Pokémon Go Update Releases, World Rejoices
If you didn’t know already, Pokémon Go’s new update is now live. And no, you still can’t count your steps using your device’s accelerometer.
Among some technical fixes, you can now pick a Pokémon as your buddy, which will appear in your profile page and slowly generate candy while you walk together. Walking between 1 and 5km (a unit of measurement not acknowledged by Americans until Pokemon Go came out) will generate one candy for that Pokémon family. Rarer breeds will require you to walk further, so pick those knees up, pumpkin.
This is pretty dope – but also brings back the point that you can’t fucking use your phone’s accelerometer to count steps. For some inexplicable reason, you still need to have the Pokemon Go app OPEN to count steps, which I find to be infuriating. Yet and still, die hard supporters of this app will say it really isn’t that big of a deal, but what happens if I’m in the gym and I’m tryna imagine I’m running alongside my Machop on the treadmill? Young’n wants to get buff, how am I to deny him that privilege, Niantic?
Sure, I understand that the app probably wants you to look at the map while you walk, and it measures your steps by approximating distance using GPS (not, y’know, the built in tool that is literally designed to simulate and measure movement) But still. I should be able to crush two scoops of pre workout, go ham sandwich at the gym for 35 minutes, pass out on decline bench, and wake up to a beefed up Pokemon. Can I get a amen?
Anyway, if you’re still interested in this update go download it. And if you wanna see how many candies you’re gonna need and how much you’re gonna have to walk to get those candies, Eurogamer has a pretty sick guide to all that right here.
Yell at me for swearing on Twitter at @WickedGoodGames.
