Ending the wait for millions of gaming lovers in India, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) has brought the famous augmented reality (AR) game "Pokemon GO" to the country with Niantic, the US-based software company and developer of the gaming app.

Starting December 14, Jio customers will be able to download and play "Pokémon GO" without incurring data charges -- like any other apps and content -- till March 31, 2017, the company said in a statement. With this partnership, Reliance Digital Stores and select partner premises will appear as "PokéStops" or "Gyms" as shown in the "Pokémon GO" game. "It is exciting to see Pokemon fans in India step out and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pokémon and Jio's disruptive, high speed 4G/LTE network will be an excellent way to experience the game," said John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Niantic, in a statement. On JioChat, Jio's social messaging app, Pokémon players will have access to an exclusive "Pokémon Go Channel" that will enable players to collaborate and be part of an exciting community with daily tips, contests, clues and special events. "Our partnership with Niantic not only brings access to the Pokémon GO app but also opens the door to more opportunities for our customers to enjoy content on Jio's one-of-a-kind mobile broadband network," added Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio.

The game uses the GPS capabilities of the device in conjunction with Google Maps to "place" creatures in real world locations, which you then try to find using your device as a guide. Once you are in proximity to the "placed" creature, you then use your device's camera to "view" the creature and try to "capture" it by throwing "Pokeballs" at it. "With over 500 million downloads globally, we are excited to launch Pokémon GO officially in India on the Reliance Jio network," Oommen added. 

Pokemon top Google game
POKEMON Go has been named the most popular game of the year on Google Play. The augmented reality app, where users use their phones to catch cartoon monsters in real locations, had millions of downloads. It proved controversial on its launch in July with police warning people to stop hunting for Pokemon while driving. Some public spaces even banned the game. 

10 Games That Changed Gaming Forever

Pokémon Go

Building on Pokemon's fan following, the game is based on augmented reality. It uses a smartphone's sensor to blend the real world with the virtual, allowing players to hunt for little critters in their surroundings. Now available in 30 countries, its success is unprecedented. Within two weeks of its US debut, it crossed 30 million downloads, grossed $35 million in revenue and doubled co-owner Nintendo's market capitalization to $42 billion and now hovers around $25 billion.

2. Angry Birds

Released by Finnish firm Rovio Entertainment in 2009, it's a game in which a bird is flung using a slingshot. It was an instant hit, becoming the top paid app in the Apple App Store, with sales surging from $9 million in 2010 to $105 million in 2011. With over two billion downloads, Rovio has done a good job of building spinoffs around the game franchise, including short animated video series, a movie and games for video consoles, toys, soft drinks and even candy.

3. FarmVille

Developed by Zynga in 2009, this farming simulation social network game lets players cultivate, plough, plant and harvest their crops, besides taking care of farm animals. As a game, it wasn't much fun; in fact, it was boring but also addictive. It reached 10 million daily active users within six weeks of its launch and remained the most popular game on Facebook for two years before dipping in the popularity charts.

4. Candy Crush Saga

Launched in 2011 by King Digital Entertainment, this highly addictive online game is all about getting rows of red jelly beans or orange lozenges to disappear. Free to download, it makes money from in-app purchases for extra moves, lives and the like. In the second half of 2013, players spent over $1.04 billion for those inapp purchases. King Digital, with over 474 million monthly active users, was acquired by Activision Blizzard in 2015 for $5.9 billion.

5. Clash of Clans

Developed by mobile game developer Supercell, this is a freemium multiplayer combat strategy game in which players train troops, build strongholds, form communities or clans and attack others to earn points. Released on iOS in 2012 and Android in 2013, it was the most popular game for a brief period. Last month, Chinese internet giant Tencent bought a majority stake in Supercell for $8.6 billion.

6. Tetris

Developed by a Russian game designer and released in 1984, the tile-matching puzzle game ushered in the era of video games in many ways. It was the first entertainment software to be exported from the USSR to the US. It became a hit on Game Boy after 1989 and still remains one of the most downloaded and popular games of all times. It is available for nearly every video game console, computer operating system and mobile device.

7. Minecraft

It is arguably the most popular PC game in history, created by a Swedish programmer and released by Mojang. It has sold over 106 million copies as of June 2016. In the game, the player enters a world of 3D cubes, using a pickaxe and other tools to manipulate the blocks.

8. Super Mario

The video game, part of the Mario franchise, was first released by Nintendo in 1985. The game follows Mario's adventures in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, usually with his brother Luigi, where Mario is rescuing the kidnapped princess. In the game, the player runs and jumps across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. As of September 2015, over 310 million copies of games in the Super Mario series had been sold, making it perhaps the best selling video game series in history.

9. Donkey Kong 

One of the best-selling arcade games, this was released in 1981. It was an attempt by Nintendo to break into the North American market. In the game, hero Mario (this is where Super Mario first made an appearance) has to save Pauline, a damsel in distress, from a giant ape called Donkey Kong. Mario and Donkey Kong became the most recognisable characters from the Nintendo stable.

10. Pac-Man 

Created by Japanese video game designer Toru Iwatani, the arcade game was released in 1980. The game, about a yellow character munching tiny white dots and a quartet of roaming ghosts, was a massive hit. It has had successful spinoffs like Pac-Man-animated TV series and merchandise. The Pac-Man character has appeared in over 30 officially licensed game spinoffs.