According to Niantic CEO John Hanke, speaking to the international outlet Gamespot, there will no longer be a Pokémon GO presentation during the Game Developers Conference. The reason given was to give the team more time to release a higher-quality beta.
"We have decided not to participate in GDC so that we can focus on getting the product ready for beta testing and its launch. As much as we hate to disappoint those who will be at GDC, we also feel that our time and energy would now be better spent ensuring that every aspect of the product is where it should be," he said.
Previously, the plan was to hold a 30-minute presentation providing various details about Pokémon GO. The event would be called "Catch´em All: 'Pokémon GO' and Real World Gaming" (“Capture todos: Pokémon GO e jogando no mundo real” in a loose Portuguese translation). The idea was for him to explain how Niantic developed a unique vision for giving mobile devices an experience that would lead "Pokémon trainers" to leave their homes.
Catching Pokémon in Real Life
Pokémon GO for Android and iOS promises that the real world will be transformed through the presence and elements of Pokémon on smartphones. It will also feature special screens for battles, catches and trades of the pocket monsters.
The title is being developed through a partnership between The Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Niantic—the studio behind “Ingress,” an augmented reality game for mobile phones. In addition, a Poké Ball-shaped Bluetooth bracelet called Pokémon GO Plus can be used with the game, and it will begin to light up and vibrate when a Pokémon is nearby.
