Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs, The Pokémon Company International, and Big Heritage have announced that they have partnered up to curate historic locations in Chester, UK, using Pokémon Go to "encourage community engagement and education," according to the press release.
Events will be staged on the weekend of July 22 to 23 and will include activities in Chester Castle, which will be open to the public for the first time in 20 years. Trail activities will also be deployed using Pokémon Go, providing not only in-game treats but also real ones too, at a time when the city will be celebrating the Chester Heritage Festival as well.
During the event historic sites will be turned into PokéStops for players to interact with, and Big Heritage will work with nearby schools to encourage young people to explore using the game.
Niantic CEO and founder John Hanke said: "I am incredibly excited about this partnership linking local history and Pokémon Go. We love the idea of using mobile games as a motivation for families to play outside together and perhaps to learn something interesting while they are at it!"
Big Heritage founder Dean Paton added: "We are so excited about working with Niantic Labs, who are true innovators in their field, and as passionate as we are about getting people exploring and learning about the world around them. It's a genuine coup for Chester to be the 'test bed' for some amazing new ideas, and we hope we can use the game based on the iconic and beloved Pokemon brand as a tool for helping more people get excited about the past."
Is this an effective way to get kids to engage with heritage?