This Might Be Your First Look At Pokemon Go

Pokemon fans have been clamoring for Pokemon Go news for months, ever since Nintendo announced they were developing the mobile game with Niantic Studios. Pokemon Go will allow players to catch and battle Pokemon in the real world, using a mobile app and special bluetooth device to locate and catch Pokemon.

Although details about the game are sparse, Niantic is nearing completion on the game and is beginning closed beta testing last month. After Niantic CEO John Hanke spoke at SXSW Gaming last week, a new video appeared online that appears to show the first official gameplay video of the Pokemon Go app in action.

The video shows a player catching an Ivysaur outside of Niantic's headquarters in San Francisco. The Ivysaur is shown in the "real world" using the phone's camera, while a Google Map appears to show the location of several other Pokemon and a Pokemon Gym in the distance. The gameplay also showed the player switching between Poke Balls, fueling speculation that the app might use microtransactions to purchase better items. The game also teased a "level up" system for players, with trainers earning XP by catching Pokemon similar to Niantic's leveling system for Ingress, the company's other mobile game.

Nintendo has yet to announce a release date for Pokemon Go, although it's expected to come out sometime this year as part of Pokemon's twentieth anniversary celebration.