Since Wednesday, mobile gamers have been taking to the streets at all hours in search of tiny alien creatures, dodging cars and jumping fences in pursuit of Pokemon, visible only through their phones.
It’s all thanks to the American launch of Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game that allows users to find the famous digital fighters in the “wild” of their surrounding neighborhoods. The app, which is currently #1 in the “Free” apps section of the iTunes and GooglePlay stores, has been downloaded by millions of users over the weekend, all of whom are now required to pursue their foes in an unfamiliar manner for gamers – by going outside.
In addition to the Eevees and Pikachus, Pokemon players are discovering an even greater menace: their atrophied leg muscles.
Although there hasn’t yet been a Pokemon Go-related death, one girl playing the game wandered into a wooded area and discovered a dead body floating in a Wyoming river. The death has since been ruled accidental, but unrelated to the app.
Over the weekend, some users to tried to break into police stations, and possibly broke up their marriages. And unsurprisingly, Pokemon-related ER visits have jumped.
One Chicago app user fell down into a ditch. Your author almost got hit by a car running after a Venomoth that broke out of its Pokeball. The app now prompts users to be aware of their surroundings while playing the game.