Pokémon Go heading out to the field in Japanese-only beta test

A field test for upcoming mobile game Pokémon Go will launch later this month in Japan, developer Niantic Labs announced. Registration is now open to local Japanese players only.

According to the instructions for the beta program, which are only visible on the Japanese version of the game's website, Pokémon Go requires either an iOS or Android device. All potential participants must also have a Google account in order to register.

Niantic will not be able to accommodate all registrants when the field test launches in late March, and those who do participate will be required to keep its content confidential. The purpose of the beta, according to the announcement, is for players to help improve the current build of the game.

Foreign expansion plans for the field test will be revealed in the coming months, the developer said. Announced last fall for worldwide release, Pokémon Go remains unscheduled. A panel at this year's Game Developers Conference focused on the app, which was expected to offer more information about Pokémon Go, was canceled earlier this week.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game inspired by Ingress, another Niantic Labs project. Players will take their smart devices outside to discover, battle and capture Pokémon in real-world settings. The developer is collaborating with Game Freak and The Pokémon Company on the game, which will also use a special wearable Bluetooth device that vibrates when a Pokémon is nearby.

In October, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo — which is heading into the mobile game market itself with Miitomo later this month —invested $20 million in the independent Niantic, which was a former subsidiary of Google.