PokeMon Go Philippines Official Release Date is 'Relatively Soon'
While millions of mobile users in other parts of the world are already enjoying the wonders of PokeMon Go, iPhone and Android smartphone owners based here in the Philippines will have to wait a bit more before they can officially get the much-talked about game on their devices, as its local release date remains undefined.
Update as of August 6, 2016: PokeMon Go has just been officially launched in the Philippines. It's now available for download on all current iPhone models and supported Android smartphones.
On Friday - July 15, 2016, Reuters shared sparse details from a press statement released by Mr. John Hanke, Chief Executive of Niantic - the game developer of PokeMon Go - regarding the international release of the title.
According to Reuters, Niantic wanted to launch the smash-hit mobile game in roughly 200 countries (including the Philippines, hopefully) "relatively soon" and was working on bolstering server capacity to enable the wider roll-out. Nonetheless, the developer declined to go into a detailed time-frame for further roll-outs but noted that the company's first location-based augmented reality game Ingress had taken a month or two to reach that number of markets. (source)
Meanwhile, some Filipino mobile gaming enthusiasts on social media - including myself - are speculating that PokeMon Go could land in our country by the end of July 2016. The claim, however, is more optimistic than based on a clear statement from either the game's publisher or developer. To quote one Pinoy gamer:
Though PokeMon Go's server has yet to go live in the Philippines, many Filipino Android smartphone owners who got excited to try out the title on the same day that it was launched in New Zealand and Australia have side-loaded it on their devices by downloading PokeMon Go game APK -- albeit its features are limited and it only offers the experience of catching one PokeMon.
The Philippines Is Ready For PokeMon Go
We have the devices that can run the game. In June 2016, the International Data Corporation (IDC) announced that the Philippines is currently the fastest growing smartphone market in the entire ASEAN region with a total of 3.5 million smartphone shipments to the country within Q1 2016 alone. Pinoy brands - including Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, and Starmobile - lead the game and these players constantly and consistently release budget-friendly Android handsets that meet the system requirements for PokeMon Go. On top of that, other players like Apple, Sony, Samsung, O+ USA, OPPO, Huawei, LG, Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and Vivo - among many others - offer Filipinos even more smartphones that are more than capable of running the game.
We have the network needed to deliver a compelling mobile gaming experience. For Php 69.1 Billion, the country's largest telco network Smart Communications and its erstwhile rival Globe Telecom recently acquired the telco business of San Miguel Corporation to gain control of the 700MHz spectrum, which can be used to greatly boost the mobile data speeds being delivered to consumers in many parts of the Philippines.
Update as of August 6, 2016: PokeMon Go has just been officially launched in the Philippines. It's now available for download on all current iPhone models and supported Android smartphones.
On Friday - July 15, 2016, Reuters shared sparse details from a press statement released by Mr. John Hanke, Chief Executive of Niantic - the game developer of PokeMon Go - regarding the international release of the title.
According to Reuters, Niantic wanted to launch the smash-hit mobile game in roughly 200 countries (including the Philippines, hopefully) "relatively soon" and was working on bolstering server capacity to enable the wider roll-out. Nonetheless, the developer declined to go into a detailed time-frame for further roll-outs but noted that the company's first location-based augmented reality game Ingress had taken a month or two to reach that number of markets. (source)
Meanwhile, some Filipino mobile gaming enthusiasts on social media - including myself - are speculating that PokeMon Go could land in our country by the end of July 2016. The claim, however, is more optimistic than based on a clear statement from either the game's publisher or developer. To quote one Pinoy gamer:
Though PokeMon Go's server has yet to go live in the Philippines, many Filipino Android smartphone owners who got excited to try out the title on the same day that it was launched in New Zealand and Australia have side-loaded it on their devices by downloading PokeMon Go game APK -- albeit its features are limited and it only offers the experience of catching one PokeMon.
The Philippines Is Ready For PokeMon Go
We have the devices that can run the game. In June 2016, the International Data Corporation (IDC) announced that the Philippines is currently the fastest growing smartphone market in the entire ASEAN region with a total of 3.5 million smartphone shipments to the country within Q1 2016 alone. Pinoy brands - including Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, and Starmobile - lead the game and these players constantly and consistently release budget-friendly Android handsets that meet the system requirements for PokeMon Go. On top of that, other players like Apple, Sony, Samsung, O+ USA, OPPO, Huawei, LG, Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and Vivo - among many others - offer Filipinos even more smartphones that are more than capable of running the game.
We have the network needed to deliver a compelling mobile gaming experience. For Php 69.1 Billion, the country's largest telco network Smart Communications and its erstwhile rival Globe Telecom recently acquired the telco business of San Miguel Corporation to gain control of the 700MHz spectrum, which can be used to greatly boost the mobile data speeds being delivered to consumers in many parts of the Philippines.
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