What's all the fuss about Pokémon?

Friday, July 22, 2016
Trevor Olson has been playing Pokemon GO for a week and has reached level five. "I thought it looked fun and wanted to try it," Olson said. "I think he is a nerd," his mother, Amy Fields said, "but if it gets him out to walk with me, I will even download it." Gabe Franklin/Daily Mail

When Pokémon GO was released for iOS and Android in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand on July 6, it took the world by storm. It has since been released in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and much of the rest of Europe. It is scheduled to be released today in Japan.

"They are ages nine and three," said stay-at-home dad, Frank Reiter, of his two sons. "My older son and I both enjoy Pokémon shows, games and card games, so it was a no brainer to download Pokémon GO. With two very energetic boys at home, I have to keep a regular routine or plan of activities. And with the new app, I have been taking them out to our local parks and hunting Pokémon for a couple hours each afternoon. We end up walking a lot! It's a fun activity, we get more exercise, and keeps us busy everyday!"

Pokémon originally appeared as a video game in 1996 and later as a television series. The franchise has enjoyed worldwide success.

While other apps have taken advantage of a smart device's accelerometers, global position system receiver, or camera, Pokémon GO combines numerous features to create an augmented reality.

The game requires players to travel to real world places looking for the character of Pokemon with the help of a GPS guided map and the phone's camera. Some Pokémon only spawn in their natural environments near lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water. Pokéstops provide players with Pokéballs and other items. The game's designers purposely located Pokéstops at local points of interest such as museum, parks, and historical markers. While interacting with the app at the Pokéstop, players are provided with basic information on the location.

A virtual Pokémon gym allows players the opportunity to battle their Pokémon against each other.

"I do it to irritate my kids and to take the co-workers' Pokémon before they do and just to see how many I can get," said Brenda Long, laughing.

Nevada has several Pokéstops including three around the courthouse lawn. At approximately 10 p.m. Monday evening, more than a dozen people were milling around the courthouse lawn in the still sweltering heat, interacting with the Pokéstops and looking for Pokémon. An unconfirmed report had 37 Pokémon GO players on the courthouse lawn late Saturday night.

While at the courthouse with friends Monday night, Thomas West said of the Pokémon games, "I've played them all. That's what I grew up playing."

Nevada's new police chief, Casey Crain said, "Some key points from a law enforcement perspective are as follows: do not play while driving and obey all traffic laws, do not stop in the middle of the road while playing, do not enter onto private property without permission, young children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian, do not go anywhere you don't feel safe, call the police if you see something suspicious.

In other cities, there have been incidents of people using "lures" or claims of rare Pokémon sightings in the game to attract people to a specific location in order to rob them or perpetrate other crimes, so it is important for players to exercise situational awareness."

Courtney Palmer said, "I got it at first because I was curious and Anthony Palmer and I laughed when we both downloaded it. We tried it since I love geocaching and this is kind of like that. I like it because we get out of the house and it's fun to see so many people getting out of their homes and people are so nice when we talk to them. We have learned more about our new town in a week than we did the whole last year."

On the Google Play Store Tuesday, Pokémon GO was showing more than 10 million downloads with more than one million reviews for an average popularity rating of 3.9 out of 5.0

Elisha Brundridge said the craziest thing she had seen while playing Pokémon GO was a guy on a bicycle chasing a Pokemon who hit a curb and wrecked.

Mfour.com laid claim to the "first systematic survey of Pokémon GO players in the United States," and their survey results may be surprising. While teenagers are typically associated with electronic gaming, Mfour.com said that 83 percent of people who answered the survey were between the ages of 18 and 34. What's more is that "58 percent got the app because 'I like the game encouraging me to go outside.'"

The game has even prompted Allstate Insurance to offer advise to players.

"We encourage people playing 'Pokémon Go' to be aware of their surroundings at all times and not to play while driving," said Allstate spokesperson Halie Peddle. "Rather than keeping your eyes glued to the screen looking for digital monsters, it's best to keep your eyes on the road and watch out for real dangers."

Allstate Insurance's recommendations, while similar to those from Nevada Police Department, were distinctly aimed at drivers.

* Leave room between you and other vehicles. Cars can stop suddenly if the driver is hunting for a digital Pokemon. Try to avoid rear-end collisions by leaving more space and time to react to other vehicles' actions.

* Minimize distractions while driving. Distracted driving is one of the main causes of collisions. Refrain from texting, playing "Pokemon Go" or taking pictures of digital monsters while driving.

* Allow plenty of time to reach your destination. Be aware that pedestrians may be distracted when crossing the street and if they are hunting for digital monsters there may be sudden movements including change of pace or sudden stopping. Allow plenty of time to notice if a pedestrian is aware of his or her surroundings or if eyes are glued to the person's phone.

* Stay alert. Watch for large groups congregating around busy streets and landmarks hunting for digital monsters and engrossed in their phones rather than the environment around them. Be prepared to frequently stop or slow down for pedestrians or other vehicles.

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