Don’t look now, but Pokemon GO is getting closer. The upcoming Augmented Reality game is expanding its field test from Japan into Australia and New Zealand. Still not the UK then, but it’s progress.
This means Australia and New Zealand will be the first locations outside of Japan lucky enough to try an in-development version of the real-world Pokemon adventure. I’m only 110% jealous.
Still, since the point of a field test is to refine and provide feedback to developer Niantic, at least this means we’ll be getting it when it’s in a better state. So that’s something… right?
Interested players can sign up to be a part of this glorious test over at Niantic’s website. To be in with a chance, you have to live in Australia or New Zealand (obviously) and have an iOS or Android device. I should point out that Niantic has noted playability is not guaranteed on all devices at this stage – all part of the testing, I guess.
The selection process will then be based on:
A variety of factors which may include OS-types, experience in real world games and an element of luck.
The application page does ask that fans refrain from sharing images of their experience on social, so the rest of us peasants can still be surprised at launch. That didn’t stop some guy in Japan from leaking loads of details, though.
I’d wish you good luck if you live in Australia or New Zealand, but I’m too busy being jealous of the fact you get a chance to play it.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.