Pokémon Go is getting new creatures and a marketing deal that will turn more than 10,00 Sprint retailers into PokéStops and Gyms, but developer Niantic is also rolling out a smaller update that introduces at least one highly requested feature.
You can now select multiple Pokémon at once to transfer to Professor Willow in the location-based mobile game that has players catching digital pocket monsters in the real world. In a blog post, Niantic has detailed some of the changes coming in the update that is hitting iOS and Android today. Prior to this patch, players could exchange their catches for an in-game item called candy, but you had to do that process one creature at a time. Now, you can long press to start trading them in bulk.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":2125821,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"arvr,business,games,","session":"D"}']This is a separate update from Niantic’s plans to introduce new Pokémon into the game. The company will provide details on those changes on December 12. But today’s smaller update should play a role in getting one of the highest-grossing games in the $36.6 billion mobile gaming industry ready for an income of new and returning players.
Here are all of the changes coming to Pokémon Go today, according to Niantic:
AI Weekly
The must-read newsletter for AI and Big Data industry written by Khari Johnson, Kyle Wiggers, and Seth Colaner.
Included with VentureBeat Insider and VentureBeat VIP memberships.
- Trainers will be able to transfer multiple Pokémon at a time to Professor Willow. To use this function, press and hold on a Pokémon.
- Pokémon type icons have been added to the Gym battle approach and Gym battle screen.
- The total Candy count for your Buddy Pokémon has been added to the buddy information screen.
- The total kilometers a buddy has walked has been added to the information screen of each Pokémon that has ever been your buddy.
- Minor text fixes
You might feel the urge to point out that people shouldn’t get excited about an update that lets you do something as basic as bulk-selecting monsters, but hey — that’s Pokémon Go. That is also probably why Apple didn’t choose it as one of its top iPhone games of the year. But as long the game continues to make bank, I’m sure Niantic doesn’t feel too bad about missing out on a trophy.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn More