Pokemon Go Plus Delayed Until September
The Pokemon Go Plus, a device that allows players to play Pokemon Go without looking at their [...]
The Pokemon Go Plus, a device that allows players to play Pokemon Go without looking at their phone, has been delayed until September. Nintendo announced the news today but gave no reason for the delay.
The #PokemonGO Plus accessory will now be released Sept 2016 instead of the originally expected end of July launch. https://t.co/QgjZf1aAV6
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 27, 2016
The Pokemon Go Plus is a small device that can be worn on the wrist or shirt lapel and connects to a user's phone via BlueTooth. The device vibrates to signal when a Pokemon or PokeStop is nearby, allowing the player to push a button on the device to interact with the game.
Nintendo showed off the device at E3 in June and announced that it would be released in July, causing Niantic to announce that Pokemon Go would also be released prior to the game. Niantic's rollout of Pokemon Go has been plagued with problems, ranging from server issues to frustrating bugs, and Niantic CEO John Hanke confirmed that the game had only about 10% of its planned features during rollout.
The news comes at a bad time for Nintendo, which saw its stock plunge in recent days. The company's stock had nearly doubled in price with the release of Pokemon Go, which forced Nintendo to remind its investors that the company only owned about 16% of the game due to Pokemon's complicated ownership and Niantic's share in the game.
On the plus side, the delay may give Pokemon Go fans a second chance to preorder the Pokemon Go Plus. Currently, the game is sold out on Amazon and Gamestop, but it's possible that the delay will allow Nintendo to increase their manufacturing plans.