Pokémon GO does not yet have a release date, but it is, however, undergoing field tests presently in Japan as well as in Australia & New Zealand. While it should be no surprise that Japan saw the first field tests for the game, the Oceanic release comes as a bit of a surprise because The Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara initially made no mention of Pokémon GO releasing in Australia & New Zealand. What he did say, however, might give us some insights on where the mobile game might be arriving next.
According to Ishihara’s comments, the game will see a two-tiered release, with the initial release taking place in Japan, North America and Europe. In the second round, the game will release in Africa, the Middle-East, Asia and South America. No mention was made of Australia and New Zealand at the time, however, the recent field tests have clearly proven that the game will indeed be released there.
A pattern that emerges here is that the ‘main’ targets for the initial release of Pokémon GO are relatively high-income territories, and Australia & New Zealand definitely fit that bill. So the question is, if the game has already been released for field testing there and in Japan, will Europe and North America be next? Chances seem high. It is possible that Niantic may take the approach of releasing the games as field tests in Europe and North America, and then ‘formalising’ them with an official release once they’re satisfied with the tests.
Are you anticipating a beta release in Europe or North America? Let us know in the comments below.