[
THE INVESTOR] South Korea’s top mobile operator
SK Telecom said on March 20 that it has decided to roll out joint marketing projects with the Pokemon Co. to promote its popular augmented reality mobile game.
In the “Pokemon Go” game, users walk around the streets to find and collect hundreds of characters, which combines computer-generated images with real-life backgrounds. The game has been considered a prime example of AR technology.
SK Telecom said its official retail stores throughout the country, estimated at 4,000, will serve as “PokeStops” or “Gyms,” where users can obtain virtual items or engage in a battle using characters caught, respectively.
Along with Niantic, a software company which developed the game, SK Telecom said its users will be allowed to play “Pokemon Go” without using their monthly data through end-June. The company said the decision came as younger game players are usually subscribers of cheaper data plans.
The game has been enjoying significant popularity in some 200 countries around the world, with the combined downloads estimated at 650 million.
By Alex Lee and newswires (
alexlee@heraldcorp.com)