Jio brings AR-powered 'Pokemon GO' to India

Ending the wait for millions of gaming lovers in India, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) has brought the famous augmented reality (AR) game "Pokemon GO" to the country with Niantic, the US-based software company and developer of the gaming app.

Starting December 14, Jio customers will be able to download and play "Pokemon GO" without incurring data charges -- like any other apps and content -- till March 31, 2017, the company said in a statement.

With this partnership, Reliance Digital Stores and select partner premises will appear as "PokeStops" or "Gyms" as shown in the "Pokemon GO" game.

"It is exciting to see Pokemon fans in India step out and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pokemon and Jio's disruptive, high speed 4G/LTE network will be an excellent way to experience the game," said John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Niantic, in a statement.

On JioChat, Jio's social messaging app, Pokemon players will have access to an exclusive "Pokemon Go Channel" that will enable players to collaborate and be part of an exciting community with daily tips, contests, clues and special events.

"Our partnership with Niantic not only brings access to the Pokemon GO app but also opens the door to more opportunities for our customers to enjoy content on Jio's one-of-a-kind mobile broadband network," added Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio.

The game uses the GPS capabilities of the device in conjunction with Google Maps to "place" creatures in real world locations, which you then try to find using your device as a guide.

Once you are in proximity to the "placed" creature, you then use your device's camera to "view" the creature and try to "capture" it by throwing "Pokeballs" at it.

"With over 500 million downloads globally, we are excited to launch Pokemon GO officially in India on the Reliance Jio network," Oommen added.

--IANS

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