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Pokémon Go: Microtransactions for iOS and Android game revealed
If you really want to catch 'em all you might want to invest in some Pokéballs first
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Your support makes all the difference.The iOS and Android app itself might be free to download, but players of Pokémon Go can be rest assured there will be plenty of opportunities to spend money through microtransactions.
The augmented reality mobile game that drags Pokémon fans out into the world to catch ‘em all using their smartphone has begun to roll out in its fully evolved and final form in New Zealand and Australia.
This means fans in the UK and the US can probably count on it coming to them soon too and thanks to those already playing we’ve now got a good idea of what the game’s microtransactions are going to be.
According to Kotaku, when players start off their Pokémon adventure, they’re provided with a reasonable number of Pokéballs to catch Pokémon as well as some incense to attract them for free.
It is possible to accumulate more of these items slowly as you play but the idea is that if you really want to stock up on them and put your best foot forward in becoming a Pokémon master, you buy them.
If you are not willing to wait for them to replenish on their own, Pokéballs can be purchased in sets of 20, 100, or 200, with incense, lucky eggs, lure modules, and egg incubators also available.
These items can be bought using an in-game currency called Pokécoins which players have to buy using their real money.
The Pokécoin exchange rate has not been confirmed worldwide just yet, but Kotaku has revealed that in the Australian version of the game a minimum of 100 Pokécoins (enough to buy 20 Pokéballs for context) can be purchased for $1.49 AUD. This is around £0.87 GBP but it's likely that when the game is launched in the UK the prices won't be a direct exchange and could be slightly more.
For anyone that really wants to throw themselves into being the very best like no one ever was, there’s also the option to purchase 14,500 Pokécoins at once for $159.99 AUD which is around £93 — a big investment for a free-to-play mobile game.
Aside from microtransactions, Pokémon Go players will also be able to buy the Pokémon Go Plus wearable which will send alerts when a Pokémon is nearby so that players don’t have to keep their eyes glued to their mobile every hour of the day to avoid missing that Charmander they have their heart set on.
The wearable is available on the Nintendo website for £34.99, though it is currently out of stock - which suggests that paying extra to make the most of the Pokémon Go experience might not actually be such an objectionable prospect to players.
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