“I wanna be the very best like no one ever was!” If that sounds familiar to you, you’re probably a Pokemon fan. And as a Pokemon fan, you’ve probably already heard all about Pokemon GO. Heck, you probably know a little bit about the mobile game even if you’re not a Pokemon fan. Back in 2016, the world was introduced to the now-famous and almost ubiquitous mobile game. And now, we are introduced yet again to Pokemon Sleep.
It revolutionized mobile gaming in such a way that it utilized something mundane (walking) and turned it into entertainment. In May 2019, The Pokemon Company announced that it would release a new mobile app called Pokemon Sleep. If Pokemon GO turned walking into something fun and entertaining, Pokemon Sleep is said to do the same for sleeping. While the app isn’t out yet, here’s all we know so far about the forthcoming app.
What Is Pokemon Sleep?
“Hmm? What’s that, you say? Sleep is a mundane and boring task? Let’s turn it into something fun and entertaining!” That’s what we believe they were thinking when they made the Pokemon Sleep app.
Pokemon Sleep is an upcoming app that is developed by Select Button and Niantic that will be released by The Pokemon Company. They revealed the app last year in May 2019, saying that it will turn sleeping into a “form of entertainment”. However, the company never mentioned that the app in question is a mobile game like Pokemon GO. On the contrary, they are presenting Pokemon Sleep more as an app more than anything.
We don’t know a lot about the app’s gameplay, if there’s even going to be any gameplay in it at all. We’re not even sure if it’s a paid or free app. However, it’s likely a sleep-tracking app that’ll incentivize certain aspects of sleep. Nonetheless, Pokemon Sleep is already exciting Pokemon and Pokemon GO fans around the world.
Hopefully, that excitement doesn’t die down since there’s no clear timeline yet. The Pokemon Company only stated that the Pokemon Sleep release date would be sometime in 2020. However, we’re already at the latter half of 2020 and there’s still no updates about the app.
How Does Pokemon Sleep Work?
From what we can infer, Pokemon Sleep will likely come out as a sleep tracker rather than a game. Some speculate that Pokemon Sleep will track your sleep at night and give you scores based on certain metrics. You can gain points or demerits depending on certain targets like sleep duration, regularity, etc. However, it’s all still up in the air at this point given that we know very little about the details. We’re still unsure which sleeping metrics will be rewarded and penalized.
Apart from speculation regarding Pokemon Sleep gameplay, we do know that it’s going to use the new Pokemon GO Plus+. If you’re unfamiliar, the Pokemon GO Plus+ is an accessory that you use to track Pokemon with Pokemon GO. So, not only can you catch Pokemon with it, you can now catch up on sleep, too. With the same accessory, Pokemon Sleep users can track their sleeping habits by pairing it with the app. You can connect it to your device via Bluetooth, and it’ll track and feed your sleeping habits to your phone. It’ll work like most smartwatches with sleep tracking capabilities, except that it comes with a fun Pokemon app.
As for how Pokemon Sleep will make money, it’ll likely be similar to Pokemon GO’s microtransaction strategy. However, it’s unclear whether that will be the case because we’re still unsure whether you’ll have to pay upfront to access this game.
Pokemon Go vs Pokemon Sleep: The Differences
Since its launch in July 2016, Pokemon GO garnered $3.5 billion in revenue with 571.3 million downloads. The app was a success, and the Pokemon Company knows that very well. Through the app, many people started walking around their neighborhoods to catch Pokemon. It truly revolutionized walking — at least for Pokemon fans. People could open the app, walk around, and look for Pokemon around the neighborhood. You might find a sleeping Pokemon like Snorlax or any other Pokemon from the famous series. Once you catch sight of one, you can try to catch it with your in-app Pokeballs. If you succeed, you can truly live out your childhood dreams of becoming a Pokemon master.
With Pokemon Sleep, things are a little different but similar at the same time. Pokemon GO managed to create entertaining material out of something that can be as mundane as walking or travelling. However, it’s unclear whether you get to catch Pokemon at all with Pokemon Sleep. What you’re sure to get is entertainment even while you’re off to dreamland. Whether that’s through points that incentivize sleeping habits or catching Pokemon passively, we’ll have to wait and see.
Who Can Use Pokemon Sleep?
It’s unclear as of yet whether or not Pokemon Sleep is a paid app or a free app. Of course, most of the Pokemon GO fan base would want the app for free. Regardless, the Pokemon Company has stated that it’s available for both iOS and Android users when it comes out. It’s also worth noting that they heavily implied that it’ll work in tandem with the Pokemon GO Plus+ accessory. However, it’s also unclear whether or not the accessory is a requirement for the app to work. Other than that, this game is for everyone who wants to turn sleep into something fun and engaging. It’s an interesting app for all Pokemon fans, whether you’re a Pokemon GO player or not.
Conclusion
Pokemon GO was truly an innovative gaming app that turned walking into something fun and interesting. Not only that, but it also stirred people’s nostalgia and the hearts of Pokemon fans around the world. With this new game, we have high expectations that the app will do something similar for Pokemon fans. Although it’s still unconfirmed when it’ll drop, fans are eagerly waiting for its release. Hopefully, the Pokemon Company hasn’t forgotten about this and won’t let the hype fizzle out. Here’s hoping we’ll get a new update from the developers soon.
