Pokemon Go is here … but will junk food firms try to cash in?
THE controversial Pokemon Go game launched in the UK yesterday, triggering a frenzy among young fans – and parents who fear it will put them at risk. The smartphone game – which uses GPS technology to send players to real locations in hopes of capturing Pokemon, or ‘pocket monsters’ – has already seen hordes of young people inadvertently drawn to inappropriate places including a sex shop, a cemetery and even MI5 headquarters.
Panicked residents have also called the police after mistakenly believing gamers gathering near their homes in the early hours of the morning were up to no good.
Several police forces have warned players to avoid potentially dangerous places or private property, while the NSPCC have expressed concerns the game may help paedophiles lure children to remote locations by making Pokemon cluster there.
Last week a group of teenagers in America were robbed at gunpoint after thugs hacked the game to draw in their victims.
Now businesses, including fast food chains and retailers, are set to cash in on the hysteria by paying gamemakers Nintendo to register their premises as a ‘PokeStop’ – a place where players can collect the cartoon creatures – or a ‘PokeGym’, where players can boost their monsters’ powers.
Pokemon Go combines the real and digital worlds using ‘augmented reality’ technology. Like Google Maps, it determines a player’s location through the GPS in their smartphone and maps the area around them, highlighting nearby PokeStops and Gyms.
When a player turns on their phone’s camera, they can then ‘see’ the Pokemon near them, allowing them to chase after them. The game, which launched abroad last week, is free to download from Apple and Google app stores, with around 65million downloads so far in the US alone.
Although Pokemon Go only officially launched in the UK yesterday, some British users had managed to download it early by reconfiguring their smartphones.
There is already evidence that crowds of youngsters are gathering at PokeStops at all hours of the day and night – provoking concerns for their safety.
Yesterday police in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, tweeted: ‘Last night four youths acting suspiciously in the town centre. Ended up that they were playing Pokemon Go at 2 in the morning.’ And Lancashire police warned that young players should keep in touch with their parents. A spokesman said: ‘If you’re using the app in a public place, stay alert to what is going on around you – and who is around you.
‘Don’t trespass on private land or put yourselves and others at risk whilst using the app. Avoid potentially dangerous locations that could make you more vulnerable to injury or becoming a victim of crime.
‘Respect the wishes of local residents and businesses who aren’t happy to have been auto- matically selected to be local PokeStops.’ Though the game is free, deals are being done that will allow businesses to target users. Companies will be able to pay to have their locations included in the network, attracting armies of players.
According to the New York Post, one pizza restaurant saw business increase 75 per cent after buying a $10 in-game power-up that lured players to its location.
Retail experts suggest fast food chains such as McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King could turn every one of their restaurants into a PokeStop. Asda also appears to have signed a deal to place a number of PokeStops in its stores.
John Hanke, chief executive of Niantic, which developed the game in partnership with Nintendo, said ‘sponsored locations’ would provide a new revenue stream. Players will also be encouraged to buy power and accessories for their monsters.
However, there are fears that similar techniques to lure in players could also be used by those with more disturbing intentions.
The NSPCC has raised concerns that predators could use the game to entrap children, and could even track a child’s location through the GPS satellite system used by the app.
Last night a spokesman said: ‘Pokemon Go is setting a precedent as the most successful reality game app on the market. It’s very disappointing that child safety isn’t at its heart.’
‘Vulnerable to injury or crime’