Pokémon isn’t resting on the success of Pokémon Go, the augmented mobile video game craze that had people trying to catch them all over the past few years. The company announced Wednesday that Pokémon Sleep will take game play into our non-waking hours.
In a news conference from Tokyo, Pokémon CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara announced the new mobile app, planned for 2020. Few details were shared, but according to the company, a new device called a Pokémon Go Plus + will use an embedded accelerometer to track the time you are sleeping and send that information to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
PREVIOUSLY: Inside Niantic’s Seattle-area engineering office, the future of Pokémon Go is taking shape
The New York Times reported that the goal is to reward good sleep habits, and the game will change based on how long a user sleeps and what time she wakes.
“We love exploring the world on foot, and that can’t happen unless we have the energy to embark on these adventures,” John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, said in the NYT story. Niantic and Nintendo are teaming again on the effort.
Pokémon joked in a tweet that “several Snorlax were consulted” on the new game.
Pokémon Go became a smash hit with its release in the summer of 2016 and trainers were spotted pointing their phones at critters in every imaginable place. The new game announcement comes on the heels of a study from Common Sense Media on kids and the use of screens, which found that a third of teens take their mobile devices to bed with them.
But before Sleep time comes, Pokémon hopes to keep the attention of fans with a slew of other offerings announced Wednesday:
Announcement 1⃣
Can’t wait to keep sleuthing with #DetectivePikachu? Plans are under way to bring this crime-solving Pikachu to Nintendo Switch!
The details of this game are still a mystery…so keep checking back here for more clues. ?⚡️ pic.twitter.com/286PFCGYaR
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
Announcement 2⃣
Pokémon began on the Game Boy and has since evolved (get it? ?) into an experience that exists beyond a single game or device.
We wanted to bring everything together—connecting Pokémon with a variety of games and connecting players with each other.
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
Welcome home, Trainers.
Introducing Pokémon HOME, a cloud service that will work with Nintendo Switch and iOS and Android devices, allowing you to bring over the Pokémon that you’ve shared adventures with throughout your journey. #PokemonHOME pic.twitter.com/fAlodMrRzh
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
Announcement 4⃣
Dreaming of becoming a Pokémon master? This is your time!
Get ready for Pokémon Masters, a new game that allows you to battle alongside your favorite Pokémon Trainers from the main series RPGs. #PokemonMasters pic.twitter.com/RNFxswsDFp
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
