Pokemon Go for iOS Updated With New 'Buddy' Feature

[MacRumors]

Amid today's glut of app updates for iOS 10, Niantic Labs updated popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go, adding some promised new features that should make the Pokémon-catching experience better.

New in Pokémon Go is a Buddy feature that lets users choose a favorite Pokémon as a buddy. The Pokémon acting as a buddy will earn candy after a certain distance is traveled, making it much easier to get candies for upgrading rare Pokémon.

Today's update also fixes a few minor bugs and adds support for the Pokémon Go Plus accessory. Pokémon Go Plus is a wrist-worn device that's designed to let users discover Pokémon without the need to have the smartphone app open. It will be available starting next week.

In the future, Pokémon Go will be coming to the Apple Watch, as was announced at Apple's September 7 event. The Apple Watch app, like the Pokémon Go Plus accessory, will alert users when wild Pokémon appear, it will show information about hatching eggs, and send alerts when a Pokéstop is nearby. Pokéstops can even be accessed directly on the wrist without the need to open the Pokémon Go iPhone app.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Pokemon Go for iOS Updated With New 'Buddy' Feature

 

[nagromme]

I look forward to posts from people who care a LOT about things they say they don't care about.

 

[WiseAJ]

Finally an actually useful update

 

[lunarworks]

I look forward to posts from people who care a LOT about things they say they don't care about.

It must be awful for them, being forced to read every single article whether they're interested in it or not...

 

[freepomme]

I was under the impression we would see the Pokémon walking with us on the map.

 

[Carlanga]

I'm going to put my perfect iv kabuto on there to see if I can collect enough candies to make it evolve.

 

[pnoyblazed]

I was under the impression we would see the Pokémon walking with us on the map.

That would be pretty sweet. I saw a mock up on reddit

 

[tonyr6]

Pokemon Go again. Who cares. Where is the post when iCloud was not working? I found out in the forums not in the news where it should be.

 

[ChazSch]

I am at a loss. HOW do you add a Pokémon as a buddy? I am not seeing it

 

[lunarworks]

I am at a loss. HOW do you add a Pokémon as a buddy? I am not seeing it

It's in your user profile thing, under the hamburger menu.

 

[frumpy16]

I look forward to posts from people who care a LOT about things they say they don't care about.

It's worth noting that the experience on desktop and mobile is quite different. The mobile theme has no "sidebar" so every story big and small ends up equal and a PIA to scroll through. Seems like a problem that could be solved with the technology of 2016 by a tech blog. Maybe keyword/tag blocking like Instagram just implemented? Like this story would be tagged 'Pokemon' and people that couldn't care less can just block the 'Pokemon' tag in their profile (or from a story).

The alternative is people leaving for other blogs, IMO.

 

[teknikal90]

this game should be used in business schools as a case study on what not to do when you have a viral hit on your hands.

1. be stagnant with feature updates, essentially deserting the more committed fans who got to the higher levels. What's the point of grinding to reach level 20, honestly. They didn't build a reward system and they realistically had plenty of time to do that - the time it took for people to start reaching level 20.

2. have zero communication with the fan base

3. shut down features that were popular - pokevision, though technically 'cheating' made the game more fun for casual users. if pokevision was still active i'd consider still checking it from time to time in case a lapras shows up a few blocks away. now? I don't want to walk aimlessly for 10 minutes let alone 30 minutes in the hopes something other than a stupid zubat pops up.

the game was fun until level 15. From then on, you won't see anything new.

 

[Parasprite]

It's worth noting that the experience on desktop and mobile is quite different. The mobile theme has no "sidebar" so every story big and small ends up equal and a PIA to scroll through. Seems like a problem that could be solved with the technology of 2016 by a tech blog. Maybe keyword/tag blocking like Instagram just implemented? Like this story would be tagged 'Pokemon' and people that couldn't care less can just block the 'Pokemon' tag in their profile (or from a story).

The alternative is people leaving for other blogs, IMO.

Or just use the desktop version of MR.

 

[CrAkD]

I only have 2 Pokémon left to catch. So this feature will help me with the candies for those.....by the time the watch app is released I'll be done unless they add more Pokémon by then.

 

[CarlJ]

this game should be used in business schools as a case study on what not to do when you have a viral hit on your hands.

Well, they're still raking in six times more IAP money than the next highest earning game. They got a number of things wrong, mostly related to being unprepared for the magnitude of their popularity (it's not like they removed features out of spite, that happened because things were broken and/or overloading the servers).

 

[frumpy16]

Or just use the desktop version of MR.

On a mobile phone? That's comically stupid.

 

[Sasparilla]

A useful update. My child has already buddied her Pokemon Go avatar.

For those that have a Pikachu, there is a trick that will put him on your shoulder, not just standing next to you (didn't hear the details on how to do it, although I'm sure Google will fill them in).

 

[CarlJ]

On a mobile phone? That's comically stupid.

No, it's not. It's the way one gets to a lot of features dumbed out of the mobile version.

 

[Good User Name]

On a mobile phone? That's comically stupid.

I exclusively use the desktop version on my mobile phone and have none of the issues you seem to.

 

[0098386]

Do you need to keep looking at the display to "get" the candies once you unlock them during a walk? I'm hoping this is a completely hands-free feature, something Go has been lacking. I really hope I can just wire my iPhone to my external battery and head out on a hike without needing to check on it every 3km.

 

[Carlanga]

redi

It's worth noting that the experience on desktop and mobile is quite different. The mobile theme has no "sidebar" so every story big and small ends up equal and a PIA to scroll through. Seems like a problem that could be solved with the technology of 2016 by a tech blog. Maybe keyword/tag blocking like Instagram just implemented? Like this story would be tagged 'Pokemon' and people that couldn't care less can just block the 'Pokemon' tag in their profile (or from a story).

The alternative is people leaving for other blogs, IMO.

in the not so old days you could just change to desktop mode, but nowadays the new and "improved" macrumors has adjustable pages so there is no more desktop/mobile versions. IMO the changes to the website are a step back.

Even buzzfeed got an answer from Apple while here it seems they just repeat whatever else it's posted in other websites. More editors, newer website and late everything it's macrumors 2016.

 

[teknikal90]

Well, they're still raking in six times more IAP money than the next highest earning game. They got a number of things wrong, mostly related to being unprepared for the magnitude of their popularity (it's not like they removed features out of spite, that happened because things were broken and/or overloading the servers).

I agree with you they can't be blamed for not predicting the popularity. but once the popularity was there the moves that they made was baffling. they shut down pokevision which existed because the built in poketracker was broken. hence leaving people with a broken game altogether.
They didn't use the precious few weeks they had to make the game better - which is what every other game creator is doing nowadays. Because that system works. You want to keep your core players locked in, keep them entertained and use the time that it takes for them to reach the high point in order to create the next reward system.

World of warcraft first introduced this with each expansion pack allowing players to level up some more. That's what kept people in that game for a ridiculously long time.

With Pokemon Go...the game 'ended' at around level 15 (2-3 weeks of playing)

 

[nutmac]

Pokemon Go again. Who cares. Where is the post when iCloud was not working? I found out in the forums not in the news where it should be.

Right, how there MacRumors for posting articles that YOU are not interested in that many people do.

 

[5105973]

I wonder if the game is working right for me and my daughter. We have been up and down the east coast this summer and walked around a lot. She used incense and we stopped at stops that had modules set up. But we kept seeing the same Pokemon over and over and very few new and exciting ones. Even when interesting ones showed as nearby sightings, we would only get the usual suspects: Zubat, Pidgeys, Ratata, Raticate, Spearow. At the beach I was expecting to see some great water Pokemon but nope, not really. Do you have to be a certain level to see a greater variety of them? I suppose I should just go ahead and start leveling up my Pidgeys and Rat Pokemon since I have a lot of candies for them. The gym battling system is also not what I was expecting.

Oh well, I'm going to put Pikachu on my shoulder. His was the first egg I ever got and hatched.

 

[Carlanga]

I wonder if the game is working right for me and my daughter. We have been up and down the east coast this summer and walked around a lot. She used incense and we stopped at stops that had modules set up. But we kept seeing the same Pokemon over and over and very few new and exciting ones. Even when interesting ones showed as nearby sightings, we would only get the usual suspects: Zubat, Pidgeys, Ratata, Raticate, Spearow. At the beach I was expecting to see some great water Pokemon but nope, not really. Do you have to be a certain level to see a greater variety of them? I suppose I should just go ahead and start leveling up my Pidgeys and Rat Pokemon since I have a lot of candies for them. The gym battling system is also not what I was expecting.

Oh well, I'm going to put Pikachu on my shoulder. His was the first egg I ever got and hatched.

Nope. you should be able to see the same Pokemon as the person w higher levels. I would consider using something like go radar app or similar to see where the better Pokemon are located in your area. Where I live only the historic area which has like hundred poke stops and lots of player where one can find a lot of different ones. Close to home you can find some but it's far and between those pushers and rattatas.