"POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" Comes to 7-Eleven with AR Experiences, Dollar Drinks and Exclusive Products

"POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" Comes to 7-Eleven with AR Experiences, Dollar Drinks and Exclusive Products

7-Eleven stores are teasing the highly anticipated theatrical release of the first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, "POKÉMON Detective Pikachu," with dozens of exclusive movie-themed products, shareable photo filters and interactive augmented reality (AR) experiences in the 7-Eleven app.

For a limited time that includes the film's May 10th nationwide release date, the world's largest convenience retailer is also offering dollar drink deals to introduce its new mocha beverages and mystery-flavored Slurpee drink. A small cup of the new hot mocha, medium Cold Brew or medium Slurpee drink each cost only $1 at participating stores.

"'POKÉMON Detective Pikachu' is a great entertainment tie-in for 7-Eleven because it appeals to so many of our customers – kids, Gen Z, millennials," said Tarang Sethia, 7‑Eleven vice president of digital customer experience. "Millennials, who played the original videogame 20 years ago, are parents now and can enjoy the Pokémon phenomenon all over again with their kids. The entire Pokémon franchise launched as a videogame, making it the perfect vehicle to create experiences that maximize the new and growing AR capabilities in the 7-Eleven app."

Along with the unique and exciting AR games, "POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" products will be available at participating 7-Eleven stores and can be delivered in select areas through 7NOW, the retailer's delivery platform. 

• Every Thursday during the promotion, 7-Eleven will unveil a free signature item that fans can order and have delivered directly to a chosen location.

Here's what to look for at 7-Eleven stores:

AR – Earning Free Stuff While Having Fun

7-Eleven has created a Ryme City Neighborhood Watch AR experience in its app, named for the movie's fictional setting, that includes a new "Find the Missing Pokémon" activity each week. Drawing from the movie storyline, each activity will fully immerse users in a unique story to find the missing Pokémon.

The quest to successfully find each Pokémon unlocks exclusive offers for free products. The free offers, in the order they can be earned, include a free pizza slice, four free mini tacos, free any-size cup of Hi-Hat Mocha or other hot beverage, and five free chicken wings.

A variety of 7Rewards bonus point offers run throughout the "POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" promotion, and selfie snaps also earn 7Rewards points weekly when customers share via their social channels using the hashtag #7ElevenNHW.

Since 7-Eleven launched AR last year, customers have been seeking out its stores to play games or meet a surprise celebrity, character or athlete.

Mystery Slurpee Sweepstakes

The Mystery Slurpee Sweepstakes offers customers an opportunity to do a little sleuthing for a chance to win a year of FREE Slurpee drinks. 

The Instagram-based contest invites users to follow Slurpee on Instagram; post a photo, video or gif of themselves; guess the three flavors in the Mystery Slurpee drink; and include the required hashtags, #MysterySlurpee and #Sweepstakes in the caption.

Hi-Hat Mocha

Detective Pikachu really, really loves coffee. 7-Eleven customers love coffee a lot too – it's the retailer's No. 1-selling product. Named for a café featured prominently in the movie, the new Hi-Hat Mocha hot beverage blends a rich balance of chocolate and coffee flavors with steamed milk and is topped with frothy foam. In select stores, customers can add a pump of chocolate sauce or yellow and white sprinkles. 7-Eleven also carries a rich, chocolatey Mocha Cold Brew coffee drink.

Collectible Fan Fare

Colorful, limited-edition Slurpee bottles and straws feature Detective Pikachu and other movie characters – Psyduck, Ludicolo and Snubbull. Refillable, insulated coffee mugs also feature Detective Pikachu, Psyduck and Ludicolo.

Participating 7-Eleven stores will have a variety of Detective Pikachu merchandise for all ages, including an exclusive set of trading cards, trading card file, plush Pokémon characters, Pokémon Clip and Carry Pokéball belt and Pokéballs.

Moviegoers can visit their local movie theater opening weekend decked out in Ryme City wear to see Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Available in select 7-Eleven stores and online at amazon.com/7-eleven are Ryme City T-shirts, Hi-Hat Café and Detective Pikachu hats, wallets and key chains.

Sweet Endings

7-Eleven also created three 7-Select private brand chocolate bars to tie in to the movie. The "POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" bar flavors are Bolt'n Banana Milk Chocolate, Roaring Raspberry Confection and Psyched-up Orange Milk Chocolate. The bars are available at participating stores while supplies last.

Other "POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" sweet treats include a Create-a-Cookie Kit, vanilla cupcakes with yellow icing and sprinkles, as well as Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookies.

7-Eleven stores are teasing the highly anticipated theatrical release of the first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu,” with dozens of exclusive movie-themed products, shareable photo filters and interactive augmented reality (AR) experiences in the 7-Eleven app.

About the Movie:

"POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" stars Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, the iconic face of the global Pokémon phenomenon—one of the world's most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and one of the most successful media franchises of all time. Fans everywhere can now experience a Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon, each with its own unique traits and personality. 

When ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, his son Tim wants to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry's former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to work together, as Tim is the only human who can talk with Detective Pikachu, they join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. 

Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.

"POKÉMON Detective Pikachu" also stars Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Rita Ora, with Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy. 

The film is directed by Rob Letterman, from a screenplay by Dan Hernandez& Benji Samit and Rob Letterman and Derek Connolly, story by Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit and Nicole Perlman, based on the "Detective Pikachu" video game developed by Creatures Inc. 

It is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Hidenaga Katakami and Don McGowan; with executive producers Joe Caracciolo, Jr., Ali Mendes, Tsunekazu Ishihara, Kenji Okubo, Toshio Miyahara, Hiro Matsuoka, Koji Ueda. Music is by Henry Jackman. 

SOURCE: 7-Eleven, Inc.

On The 25th Of September, #PokemonGO Lures Will Be Shared At... Shared Space [#Westcliff]

Yes, you've read it right! Shared Space, the Christian charity shop in London Road, opposite the Palace Theatre (being, rather conveniently, a Pokéstop,) will host a Pokémon Go Lure Party for FOUR hours, giving a chance to the local Pokémon Go players to catch lots of Pokémons without having to walk all the way to Southend's High Street or Chalkwell Park to do the same, for once. 

(Obviously, Trainers who don't live in Westcliff are also very welcome to join us... The more, the merrier.)

It will start at 10:30 AM and finish at 14:30 PM, giving ample time for people to make the most of this opportunity. 

Not only they won't need to rush to the Pokéstop where the lure modules are released, but they will also be able to sit down while catching Pokémons (and restocking their devices with Pokéballs, potions, etc..), having a friendly chat with other Trainers and, if they want to, even have a drink (coffee, tea and orange squash will be available for a small charge.)

It might be a good idea to have some "lucky eggs" ready to use during that time, so that you can double the XPs you'll earn when you catch all those Pokemons... ;-)

And, of course, with two Pokégyms in five minutes walk from each side of the charity shop, there will be opportunities for the Trainers to use the potions they'll get from the Pokéstop if they are in full "Pokémood" ;-)

Gaming In The Classroom: What We Can Learn From #PokemonGO Technology

Despite the negative press, Pokémon Go should be approached with an open mind when it comes to student education. (AAP Image/David Moir, CC BY)

Pokémon Go has already had over 100 million downloads since it launched in July.

Despite its popularity, it has received significant negative media attention, with reports of people falling off cliffs, crashing cars and trespassing. The game has even been attacked for turning users into anti-social zombies.

Yet there could be more positive aspects to the phenomenon if we look past its entertainment value and the moral panic some have attached to it. For instance, how could we potentially harness this app, and the technology associated with it, to support education?

Pokémon Go is not the first augmented reality (AR) app, but it is by far the most popular.
Unlike virtual reality, which replaces or simulates reality, AR takes reality and adds something to it.

Bar codes, QR codes, Viewa - which allows readers to watch videos related to magazine content by scanning the page with their phones – and sound-recognition apps such as Shazam are all examples of AR that have been embraced by society.

QR codes are an example of augmented reality that has been embraced by society. (wikimedia.com, CC BY-SA)

In education, AR has already been employed to make otherwise difficult concepts, such as the structure of DNA or the inner workings of the heart, more accessible.

We know that effective teaching is more than a teacher in front of a whiteboard disseminating information. Learning occurs through problem-solving, enquiry and by working collaboratively with teachers and peers in a student-centred approach.

Experiential learning pedagogy advocates involving all the senses in hands-on, practical education, integrating aspects of more than one discipline in the task and ensuring the learning incorporates student interest as well as developing skills such as creativity, communication and digital competence.

All these factors help students see the relevance of their education and keep them engaged and motivated. Apps like Pokémon Go could be used to advance this agenda.

Playing computer games can be seen as an opportunity to improve students' academic performance, with studies reporting an increase in maths and science scores among regular players.

Gaming in the classroom
Game-based learning is another way popular digital games can be harnessed to teach 21st-century or enterprise skills in classrooms; even decisions about in-app purchases address financial literacy.

Minecraft, for example, has and continues to be used in classrooms to teach concepts such as deforestation, sustainability, communication, problem-solving and teamwork.

Popular video game Minecraft has been used in classrooms to teach concepts such as deforestation, sustainability, communication, problem-solving and teamwork. (Marco Verch/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA)

Pokémon Go makes game-based learning even more accessible as it harnesses technology that the majority of people already have in their pockets.

Pokémon Go has a big fan base among school students and it is clearly keeping them engaged. It can be used as a stimulus for a wide variety of topics over a number of year levels. Pokémon Go is a pedometer, GPS, data collection and journalling tool, and requires maths skills to play. These features can be employed to link playing the game with student learning and the curriculum.

Some of the potential curriculum links are:

• whole-class discussions of how the movement of tectonic plates has affected GPS readings in Australia (science, geography, English)
• photographing both real insects and virtual Pokémon and then writing up Pokédex entries for the insects they have collected (science, media studies, ICT, English, art)
• designing classification flowcharts for Pokémon as a lead-up to classification of animals (science, English, maths)
• assigning students the job of Pokéstop tour guide (Pokéstops are often positioned in front of historical locations), requiring them to research and report on the history of the area (history, art, English)
• framing maths problems around the data available for each Pokémon such as height, weight and strength. For example, if I have 3,700 stardust, what combination of Pokémon can I power up that will use up all my stardust? Or Asha’s house is 600m from school. The only time she plays Pokémon Go is as she walks to and from school every day. How many days will it take her to hatch a 5.0km egg?

Despite media reports to the contrary, there are many positive outcomes for Pokémon Go users. As a direct result of their involvement with the game, they are exercising and often engaging with others, discussing where to find rare Pokémon and co-ordinate lures.

While critics show photos of groups of people each staring at their own devices, anyone who has encountered a “Poképatch” (a group of players standing around a Pokéstop) will know that a lot of communication is taking place, with even “Pokédates” becoming a thing.

Looking at the Australian curriculum, the general capability priorities such as critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability and, of course, ICT, could also be taught using Pokémon Go as students manage their school and social lives, build relationships with others, work effectively in teams and make responsible decisions.

As this game is not played from behind closed doors, it even encourages conversations about personal safety. Discussions about the intersection between reality and the virtual world and digital etiquette are easy to imagine.

Blippar allows users to scan their environment, providing webpages and information when it recognises objects. (Ian Hughes/flickr, CC BY)

There are already apps such as Blippar that allow people to use phones to scan their environment. The app recognises objects (such as your shoe, a phone, the Eiffel Tower) and instantly finds webpages that can provide more information (such as where you can buy it, how it works or its history).

Add that to existing technology such as Google Glass and you can imagine a world where students visit the zoo on a school excursion and have been asked to research an animal of their choice for a class presentation.

As Mia approaches the elephant enclosure, information about what she sees appears before her eyes. She looks at some carrots and data about how much food an elephant eats in a day appears. She turns her gaze to the elephant’s tusks, and a video about poaching plays. As she pulls her focus out to see the whole elephant, an interactive hologram of the animal floats before her eyes, allowing the student to explore features such as the elephant’s DNA or digestive system.

Content becomes immediate and relevant to students as they take charge of their own learning.

Apps, games and technologies such as Pokémon Go should be approached with an open mind as they offer many potential avenues to employ an engaging, student-centered approach to education.

About Today's Contributors:

Amber McLeod, Lecturer in Education, Monash University and Kelly Carabott, Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University., Monash University

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

How #PokemonGo Turned Couch Potatoes Into Fitness Fanatics Without Them Even Realising It

Gotta catch ‘em all. Stoyan Yotov / Shutterstock.com

By John A Parkinson, Bangor University
Pokemon Go is taking the world by storm. Within days of its US release, its number of daily active users caught up with longstanding apps Twitter, Snapchat and Google Maps, and it became the biggest mobile game in US history. Since then, the game has been launched worldwide, creating a user base which spends more time playing Pokemon Go than the average Facebook user spends on site.

#PokemonGo Trainer Travels Across America to Catch 'Em All for Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Chadwick James poses with staff, during his cross country adventure to raise awareness and support for WWP. (PRNewsFoto/Wounded Warrior Project)

Over the years, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has had many supporters travel the nation in support of its mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. These have included cross-country bike rides, visiting every Harley-Davidson dealership in the nation, and walking along the East Coast of the United States to name a few.

Now, a new supporter has begun a very unique cross-country journey.

"I'm a gamer, and I want to do something for my fellow veterans because there's no one more important than them," said Chadwick James of Team Mystic, which is one of three teams Pokemon Go players can join within the app. "What could I do? Most people don't understand the hardships veterans face or what they've been through, and Wounded Warrior Project is my favorite charity because it helps veterans. I decided to combine these two passions and hit the road."

Chadwick announced on Twitter that he would cross America over the course of a year, on foot, bicycle, and bus, playing Pokemon Go and trying to "catch 'em all," while raising awareness and support for WWP and the warriors it serves.