PokéMon GO Update: A Dating App Just For PokéMon GO Players

Pokémon GO has had a phenomenal success in the past weeks since it was officially released. And for those who are currently patterning their lives where a Bulbasaur can be easily found, don't take out dating out of the picture just yet. PokéDates, a new dating site from Project Fixup, brings Pokémon Go players together in the spirit of romance and gaming.

According to entertainment.ie, makers of the newest phenomenal game, Pokémon GO, have created a dating app to give players a touch of romance while searching for different Pokémon. PokéDates can be described as a combination of Pokémon Go and the famous dating app, Tinder. The app has been successfully launched in the US, and the makers of the app aim to bring players of the game together.

To use the app, players must provide their basic information online. Players can also say when will be the perfect time for them to go Pokémon hunting, and the site will be the one to look for potential dates for them.

The Verge reported that this is not the first match making app there is, actually PokeDates is an extension off Project Fixup, which does not want anything to do with human matchmakers. There have also been others that launched dating apps around different interests such as pets, sports, and even smoking pot.

However, PokéDates could succeed in actually bridging the gap between digital dating and real-world encounters, which is something that so many others have failed to do.

For example, Tinder has just recently released a feature that lets users organize group outings. However, those who are well versed of the online dating world compared PokeDates to Happn, a French dating app that claims to help you "discover the people you cross paths with."

The app basically works in the idea of meeting someone you've just briefly had eye contact with on the street or at a random party. However, according to those who have used the app, it really didn't work like that. With its 250-meter-radius, the app spans to look for people who practically haven't even met in your life, which may freak someone out.

Happn recently added a new social-like feature that lets users post statuses when they're available for a drink, dinner, or a movie, but I haven't seen many people actually use it around Paris.

PokéDates don't work like that. Rather than matching people based on their location, like what Tinder and Happn are doing, PokéDates match people according to their pre-selected interest, Mashable reported.

Meanwhile, it is said that PokéDates is free for the first date, but successive dates will cost players $20 per matchup, which can be a steep price to pay to meet Pokémon-obsessed strangers. However, for those who love to go on a date but hate to plan, the service takes the burden off by picking a place to hangout. All you have to do is show up with a charged smartphone and a willingness to slightly embarrass yourself.