Here at Rocket Chainsaw we are thoroughly enjoying Pokemon Go. Having been available for a little under a week, the game has encouraged many of our writers to go for walks with family and friends to catch the little pocket monsters. And it seems we are not the only ones, as fans around the globe – or more specifically Australia, New Zealand and the US – have been causing a media frenzy not seen since PokeMania struck in the late 1990’s.
For our readers, we’ve prepared this handy round-up article which notes some of the more interesting Pokemon Go-related news to hit the web.
Many organisations and businesses have jumped on the Pokemon Go bandwagon. Supermarket chain Woolworths lead the pack by joking on social media that customers could find Pikachu near the lightbulbs and batteries, and gave trainers a tip to not confuse “Oddish” with “Radish”. Darwin Police Station, which is featured as a Pokestop, advised trainers they didn’t need to enter the building to obtain their free goodies. SA Planning, Transport and Infrastructure advised caution for train and tram passengers when traveling in the rail corridors, humorously showing Meowth standing on tracks as an example of what NOT to do. NSW’s Department of Justice reminded trainers that the Courts are not a joke and they should look for Pokemon elsewhere – the use of recording devices inside NSW Courts is prohibited and will incur a fee of $22,000 or 12 months imprisonment (or both).
Since launch many users have been reporting various software bugs including abnormal battery drain, in-game currency not appearing, freezes and unreliable servers. Developer Niantic has commented that patches are on the way to address concerns and that they’re working on making the servers more reliable. One such example is the company temporarily halting Pokemon Go’s launch in other countries in an effort to ease the stress on servers. A trading feature will also be added to the game at a later date.
In addition to becoming the number one grossing app on the Apple and Google Play stores, it’s been reported by Forbes that analysts predict Pokemon Go is generating over $1.6 million in revenue a day on the Apple Store alone. The game’s success has in no small part helped Nintendo’s stock price increase by 33.7% since the title’s launch on July 6.
Kotaku reports that iOS players who link Pokemon Go to their Google account will be unintentionally giving the game full access to their information. While other apps only obtain basic information such as your name and email address, Pokemon Go allegedly gains access to emails and anything else tied to the account. Niantic have acknowledged the issue, promising Pokemon Go is only using basic account information and that they will patch out the full access authority in a future update.
In the US, reports have been coming in of armed robbers using the game to lure unsuspecting trainers. The robbers would go to secluded areas where Pokemon were waiting to be captured or Pokestops and Gyms are located. When the trainers arrived with good intentions, they would be approached by the robbers and threatened. Thankfully police have captured the real life Team Rocket thugs. On a sadder note, a trainer discovered a human body under a bridge. Police are reporting the death was natural and no foul-play is suspected.
Happy hunting Pokemon fans, strive to be the very best like no one ever was!
