninitiated, Pokemon Go is a location-based mobile game that... https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2124327/hongkongers-spent-year-googling-tv-dramas-while-singaporeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2124327/hongkongers-spent-year-googling-tv-dramas-while-singaporeans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2017 08:30:15 +0000 Niantic, the company behind the hit mobile game Pokémon Go, is now making a smartphone game set in the universe of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.   “The game will use state-of-the-art AR [augmented reality] mobile technology and allow players to go on adventures, learn and cast spells, discover mysterious artefacts, and encounter legendary beasts and iconic characters as they explore real-world neighbourhoods and cities across the globe,” Niantic says in a press release.  Beijing’s ban puts stop... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2119145/harry-potter-game-smartphones-pokemon-go-creators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2119145/harry-potter-game-smartphones-pokemon-go-creators?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2017 12:03:49 +0000 Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he thinks of augmented reality as a “a big idea like the smartphone”, which should give you a sense of how important the iPhone maker thinks AR really is. Analysts are expecting to hear big things about Apple’s plans for AR as it looks to the future – and a new generation of the iPhone. Ahead of Apple’s September 12 media event, here’s a look at AR and what it could mean for you. What is augmented reality? Augmented reality is the catch-all term for technology that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2110336/how-apple-betting-augmented-reality-so-much-more-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2110336/how-apple-betting-augmented-reality-so-much-more-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2017 09:01:26 +0000 A Russian blogger was convicted and given a suspended sentence Thursday for inciting religious hatred by playing Pokemon Go in a church, the latest example of Russian authorities’ willingness to uphold strict blasphemy laws in what was once an officially atheist state. Ruslan Sokolovsky, 22, was given a 3 ½-year suspended sentence for playing the game on his mobile phone during a service in August in the Church of All Saints, an Orthodox church in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth largest city... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/2094037/blasphemers-russia-wants-catch-em-all-starting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/2094037/blasphemers-russia-wants-catch-em-all-starting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 May 2017 01:46:02 +0000 Last summer, Pokemon Go took the world by storm, with kids and adults obsessively hunting for Bellsprouts and Pikachus, sometimes at their own peril. The game earned US$200 million in its first month and served as an introduction for augmented reality games. Hong Kong goes predictably Pokemon Go crazy, and businesses try to cash in But as addictive as the game was, Pokemon Go was ultimately just a time killer for most people. Now a British start-up is using the same concept to offer actual... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2079501/pokemon-go-augmented-reality-game-snatch-big-hit-uk-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2079501/pokemon-go-augmented-reality-game-snatch-big-hit-uk-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:03:15 +0000 People who play Pokemon Go may end up taking thousands of extra steps each day, and this lowers the risk of heart disease, particularly in people who are overweight or mainly sedentary, US researchers say. The study tracked 167 players of the game, which requires users to walk in pursuit of animated creatures to capture with a mobile device. Three ways playing Pokemon Go boosts your health and well-being On average, players added nearly 2,000 steps a day, which translates to an 8 per cent lower... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2077425/pokemon-go-adds-vital-steps-healthier-life-us-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2077425/pokemon-go-adds-vital-steps-healthier-life-us-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2017 12:01:12 +0000 Nintendo is to deliver more content for smartphones, following last year’s success of Pokemon Go, a smartphone augmented-reality game that boosted sales of other Pokemon games as well as the 3DS handheld consoles, according to the company’s president Tatsumi Kimishima. The worldwide Pokemon Go craze last summer helped Kyoto-based Nintendo, which creates Super Mario games, report a better-than-expected October-December profit of 64.7 billion yen (US$569 million), more than twice its same-period... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2069111/nintendo-promises-more-smartphone-games-two-or-three?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2069111/nintendo-promises-more-smartphone-games-two-or-three?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2017 12:03:25 +0000 By Yoon Sung-won The nationwide sensation of location-based mobile game ‘Pokemon Go’ has ignited cybersecurity concerns, according to the Korea National Police Agency (NPA) Tuesday. Niantic, developer of ‘Pokemon Go’, claims the game includes security measures and does not collect much private data except for the user’s email address and location information. But diverse unofficial apps are asking for excessive private information, causing cybersecurity risks, the NPA said. These unofficial apps... https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2069162/pokemon-go-users-exposed-cyber-crime-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2069162/pokemon-go-users-exposed-cyber-crime-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2017 09:30:45 +0000 Chinese online game fans have been disappointed by a government decision to put a stop to ­Pokemon Go because of national security concerns. The authorities announced on Tuesday that the hit augmented reality (AR) location-based mobile game was a danger to consumer safety and national security. “Given overseas consumer experience and cases, the game presents a big social risk, such as posing a threat to geographical ­information security, public transport safety and personal safety,” a gaming... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2061283/beijings-ban-puts-stop-pokemon-go-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2061283/beijings-ban-puts-stop-pokemon-go-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:45:00 +0000 Pikachu has done something that Hillary Clinton and 16 Republican candidates couldn’t: win against Donald Trump. Google’s top searches - released by the company on Wednesday and compiled from searches on mobile and desktop - show Hongkongers had politics and entertainment on the brain in 2016. But it seems searching for Pikachu and friends in Nintendo’s smash-hit smartphone game was foremost in their thoughts. Pokemon Go was the most searched keyword on Google by internet users with Hong Kong IP... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2054488/want-know-how-pokemons-pikachu-beat-donald-trump-google-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2054488/want-know-how-pokemons-pikachu-beat-donald-trump-google-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2016 08:00:15 +0000 Does “Pokemon Go” have a second act? The mobile phone app was an instant hit when it debuted in July. Crowds stampeded through Taiwan. Players fell off cliffs in California. At an Apple event on September 7, Niantic CEO John Hanke said 500 million people had downloaded the game in just two months. It was the first mobile game to go mainstream in a big way since “Candy Crush” in 2014 or “Angry Birds” in 2012. It was also the first to incorporate augmented reality, a blending of the real and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/2022909/remember-pokemon-go-fervour-game-has-cooled-it-isnt-dead-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/2022909/remember-pokemon-go-fervour-game-has-cooled-it-isnt-dead-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2016 06:15:17 +0000 Tens of millions of Pokemon Go players worldwide are catching Pokemon and exploring the game's limits at all hours of the day, all over the planet. You'd think someone would've found Ditto by now. Yet no one has. He's the elusive #132 in the Official Pokemon Pokedex – the encyclopedia of all official Pokemon, and the backbone of Pokemon Go. His number slot is there in your in-game Pokedex, and folks have even dug into the game's code and found plenty of evidence that he's in the game. The chief... https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2021260/pokemon-go-fans-crowdsource-hunt-games-final-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2021260/pokemon-go-fans-crowdsource-hunt-games-final-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2016 05:30:30 +0000 By far, the most annoying thing about Pokémon Go is that you need to have the app open on your phone to make any progress in the game. If you tab away from the game to answer an email or check Facebook, for even a few minutes, you’re not accruing the vital walking distance you need to hatch and power up your Pokémon. Good news, then, for those who are willing to shell out for Nintendo’s US$35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory, Nintendo confirms with Business Insider that so long as you’re wearing the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2020047/nintendos-new-accessory-solves-most-annoying-thing-about-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2020047/nintendos-new-accessory-solves-most-annoying-thing-about-pokemon-go?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2016 09:00:15 +0000 Niantic, the company that makes Pokémon Go, announced some amazing numbers at the Apple event. John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, said at Apple's iPhone event that players have covered a whopping 4.6 billion kilometers since the game's July 6 release. For reference, the distance from the sun to Neptune is just under 4.5 billion kilometers. Neptune is the eighth —and farthest — planet from the sun It took NASA probe Voyager 2 12 years to cover that distance. Pokémon Go players did it in two months. See... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2017525/pokemon-go-players-have-walked-far-enough-reach-sun-neptune?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2017525/pokemon-go-players-have-walked-far-enough-reach-sun-neptune?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2016 22:15:15 +0000 Augmented reality smartphone game Pokemon Go has proved to be a successful marketing tool for brands trying to cash in on the craze even as initial excitement wanes. The game, which launched in Hong Kong at the end of July, allows players to use their phones’ GPS to hunt for Pokemon – short for Pocket Monsters – in the real world. Shopping malls, hotels and small startups have offered promotions or Pokemon-related activities to draw in crowds who flood the streets hunting for the virtual... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2014481/hong-kong-businesses-have-cashed-pokemon-go-and-are-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2014481/hong-kong-businesses-have-cashed-pokemon-go-and-are-still?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Sep 2016 05:15:00 +0000 A second deadly vehicle accident in Japan has been blamed on "Pokemon Go," Kyodo news agency has reported. The first death was reported on Tuesday, when police said that a man playing the augmented-reality game while driving a small van had hit two pedestrians in Tokushima, killing one, a 72-year-old woman. The second incident involving "Pokemon Go" happened in Aichi, Kyodo reported, where the victim was a Vietnamese woman in her 20s. According to Kyodo, the woman died on Thursday, just over two... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2010176/pokemon-go-behind-second-fatal-traffic-accident-japan-kyodo-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2010176/pokemon-go-behind-second-fatal-traffic-accident-japan-kyodo-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Aug 2016 05:30:30 +0000