Pokémon Go release date news: Officially launched in Japan with McDonalds as first sponsored location

After taking many countries by storm, Nintendo's augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go has been officially released in Japan. Aside from being the birthplace of Pokémon Go's virtual monsters, Japan is also the second country in Asia to launch the game.

Niantic, the software development company behind Pokémon Go, recently confirmed through their official website that the game is "finally broadcasting" in Japan. The Pokémon Go Twitter account echoed the announcement with a post which reads: "Trainers in Japan, thank you for being patient. Pokémon GO is now available to download in Japan!"

Now available in more than 30 countries, the mobile game quickly gained popularity among users of all ages. The Japanese launch also came in with a tie up with McDonalds which could bring in more customers across all branches in the country.

The sponsorship deal enables fast food restaurants/commercial establishments to advertise as areas where a Pokemon is guaranteed to be found, or as "gyms" wherein players can hone their monsters' skills to fight with other users. However, a representative from McDonalds stressed that their restaurants will not hesitate to "call on players not to become a bother to customers who are eating," according to BBC.

Meanwhile, a reliable source from Niantic told Tech Crunch that Japan serves as the "halo" launch in Asia, which means that the game can be launched in neighboring countries anytime soon. The game developer has yet to reveal which regions will launch the game next, but Niantic already stated that a Chinese release could be "tricky," so a delayed arrival in the country is expected. In an interview with Reuters last week, CEO John Hanke said that the company aims to release the game in 200 countries the soonest.

The Japanese launch led Nintendo's (7974.Japan/NTDOY) share to rise 4.7 percent in the stock market while McDonald's Japan (2702.Japan) reached 6.3 percent.