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Google Maps Gets Updated With Nifty Feature For ‘Pokemon Go’ Players

By Bryan Star
Published on: 23:25 PST, Sep 5, 2016

Google Maps has joined in on the Pokemon hunt, giving users a new feature.

Millions have become Pokemon trainers since Pokemon GO was released back in July. Development company Niantic continues to make improvements to the game, though some would say that there have also been updates that make Pokemon GO more difficult. There’s speculation that Pokemon get unreasonably hard to capture at a certain point, and some users feel that Pokemon are harder to come by with the stipulations set for users to avoid danger. Some would even claim that the overall hype for Pokemon GO has dwindled. With Google Maps joining, that point could be argued.

In a report by BGR, it’s been confirmed that players are now able to update their activity in Google Maps to “catching Pokemon”. Pokemon Go makes use of a GPS-based system, so Google Maps fits perfectly into the mold. While it doesn’t do anything quite like telling you where specific Pokemon will be or what type of Pokemon are in an area, it allows users to track where they’ve been and how they got there.

Pokemon GO involves quite a bit of movement and travel. If you want to enable the “catching Pokemon” setting on your timeline, you’ll simply access Google Maps and go to “Your Timeline”. From there, it’s just a simple matter of tapping on the travel icon and updating the status to “catching Pokemon.” Google Maps will take care of the rest from there. Google Maps will also tell you how much time you’ve spent catching Pokemon in the area, giving players reliable data if they’re wanting to research the frequency and appearance of a certain Pokemon.

Perhaps users may not find Pokemon GO as fun or addictive as the initial hype, but this handy little feature from Google Maps could very well mean that the game is being pointed in a positive direction. There’s been quite a bit of speculation that the game is dying down from its original hype, but developer Niantic appears to have other plans for Pokemon GO that will reward its avid users.

Additionally, other companies are looking to Pokemon GO for inspiration. In a report by Forbes, Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai expressed his interest in the fact that Pokemon GO has allowed mobile gaming to increase in popularity.

Hirai weighed in on Pokemon GO, specifically how it brought change to mobile usage.

“It’s quite a shift from being just a console-based business to being on mobile phones as well… Pokémon GO is a real game-changer. I’m very interested in the fact that it has the potential to really change the way people move, literally.”

If this is any indication of the influence that Pokemon GO has on the market, we’ll most likely be seeing quite a bit more from Niantic that will satisfy and draw in a greater fan base. There’s already a feature called the “Buddy System” being rolled out. According to a report by Game Rant, this feature will allow a trainer to raise a certain Pokemon to acquire candy as travel is done. Such an addition will make it less tedious to raise Pokemon, which allows players to focus more on catching Pokemon. It’ll also mean more powerful Pokemon with which to engage gyms, increasing the overall action in Pokemon GO.

The downside? The Buddy Pokemon won’t be able to battle gyms or be traded when the feature arrives. While a small nuisance, the trade-off is still beneficial to players.

Time will tell whether or not Pokemon GO remains at the top of the mobile gaming hit list, but it certainly has fans that are still on the hunt for virtual monsters.

Do you think that the Google Maps Pokemon GO update is just the beginning? In your opinion, has Pokemon GO lost its steam? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo By Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]

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