Developed by Niantic and published by Nintendo, Pokémon Go is a free-to-play augmented reality (AR) game. The game was released in July 2016 for iOS and Android mobile devices.
Directed by Tatsuo Nomura, the game utilizes the GPS on mobile devices to locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon. The game supports in-app purchases to buy in-game currency used to procure various items. The game launched with around 150 Pokémon species, which had increased to around 600 by 2020.
Praised by both critics and fans for its concept and user-friendly interface, it was one of the most profitable games of 2016. Netting a whopping 1.92 billion dollars in revenue last year itself. With over 500 million downloads, it is a pioneer of location-based and AR games.