Pokémon Go Expands Field Test to Australia and New Zealand

Pokémon Go, the upcoming augmented reality mobile game, is expanding its field test to Australia and New Zealand. These countries will be the first Western locations to try an in-development version of the real-world Pokémon catching game, and users will be able to provide feedback to the development team at Niantic, Inc. to help refine and shape the final product.

Interested players can sign up to be a part of the field test at Niantic’s website. To be eligible, users must reside in Australia or New Zealand and have an iOS or Android device, although the developer notes that playability is not guaranteed on all devices at this stage.

The field test overview notes that players will be selected "based on a variety of factors which may include OS-types, experience in real world games and an element of luck".

Developer Niantic previously created the augmented-reality MMO game Ingress in 2012, and the Pokémon Go registration form includes a field for players to include their Ingress username and level to assist with their application.

The application page also notes that players will also need to adhere to a confidentiality clause, which asks them to refrain from sharing field-test content on social media in order to "have an element of surprise for our users at public launch".

Field testing first began in Japan last month, and Niantic recently shared a few new details regarding Pokémon Go, following a leak at SXSW.

Pokémon Go will eventually release as a free-to-play game for iOS and Android devices, and will support in-app purchases. Earlier this month, Nintendo released its first mobile app, Miitomo, a social networking app featuring customisable Mii characters.