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Jul 18, 2016 | By Benedict

A generous maker from a seaside town in Great Britain has been leaving 3D printed Pokémon models as a surprise reward for local Pokémon Go players. Matthew Beaman, 36, has given five 3D printed creations to the cause, leaving clues about their location on a local news Facebook group.

It would be fair to say that people don’t need extra incentive to play Pokémon Go at the moment. Since its release earlier this month, the highly addictive augmented reality game has taken the world by storm, rekindling everybody’s love for Pikachu and the gang while topping the download charts and sending Nintendo stocks through the roof. In the British seaside parish of Ilfracombe, Devon, however, players are being given a chance to—as the saying goes—hit two Pidgeys with one Poké Ball, sending enthusiastic catchers wild with delight.

For most Pokémon Go players, the aim of the game is to find and catch virtual Pokémon hiding in various nooks and crannies around town. Using a highly detailed mapping system created by developer Niantic, players can explore real-life areas in order to discover, train, and battle Pokémon. However, for lucky players in Ilfracombe there is now another kind of creature to be discovered through the massive interconnected world of Go: 3D printed Pokémon!

Matthew Beaman, 36, was inspired by other members of the maker community to make 3D printed Pokémon and hide them in various Pokémon Go hotspots in his local area. At first the maker left a few hidden, but then decided to make life a bit easier for the local catchers and trainers by posting a treasure hunt to the Gossip Around Ifracombe Facebook group: “I thought rather than leaving it just to chance I should let people have some fun with it,” Beaman said, “I did one last night and posted a picture of it just to see whether people would respond, and they did, so I though I would do a few more while I have the time.”

While the digital creatures of Pokémon Go remain the ultimate catching priority for most gamers, Beaman was happy to see how enthusiastic locals were about discovering his 3D printed models, which so far include Bulbasaurs, Spearows and Pikachus. “I know quite a few people who are going out and looking for them,” Beaman said. “I’ve had people shouting ‘thank you!’ at me in the street.”

Nobody is quite sure how long the Pokémon Go madness will last, but since everybody seems to be having a good time, we hope it continues. And although he won’t be able to make his 3D printed Pokémon forever because of work commitments, Beaman does too: “Everybody seems to be playing it, and it's getting people out of the house and enjoying the weather,” the maker said.

Feel like hiding your own 3D printed goodies for Pokémon Go players in your local area? Have a go at making some of these 3D printed Pokémon creations, then drop them off at your nearest PokéStop.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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