Pokemon GO early prototypes used the avatars from Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire

The following information comes from Niantic’s Dennis Hwang...

- the avatar in a very early prototype was borrowed from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
- they originally also had the female trainer from those games as well
- they changed the look of the avatar to reach an older audience
- players risk losing immersion when the augmented version of reality in battles and beyond becomes too cartoonish
- Niantic initially tried to create more dynamic time of day effects to aid immersion
- an even wider array of customization choices are on the way
- refined multiplayer, including PvP and a revamped gym system, is in the works