POKÉMON GO UPDATE – NIANTIC ADDS 80 NEW CREATURES IN MAJOR UPDATE

Well, it's taken seven months to arrive, but Niantic has finally gifted Pokémon Go players with a major update that introduces 80 new animals from the Gold and Silver video games. The new critters will begin popping up by the end of this week, and are taken from the fictional "Johto" region of the Pokémon Silver and Gold universe.

We haven't been given a full list of the new Pokémon at this point, but Niantic has announced the three starters Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. Luckily, there's also a new video, in which you can catch a glimpse of some of the other new additions.

And there's more. Niantic  added bunchew features to the game alongside the new creatures. First up there's new encounter gameplay that will see Pokémon react in new ways when you discover them and try to catch them. There's also new item carousels that allow you to select Berries and Poke Balls directly from the encounter screen.

Next, Niantic has added a few new evolution items which means some animals originally discovered in the Kanto region will soon be able to evolve into Pokemon that inhabit the Johto region. These new evolution items will be available at PokeStops.

New Berries have also been introduced in the form of the Nanab Berry, which slows a Pokemon's movements, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt succeeds.

And finally, the game has been upgraded with new customisation options, allowing players to further customise their avatar's appearance with new shirts and hats and stuff. You'll also be able to buy new other items from the in-game Pokémon Go shop.

Here's a full list of all 100 Pokémon added to the game:

• Chikorita
• Bayleef
• Meganium
• Cyndaquil
• Quilava
• Typhlosion
• Totodile
• Croconaw
• Feraligatr
• Sentret
• Furret
• Hoothoot
• Noctowl
• Ledyba
• Ledian
• Spinarak
• Ariados
• Crobat
• Chinchou
• Lanturn
• Pichu
• Cleffa
• Igglybuff
• Togepi
• Togetic
• Natu
• Xatu
• Mareep
• Flaaffy
• Ampharos
• Bellossom
• Marill
• Azumarill
• Sudowoodo
• Politoed
• Hoppip
• Skiploom
• Jumpluff
• Aipom
• Sunkern
• Sunflora
• Yanma
• Wooper
• Quagsire
• Espeon
• Umbreon
• Murkrow
• Slowking
• Misdreavus
• Unown
• Wobbuffet
• Girafarig
• Pineco
• Forretress
• Dunsparce
• Gligar
• Steelix
• Snubbull
• Granbull
• Qwilfish
• Scizor
• Shuckle
• Heracross
• Sneasel
• Teddiursa
• Ursaring
• Slugma
• Magcargo
• Swinub
• Piloswine
• Corsola
• Remoraid
• Octillery
• Delibird
• Mantine
• Skarmory
• Houndour
• Houndoom
• Kingdra
• Phanpy
• Donphan
• Porygon
• Stantler
• Smeargle
• Tyrogue
• Hitmontop
• Smoochum
• Elekid
• Magby
• Miltank
• Blissey
• Raikou
• Entei
• Suicune
• Larvitar
• Pupitar
• Tyranitar
• Lugia
• Ho-Oh
• Celebi

source: trustedreviews

E3 Opens To The Public For The First Time Ever

15,000 tickets for E3 2017 will go on sale this coming Monday, February 13.

For the first time ever, E3 is opening its doors to the public. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event every year, announced today that an allotment of 15,000 tickets will be made available for anyone to buy this coming Monday, February 13.

Priced at $250 (or $150 as part of an early bird discount available on February 13), tickets provide access to the show floor, panel discussions, and other events from Tuesday through Thursday of E3 week. The ESA will partnerwith games media veteran Geoff Keighley to provide attendees with access to special benefits associated with Keighley's own E3 programming, such as developer interviews and more. Full details on this and other elements of E3's new public plans will be announced in the coming weeks.

For years now, there have been calls to open E3 to the public. The ESA conducted an experiment of sorts for this in 2016 with its E3 Live event, which was free and open to the public. It was located outside of the Los Angeles Convention Center, the site of E3, and attendees could go hands-on with upcoming games and take part in other events. There was "incredible attendee enthusiasm" for this event, the ESA's senior VP of communications, Rich Taylor, tells GameSpot. So the next step was to invite fans to actually walk the halls of E3 and get closer to the action.

"The feedback we heard was clear--they wanted to play the games inside the convention center. In addition, exhibitors inside the convention center wanted to have access to the fans. So this year we're bringing the two together," Taylor said.

"It's a changing industry, and E3 has always evolved to meet industry needs and anticipate where we’re heading together--as an event, as an industry, and as fans. The decision to open our doors to 15,000 fans was a strategic decision. It is thanks to our members and their vision and leadership that made this possible. We have a model that allows the business of the industry to continue for our business and media attendees and provides an opportunity for video games' biggest fans to experience the latest in innovative, immersive entertainment."

Every year, it seems, the question comes up, "Is E3 still relevant?" A number of companies pulled out of E3 2016, including Activision and EA. Certainly, the industry is changing, and gaming shows like E3, Gamescom, and PAX--which has always been open to the public--remain popular. Taylor says E3 faces "the relevancy question" every year because it's the year's juggernaut when it comes to gaming shows.

"I think there are those who always enjoy questioning those at the top of the leaderboard," he says. "E3 has a reputation around the world as the place where video game hardware and software launches happen. Last year, E3 generated more than 65 billion media impressions around the globe. That doesn't happen accidentally, and it's a testament to E3's strength, its connection to the fans, and the event's position in the industry."

Taylor says the ESA is always listening to feedback and welcomes the ongoing discussion.

"I think asking, 'How can we improve?' 'Where are video games headed?' 'How do we connect with fans?' are all healthy questions, and that helps ensure E3 stays current and meets exhibitors' needs," he said.

In addition to the standard passes, business passes will be available. These provide access to a business lounge and preferred entry to the convention center, among other things. The ESA anticipates that this will be appealing to lawyers, analysts, executives, and advertisers.

E3 is a constantly evolving show. It isn't known yet if E3 2018 will be open to the public, but Taylor says you should think about this year's event as a "commitment of where [the ESA is] heading and [its] desire to respond to exhibitors and consumers."

"I think asking, 'How can we improve?' 'Where are video games headed?' 'How do we connect with fans?' are all healthy questions, and that helps ensure E3 stays current and meets exhibitors' needs" -- Taylor

E3 2017 takes place June 13-15. More than 200 exhibitors are lined up to attend the event--"leading companies from around the world," Taylor says. Bear in mind that the list of exhibitors on E3's website is not final, as discussions with publishers remain ongoing.

E3 is staying in Los Angeles, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, through 2021.

Pokémon Go reportedly has brought in $1 billion in less than 7 months

Pokémon Go may no longer be the massive mobile gaming hit it was when it first launched in early July 2016, but the AR app from developer Niantic Labs still managed to reach that $1 billion revenue milestone faster than any other iOS or Android mobile game so far.

According to the research firm Sensor Tower, Pokémon Go managed to reach that big revenue number faster than Supercell’s Clash Royale. The company claims that game, which launched on March 2016, generated $550 million worldwide in its first seven months. Both games are free-to-play titles that rely on in-app purchases for their revenues.

While Pokémon Go is not bringing in $18 million in revenue per day like it did at the height of its popularity in the summer of 2016, Sensor Tower claims that the game still generates a daily total of between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. The same research firm said a few weeks ago that Pokémon Go was the fifth highest earning mobile game in 2016, while Clash Royale came in sixth. Monster Strike was number one, followed by Clash of Clans, Game of War and Mobile Strike.

The firm adds that Niantic Labs could continue to keep that money flowing from Pokémon Go and its fans if it keeps the game updated regularly with new events and content. We will have to see if 2017 will be a solid year for the app or if it will prove it was just a passing fad.