Pokemon Go: The Impact Around the World
It’s only been a few days since Pokémon Go launched in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, but there’s no denying its impact and popularity. Droves of people are making their way to local parks and churches to stare intensely at their phones while they catch fictional monsters from nearby PokeStops tagged with lures and battling for ownership of the gym across the street.
This is an interesting phenomenon, but how far does the Pokémon Go impact actually go? Well if this ever growing list of stories is any indication, society wasn’t prepared for this game:
Criminal Activity and Advisories
- Pokémon Go player finds body while searching for Pokémon
- Pokémon Go led 11 teens right into an armed robbery
- Man stabbed multiple times by group of attackers at Anaheim park while playing Pokémon Go
- 2 California men fall off edge of ocean bluff while playing Pokémon Go
- Pokémon Go helps two Marines to catch a murder suspect in Fullerton
- Police urge gamers to stop trying to catch Sandshrew in Darwin police station
- Texas Department of Transportation says, “Y’all, please don’t make us have to create a campaign called “Don’t Pokémon Go and Drive”
- Dutch rail operator tells Nintendo to change game after players wander onto tracks
- Pokémon Go craze causes safety concerns
- Nations of the world confront the Pokémon menace (national security threats and all) NEW!
Inconveniences
- Holocaust museum to visitors: Please stop catching Pokémon here
- Children’s hospital warns staff about Pokemon GO players entering restricted areas
- Help, my house is a Pokémon Go gym – the reality of living in a virtual space
- No Pokémon Go in the cemetery please
- A Brooklyn woman used Pokemon Go to catch her boyfriend cheating
- A Florida news anchor walked through a live newscast searching for Pokémon
Commerce Conveniences
- Walk dogs to hatch eggs at local animal shelters
- Drivers are offering to chauffeur Pokémon Go players to hot spots
- Pokémon Go is inspiring small retailers and How restaurants are dealing with Pokémon Go mania
(Lures, Special Food and Events, Pokemon for Paying Customers Only) - Pokémon Go is starting to impact real estate
- Pokémon Go is even helping GameStop and Other businesses increase sales NEW!
- T-Mobile dedicates unlimited data to Pokemon Go for a year NEW!
- Yelp now identifies businesses with nearby PokeStops NEW!
- Will 22K people turn up to catch Pokémon in San Francisco on Wednesday?
- Man in New Zealand quits his job to play Pokemon Go full-time NEW!
From the Battlefield
It’s hard to predict how long the Pokémon Go craze will last, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, especially since the app hasn’t even launched in certain regions yet (and they’re grieving appropriately). What is possible to say is that video games have reached a new level of notoriety in the public sphere, and while some may find the frenzy annoying, others have been able to deal with their illnesses, PTSD, and anxiety thanks to the app. Whatever the future holds, it’s sure to be interesting.