Pokémon Go, is a free-for-all augmented reality game on Android and iOS platforms.
It was released in the US just a week ago, and is also available in Australia and New Zealand. It is not yet in India, but the game has already broken several download records.
One report suggests Pokémon Go’s about to overtake Twitter in the number of daily active users on Android.
Yes, looks like Pokemania’s gripped the world. There are reports of people chasing and catching Pokémon in offices, hospitals, lakes, even churches and bathrooms. A teenager almost stepped on a dead body looking for Pokémon. And Nintendo’s laughing all the way to the bank.
To play Pokémon Go, users must travel around the real world, unlike Pokemon games in which all the action happens in a virtual world. This time, the game uses the phone’s GPS and clock, and tracks its location on a map built inside and sends a Pokémon to you! These monster characters suddenly appear on your screen and you can hunt them at leisure.
In the Pokémon world, strange-looking crazy monsters looking like rodents, reptiles, dinosaurs, birds and eggs, roam freely for players to hunt and keep. The more you catch, the merrier.
As the game is downloaded by millions, Nintendo’s market value has gone up by over $9 billion.
Also, law enforcement agencies and regulators worry about the potential pitfalls of such games. For instance, four robbery suspects used Pokémon Go to attract victims.