In its year-and-a-half on the market, Pokémon GO is changing the way gamers interact with technology. The game's global marketing lead Archit Bhargava joins us to discuss the app's unprecedented success in bringing augmented reality to the mainstream. Bhargava says the app is more than a game, citing how it is inspiring people to get out of the house more and explore their communities.
He gives an update on the game's new launch of over fifty new Pokémon in the virtual environment. Bhargava also tells us how Pokémon GO is incorporating real-world elements into its latest version. He tells how weather conditions will determine what sorts of Pokémon will appear on screen.
Finally, we take a look back at the game's partnership with Sprint hitting its one-year anniversary. A new promotion offers users $100 in free PokéCoins for anyone who signs up for the carrier's Unlimited plans. The partnership also turned Sprint's stores into virtual gyms in the landscape of the game.
The typical holiday rush to malls and other retail outlets on "Super Saturday" fell by 26 percent compared to 2019. Melissa Gonzalez, CEO and founder of retail strategist Lionesque Group, told Cheddar that shopping habits had already been changing. "I just think there's a shift in general. And then there's just a lot more pre-planning, and I don't think that's going to go away," she said. "You saw a lot of holiday gift guides go out earlier and deals go out earlier, so I think that's just going to be a trend going forward." She also discussed how cryptocurrency is going to play a role in retail in 2022.
Jeanenne Tornatore, travel expert, media personality, content creator, and former Orbitz senior editor, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she runs through items flyers should be mindful of this holiday season as the omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread.
With only two days left until Christmas, last-minute shoppers are facing major issues caused by supply chain shortages and the rising omicron variant. Kristen Gall, president of Rakuten Rewards, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Waze launched its first-ever "Year in Rear View" survey. Andrew Stober, Waze Head of Public Partnerships and Carpool, takes a look back at the year in travel to see the places we drove the most, the books and music that kept us entertained, and what we can expect in 2022.
Juan Perez Jr., education reporter for Politico, breaks down why Black Americans are leaving Chicago and how political controversy is impacting representation.
Marvel's "Spiderman: No Way Home" is the third highest-grossing film of the year and could be the only one to reach the $1 billion mark of 2021 with ticket sales already surpassing $750 million.
