Starbucks Stores Turn to Pokestops for Pokémon GO; New Drink in Honor of Game Launched [VIDEO]
Pokémon GO players have another reason to go out more. With a recent partnership with coffee giant Starbucks, visiting the nearest Starbucks would merit more than just a drink.
Leaked documents intended for Starbucks baristas show that starting December 8, the majority of Starbucks locations in the United States will become either a Pokestop or a Gym. Citing the increase in traffic and sales for locations that are tagged as either a Pokestop or a gym in the augmented reality game, the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain wants to take a share in the proverbial pie, Travelers Today reports.
To celebrate the crossover promotion between these two iconic products, Starbucks is offering a new drink in commemoration of the game. Dubbed the "Pokémon GO Frappuccino", the drink reportedly consists of raspberry and blackberry, possibly relating to the berries found in the Niantic-developed game. According to Forbes, players who locate a store in the game can unlock this beverage, and baristas are encouraged to taste and recommend the drink to its customers by the deal's start date, which would be available until supplies last.
Some hope that the Starbucks promotion could be used to launch the Gen 2 update, though no confirmation has been given at the moment. According to the leaked document, though, is that the world of Pokémon GO is "about to expand". It could mean several things, like possible region-exclusive Pokémon, legendary hunting season, or the official release of Ditto, or the much-awaited Gen 2 release. Whatever it may be, the tie-up promotion between Niantic and Starbucks will have a big impact for both companies.
Pokémon GO has experienced several ups and downs since it was officially released in July. While it started out with a strong player base, it quickly dwindled due to several reasons, including a lack of player versus player battle and trading capabilities. It has received some revival during the Halloween season, thanks to an update the developer Niantic brought to the game. It has been steadily increasing its player base again, with the arrival of the Thanksgiving patch. The December update, however, is said to address most complaints in the game, by possibly adding the PvP and trade systems to the game, two mechanics that made the original handheld games a success.
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