'Pokemon GO' Update & News: Niantic Discusses What To Expect In The Future; In-Game Events Possible? [VIDEO]
Niantic recently discussed the future of Pokemon GO. There are still plenty of updates the company is planning on releasing. Some believe that in-game events could be one of the biggest updates to arrive in the game.
What has fueled these speculations are the very words of Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke himself, who recently attended a panel at TechCrunch's Disrupt event. During the panel, the CEO dropped numerous hints as to how the hyper-popular mobile title would evolve over time.
More Pokemon, Legendaries to be Introduced
While the addition of new Pokemon to Pokemon GO is practically a no-brainer, the Niantic Labs CEO nonetheless assured fans that new creatures, as well as the first generation's legendary monsters, would be featured in the game in due time. According to Hanke, Pokemon GO currently has an active roster of about 144 Pokemon. That's every first-generation monster sans Ditto, Mew, Mewtwo and the three legendary birds, Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres.
"We've launched the first generation of Pokémon, 150 or so. There are over 700 Pokémon in the Pokémon universe. It's always been the intent to gradually introduce more Pokémon into the experience over time. It's a natural way to keep the game fresh. Some Pokémon are highly coveted and people are going to be really excited when they show up in the game," Hanke said.
Real-Time Raids To Hunt Legendary Pokemon?
As to how the legendary Pokemon are to be introduced, the CEO alluded to the possibility of introducing real-time in-game event system that would bring Pokemon GO players together to conduct a massive hunt for a rare Pokemon. Interestingly, such a system was teased in one of Pokemon GO's official trailers, where the video featured a raid to capture Mewtwo.
"I mentioned events earlier, how much fun it is to have these events where people come together. It's like Comic-Con meets a 5K. It's an active thing. You're not just observing. You're playing as part of this big social get-together. Events will be part of our future," Hanke said.
"We're waiting for the launch craziness to subside and then we'll get to the hard work of planning. It's hard to put on an event for 10,000-plus people. But introducing new Pokémon into the world, having events where those might be showcased, those concepts go together well. You can expect to see that happening in a synchronized way."
Trainer Battles, Trading System
One thing that Pokemon fans really appreciated, however, is the fact that Hanke was very positive about the prospect of a trading system to be introduced in the game. Pokemon games have always had the iconic trading feature, and its absence in Pokemon GO was noticed and felt by many. Thus, with its addition, Pokemon GO could finally be the title that every Pokemon fan has been dreaming of.
