If you have been active on social media in the past couple of weeks – or even just walked around the streets – you can’t help but have noticed the Pokemon Go phenomena that is sweeping the world. The new augmented-reality mobile game – a kind of a cross between orienteering and classic Pokemon collecting – requires users to venture off the sofa and out into the real world, where they use their phone’s GPS and camera to catch virtual Pokemon, the cutesy Nintendo creatures that were launched in the mid-1990s, in real locations. An official UAE release date is yet to be announced – “later this year” is the most specific it gets – but many expatriate residents have already downloaded the game from the app stores in their home countries. As a result, Pokehunters have already become a common sight on the streets of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. People in other countries have become similarly hooked, with the game already overtaking Candy Crush as the most popular mobile game yet.
United States
The US was one of the first countries to get the game – on July 6 – and it quickly established itself as a firm favourite. It shot to the top of the download charts within 24 hours, becoming the most popular mobile game in US history in a week, with more than 20 million daily active users. New York gamers have been scouring the five boroughs looking for the characters, with the most popular locations including Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge and Chinatown.
United Kingdom
The game was launched last Thursday in the UK – the fifth country to get it. It makes good use of London landmarks, with Pokemon found in Piccadilly Circus, Downing Street (above), Leicester Square and – possibly much to the annoyance of patrons – the luxurious lobby of the posh Savoy hotel.
Iceland
Iceland’s population has been universally spellbound by the heroic success of the tiny country’s national team at the Euro 2016 football championship, where they knocked England out to reach the quarter finals. Now the arrival of Pokemon Go is giving them something else to enjoy. Although the game is still not officially available there, local media reports that plenty of people are managing to download the game – and Iceland’s spectacular volcanic landscape certainly makes for a dramatic backdrop for Pokemon hunting. The creatures have been found in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, Lutheran churches and parks.
Australia
Australia, New Zealand and the US were the first three countries to get the game – but it became a victim of its own instant success when those dreaded “our servers are experiencing issues. Please come back later” messages proved common in the early days. The Sydney Morning Herald reported hundreds of Pokehunters taking to the streets of the city within days of its release, with groups of fans even meeting up at Sydney Opera House to hunt en masse. In Singapore, meanwhile, an Australian man was sacked from his estate agent’s job after an angry Facebook rant, in which he labelled Singaporeans “stupid” on account of the game not being available there.
Patience is the key for Japanese fans
Surprisingly, the birthplace of Pokemon is late to the party. "Pokemon Go has been released in several countries, but it will take a bit longer in Japan. Please wait patiently a bit longer," Kento Suga, a marketing manager for Niantic – which developed Pokemon Go with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company – tweeted on July 6. Last week, a Pokemon company spokesman told The Japan Times: "The release date is still uncertain."
cnewbould@thenational.ae