Pikachu or it didn’t happen.
Now, it’s not enough to just visit the iconic wonders of the world—Pokémon GO goes along, too.
Nintendo’s augmented reality mobile app prompts players to collect among 250 digital monsters at real-life Pokéstops, or checkpoints that range from important landmarks like the Sydney Opera House to obscure nooks of a city. While Pokémon GO is mainly available in North America, Europe, and Australia, the game is catching fire globally—and set to hit Japan tomorrow, July 20.
One the one hand, the will to seek out the most elusive creatures, like Pikachu, galvanizes players to explore parts of the city they wouldn’t normally, perhaps leading them to hidden gems. In fact, many parks, monuments, and restaurants have taken advantage of the extra traffic.
We have two #PokemonGo Poké Stops at the museum! Or should we say Mew-seum? Learn more: https://t.co/niHH6Y9qI9 pic.twitter.com/QFvoIzihBw
— Museum of Modern Art (@MuseumModernArt) July 13, 2016
On the other hand, players are so focused on the game that they can’t fully appreciate the sites they discover. If social media hasn’t already drawn attention away from being fully immersed in the moment, then traveling with Pokémon GO certainly has.
The game has some players visiting the zoo more to find the virtual animal exhibit than to see actual animals. At sports games, some players can be found with their eyes glued to their screens instead of the field they paid to see.
National Zoo photo (left) by Ikodl on Reddit. Wrigley Field photo (right) by by 4n0x1_thomas on... [+]
However, there have been more extreme examples of individuals who have become too engrossed in their menagerie of pocket monsters. Instances of two men falling off a cliff in San Diego, people crashing or being hit by cars while playing Pokémon GO, prove that when it comes to using Pokémon GO as a travel app, choose not to.
Pokémon GO, which was released on July 6, has now become the fastest game to top the App Store charts. Within a week of its release, its 21 million players made it the most active mobile game ever in the United States.
Amid the rising Pokémon craze, channel your inner Ash Ketchum wisely.
