Asian fans of smartphone game Pokemon Go are hunting out the best telecom providers&nbsp;and network gear to overcome the hurdle posed by patchy network signals in their race to capture virtual&nbsp;cartoon characters. 
 
From Indonesia to Hong Kong and Cambodia, the wild popularity of Nintendo&#39;s augmented reality app is also&nbsp;driving lifestyle changes for many gamers, who must trudge through real-life locations in their quest.&nbsp;The game launched in many Southeast Asian countries on August&nbsp;5, a month after the United States, New&nbsp;Zealand and Australia, but enthusiasts are finding they must first vanquish shaky transmission signals. 
 
In Indonesia, Muchamad Syaifudin, a 29-year-old bank employee, said he switched to a mobile carrier&nbsp;offering better data packages, while his friends snapped up modems, at a cost of $20 each, to lock on to&nbsp;the signals.&nbsp;&quot;We can bring the modems to play, especially at places where a signal is hard to find,&quot; Syaifudin told&nbsp;Reuters by telephone. 
 
He and his friends living in Central Java, a province famed for its idyllic paddy fields and mountains,&nbsp;used to spend leisure time playing strategy games at home.&nbsp;But now, armed with the new devices, they increasingly venture out to catch the Pokemons that appear at&nbsp;temples and other landmarks where people gather. 
 
In Hong Kong, commuters are hopping on the trams known as &quot;ding dings&quot; in their forays, while in countries&nbsp;such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the USA State Department has sent tweets warning players to beware of&nbsp;unexploded wartime mines.&nbsp;The game officially launched just two weeks ago in Indonesia, but tens of thousands of enthusiastic&nbsp;adopters among a population of 250 million had started playing earlier, using proxy sites to access app&nbsp;stores elsewhere. 
 
Gamers are fuelling a boom for modem makers, such as PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk, whose nationwide sales of&nbsp;4G modems, priced around 300,000 Indonesian&nbsp;Rupiahs ($23) each, have jumped fivefold in just two months.&nbsp;The firm has launched new devices with bigger battery capacity, Derrick Surya, Smartfren&#39;s vice president&nbsp;for brand and marketing communication, told Reuters. 
 
Retailers also benefit as more gamers seek devices to power up mobile connections and minimise the expense&nbsp;of data packages.&nbsp;&quot;More and more customers are looking for alternative sources of additional mobile network capacity,&quot; said&nbsp;Billy Cahya, a salesman at an electronics shop in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. 
 
Also surging, however, is the demand for game innovations, ranging from new characters to a higher maximum&nbsp;level players can reach, said Syaifudin.&nbsp;&quot;Looking for Pokemons, looking for items, battling at gyms. We have done that again and again,&quot; he said,&nbsp;referring to game sites where players stage contests between virtual characters.&nbsp;&quot;It probably needs a new concept to retain our interest,&quot; he added. 
 
Other players complain rural areas have few Pokestops, or stockpile sites to secure equipment needed to&nbsp;catch Pokemons.&nbsp;&quot;We have fewer Pokestops in Legazpi City compared to metropolitan areas,&quot; said Rey Anthony Ostria, a&nbsp;player in the Philippine city about 340 kilometres&nbsp;(211 miles) from Manila, the capital. &quot;In towns that I have&nbsp;visited, there&#39;s almost none.&quot;

(Reuters)

The reality app is making gamers trudge through real-life locations in their quest to capture the virtual cartoon characters

Asian fans of smartphone game Pokemon Go are hunting out the best telecom providers and network gear to overcome the hurdle posed by patchy network signals in their race to capture virtual cartoon characters. From Indonesia to Hong Kong and Cambodia, the wild popularity of Nintendo's augmented reality app is also driving lifestyle changes for many gamers, who must trudge through real-life locations in their quest. The game launched in many Southeast Asian countries on August 5, a month after the United States, New Zealand and Australia, but enthusiasts are finding they must first vanquish shaky transmission signals. In Indonesia, Muchamad Syaifudin, a 29-year-old bank employee, said he switched to a mobile carrier offering better data packages, while his friends snapped up modems, at a cost of $20 each, to lock on to the signals. "We can bring the modems to play, especially at places where a signal is hard to find," Syaifudin told Reuters by telephone. He and his friends living in Central Java, a province famed for its idyllic paddy fields and mountains, used to spend leisure time playing strategy games at home. But now, armed with the new devices, they increasingly venture out to catch the Pokemons that appear at temples and other landmarks where people gather. In Hong Kong, commuters are hopping on the trams known as "ding dings" in their forays, while in countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the USA State Department has sent tweets warning players to beware of unexploded wartime mines. The game officially launched just two weeks ago in Indonesia, but tens of thousands of enthusiastic adopters among a population of 250 million had started playing earlier, using proxy sites to access app stores elsewhere. Gamers are fuelling a boom for modem makers, such as PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk, whose nationwide sales of 4G modems, priced around 300,000 Indonesian Rupiahs ($23) each, have jumped fivefold in just two months. The firm has launched new devices with bigger battery capacity, Derrick Surya, Smartfren's vice president for brand and marketing communication, told Reuters. Retailers also benefit as more gamers seek devices to power up mobile connections and minimise the expense of data packages. "More and more customers are looking for alternative sources of additional mobile network capacity," said Billy Cahya, a salesman at an electronics shop in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Also surging, however, is the demand for game innovations, ranging from new characters to a higher maximum level players can reach, said Syaifudin. "Looking for Pokemons, looking for items, battling at gyms. We have done that again and again," he said, referring to game sites where players stage contests between virtual characters. "It probably needs a new concept to retain our interest," he added. Other players complain rural areas have few Pokestops, or stockpile sites to secure equipment needed to catch Pokemons. "We have fewer Pokestops in Legazpi City compared to metropolitan areas," said Rey Anthony Ostria, a player in the Philippine city about 340 kilometres (211 miles) from Manila, the capital. "In towns that I have visited, there's almost none." (Reuters)

Pokemon Go spurs lifestyle changes, business boom as it rolls out in Asia

The global Pokemon Go craze has prompted a slew of complaints from memorial sites, arguing it&#39;s disrespectful to play there to whole countries imposing a ban on the smartphone game.&nbsp;But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for people hunting the cartoon monsters? 
 
 
Which places have declared war on Pokemon? 
 
Sites that have expressed irritation at Pokemon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites. 
 
The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan&#39;s Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors bent over their mobiles trying to catch Pikachus instead of contemplating the weight of history.&nbsp; 
 
Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game.&nbsp;The Iranian ban came days after its release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations, though youngsters are playing regardless, using VPN connections to mask their location. 
 
In Saudi Arabia, the top clerical body has meanwhile re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa banning Pokemon in response to the new smartphone version, saying it is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is rejected by Islam.&nbsp;With other sites, there is a warning that playing could actually be life-threatening. In Bosnia, people have been warned not to risk entering areas littered with mines from the 1990s war just because a much-coveted Pokemon may be lurking nearby. 
 
 
How are the game&#39;s locations chosen? 
 
Much of the game&#39;s appeal lies in the way the Pokemon, little cartoon monsters in the shape of everything from goldfish to dragons, pop up around you, overlaid on your phone&#39;s camera images. 
 
The game also encourages players to explore the world around them by making them visit landmarks designated as &quot;Pokestops&quot; and &quot;Gyms&quot;. These could be anything from the local school to a major tourist attraction like India&#39;s Taj Mahal. 
 
At Pokestops, players can collect the tools they need to catch the critters, while at Gyms they can fight them against each other.&nbsp;In both cases, the locations are designated by the game&#39;s California-based designer Niantic.&nbsp;The company used data from an earlier game called Ingress in which players could walk around the streets capturing locations on a GPS map. Niantic grew its original list of landmarks with extra suggestions from players. 
 
 
Where do Pokemon appear? 
 
A Pokemon can appear on your smartphone screen at any time, in any place.&nbsp;The game&#39;s algorithm places the monsters more or less at random, although you are more likely to find different types of Pokemon in different locations. 
 
Fish-type Pokemons, for example, can often be found near lakes or rivers.&nbsp;There&#39;s no need to be right on top of a Pokemon to catch it, the system allows for a capture within a several metre radius, meaning you shouldn&#39;t have to drive to a screeching halt in the middle of the road just to add it to your collection. 
 
 
So can a place declare itself a Pokemon no-go zone ? 
 
It depends on whether the place in question is a Pokestop, a Gym, or simply somewhere the little critters have been popping up.&nbsp;It is possible to ask Niantic for a location to be removed as a Pokestop or Gym. The developer cannot remove them from the game instantly, but each update of the app can see sites added or removed from the list. 
 
The most recent update saw the Hiroshima and Berlin Holocaust memorials disappear as Pokemon landmarks.&nbsp;But it&#39;s a lot more complicated to stop the monsters themselves from popping up at a site that would like to see them banned. 
 
That would require a modification of the game&#39;s algorithm, a complex process that presents a headache for the developers.&nbsp;The Pokemon Company, the Japanese firm which manages the hugely popular brand, says Niantic is working on improving the algorithm. 
 
(AFP)

The game encourages players to explore the world around them by making them visit landmarks designated as 'Pokestops' and 'Gyms'

The global Pokemon Go craze has prompted a slew of complaints from memorial sites, arguing it's disrespectful to play there to whole countries imposing a ban on the smartphone game. But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for people hunting the cartoon monsters? Which places have declared war on Pokemon? Sites that have expressed irritation at Pokemon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites. The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan's Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors bent over their mobiles trying to catch Pikachus instead of contemplating the weight of history. Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game. The Iranian ban came days after its release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations, though youngsters are playing regardless, using VPN connections to mask their location. In Saudi Arabia, the top clerical body has meanwhile re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa banning Pokemon in response to the new smartphone version, saying it is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is rejected by Islam. With other sites, there is a warning that playing could actually be life-threatening. In Bosnia, people have been warned not to risk entering areas littered with mines from the 1990s war just because a much-coveted Pokemon may be lurking nearby. How are the game's locations chosen? Much of the game's appeal lies in the way the Pokemon, little cartoon monsters in the shape of everything from goldfish to dragons, pop up around you, overlaid on your phone's camera images. The game also encourages players to explore the world around them by making them visit landmarks designated as "Pokestops" and "Gyms". These could be anything from the local school to a major tourist attraction like India's Taj Mahal. At Pokestops, players can collect the tools they need to catch the critters, while at Gyms they can fight them against each other. In both cases, the locations are designated by the game's California-based designer Niantic. The company used data from an earlier game called Ingress in which players could walk around the streets capturing locations on a GPS map. Niantic grew its original list of landmarks with extra suggestions from players. Where do Pokemon appear? A Pokemon can appear on your smartphone screen at any time, in any place. The game's algorithm places the monsters more or less at random, although you are more likely to find different types of Pokemon in different locations. Fish-type Pokemons, for example, can often be found near lakes or rivers. There's no need to be right on top of a Pokemon to catch it, the system allows for a capture within a several metre radius, meaning you shouldn't have to drive to a screeching halt in the middle of the road just to add it to your collection. So can a place declare itself a Pokemon no-go zone ? It depends on whether the place in question is a Pokestop, a Gym, or simply somewhere the little critters have been popping up. It is possible to ask Niantic for a location to be removed as a Pokestop or Gym. The developer cannot remove them from the game instantly, but each update of the app can see sites added or removed from the list. The most recent update saw the Hiroshima and Berlin Holocaust memorials disappear as Pokemon landmarks. But it's a lot more complicated to stop the monsters themselves from popping up at a site that would like to see them banned. That would require a modification of the game's algorithm, a complex process that presents a headache for the developers. The Pokemon Company, the Japanese firm which manages the hugely popular brand, says Niantic is working on improving the algorithm. (AFP)

Pokemon No: Can a place declare the game off-limits?

It&#39;s the smartphone game electrifying the world, but New York took steps on Monday to ban sex offenders from using the app to potentially prey on child victims. 
 
The game, developed by US-based software company Niantic, a spinoff of Google, has been downloaded more than 75 million times across the United States and has gone viral across the world. 
 
But Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered New York&#39;s department of corrections to ban nearly 3,000 registered offenders on parole from downloading, accessing or taking part in Pokemon Go, as well as other internet-enabled games. 
 
&quot;Protecting New York&#39;s children is priority number one and, as technology evolves, we must ensure these advances don&#39;t become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims,&quot; Cuomo said in a statement. 
 
The governor wrote on Monday to software developer Niantic Inc asking them to bar sexual predators from playing Pokemon. 
 
&quot;The state has taken action to prohibit sex offenders from using this game, but we need your assistance to make certain that sex offenders will not continue to use Pokemon GO by technologically barring their use,&quot; he said in the letter. 
 
A report from two New York state senators showed that children playing Pokemon have been unwittingly lured into proximity of sex offenders. 
 
Their investigation caught 57 Pokemon characters directly outside 100 homes of registered sex offenders on probation or parole whose crimes involved child abuse or possession of child pornography in the city of New York. 
 
There are nearly 3,000 sex offenders currently on parole in New York, the fourth most populous state in the United States. 
 
Since 2008, New York sex offenders have been required to register all email accounts and internet identities with the state criminal justice services. 
 
The list is given to more than two dozen social networking companies on a weekly basis in order to purge offenders from their membership. 
 
(AFP)

A report from two New York state senators showed that children playing Pokemon have been unwittingly lured into proximity of sex offenders

It's the smartphone game electrifying the world, but New York took steps on Monday to ban sex offenders from using the app to potentially prey on child victims. The game, developed by US-based software company Niantic, a spinoff of Google, has been downloaded more than 75 million times across the United States and has gone viral across the world. But Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered New York's department of corrections to ban nearly 3,000 registered offenders on parole from downloading, accessing or taking part in Pokemon Go, as well as other internet-enabled games. "Protecting New York's children is priority number one and, as technology evolves, we must ensure these advances don't become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims," Cuomo said in a statement. The governor wrote on Monday to software developer Niantic Inc asking them to bar sexual predators from playing Pokemon. "The state has taken action to prohibit sex offenders from using this game, but we need your assistance to make certain that sex offenders will not continue to use Pokemon GO by technologically barring their use," he said in the letter. A report from two New York state senators showed that children playing Pokemon have been unwittingly lured into proximity of sex offenders. Their investigation caught 57 Pokemon characters directly outside 100 homes of registered sex offenders on probation or parole whose crimes involved child abuse or possession of child pornography in the city of New York. There are nearly 3,000 sex offenders currently on parole in New York, the fourth most populous state in the United States. Since 2008, New York sex offenders have been required to register all email accounts and internet identities with the state criminal justice services. The list is given to more than two dozen social networking companies on a weekly basis in order to purge offenders from their membership. (AFP)

New York governor bans sex offenders from playing Pokemon Go

The Chinese army garrisoned in Hong Kong has warned people searching for Pikachu and other virtual monsters to stay off their premises, as Pokemon Go mania sweeps the smartphone-obsessed city. 
 
The gaming app landed Monday in Hong Kong&nbsp;and saw residents more glued to their phones than ever, searching for the cyber creatures in locations ranging from shopping malls to the government headquarters. 
 
The app uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles. 
 
But the city&#39;s enthusiasm to &quot;catch &#39;em all&quot; has prompted warnings from government departments and even the Chinese People&#39;s Liberation Army to stay off their property. 
 
A PLA spokesman told AFP the city&#39;s barracks were closed zones. 
 
&quot;Military barracks are restricted areas under Hong Kong law. Without the authorisation of the commanding officer, no one is allowed to enter the restricted areas,&quot; he said. 
 
Police also warned residents to be careful when playing the game. 
 
&quot;When you are capturing monsters, stay alert to your surroundings,&quot; a police video posted on Facebook said. 
 
&quot;Police report rooms are for people in need of police services, players are not allowed to play the game there, be a smart player!&quot; the video added. 
 
The app has now been launched in more than 40 countries including the US, Japan and much of Europe. Japanese video game company Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago. 
 
However, widespread warnings have been given by authorities around the world after reports of players being injured or becoming the victims of crime. 
 
Some Pokemon Go players were robbed after being lured to isolated locations in the hopes of catching the virtual creatures, according to US reports. Other distracted players have been blamed for causing traffic accidents. 
 
In Indonesia, a French player was stopped and questioned for several hours after the app led him into a military base. 
 
Two youngsters were so preoccupied with catching the cartoon monsters that they wandered across the US-Canada border. 
 
(AFP)

A Chinese army spokesman said that military barracks are restricted areas under Hong Kong law and nobody is allowed to enter the area

The Chinese army garrisoned in Hong Kong has warned people searching for Pikachu and other virtual monsters to stay off their premises, as Pokemon Go mania sweeps the smartphone-obsessed city. The gaming app landed Monday in Hong Kong and saw residents more glued to their phones than ever, searching for the cyber creatures in locations ranging from shopping malls to the government headquarters. The app uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles. But the city's enthusiasm to "catch 'em all" has prompted warnings from government departments and even the Chinese People's Liberation Army to stay off their property. A PLA spokesman told AFP the city's barracks were closed zones. "Military barracks are restricted areas under Hong Kong law. Without the authorisation of the commanding officer, no one is allowed to enter the restricted areas," he said. Police also warned residents to be careful when playing the game. "When you are capturing monsters, stay alert to your surroundings," a police video posted on Facebook said. "Police report rooms are for people in need of police services, players are not allowed to play the game there, be a smart player!" the video added. The app has now been launched in more than 40 countries including the US, Japan and much of Europe. Japanese video game company Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago. However, widespread warnings have been given by authorities around the world after reports of players being injured or becoming the victims of crime. Some Pokemon Go players were robbed after being lured to isolated locations in the hopes of catching the virtual creatures, according to US reports. Other distracted players have been blamed for causing traffic accidents. In Indonesia, a French player was stopped and questioned for several hours after the app led him into a military base. Two youngsters were so preoccupied with catching the cartoon monsters that they wandered across the US-Canada border. (AFP)

Chinese army in Hong Kong: No Pikachu in our premises!

The creator of the wildly popular Pokemon Go gaming app received celebrity treatment on Sunday at the final day of San Diego&#39;s annual Comic-Con, as he discussed the viral popularity and future of the game. 
 
John Hanke, founder of Niantic Labs and developer of Pokemon Go, was welcomed with loud applause from more than 6,500 fans on a stage usually reserved for star-studded presentations from movie studios and TV networks. 
 
Hanke said the global popularity of the game, which incorporates colourful animated creatures from Nintendo&#39;s Pokemon universe into the real world using augmented reality (AR) and Google mapping technology, had been &quot;mind-blowing&quot;. 
 
The game, released July 6, was evolved from an earlier Niantic Labs AR app game called Ingress, which Hanke said has also gained in popularity after the release of Pokemon Go. 
 
Pokemon Go has captivated fans around the world, with 21 million active US&nbsp;users in under two weeks of its launch. Stock prices for Nintendo soared after the game&#39;s launch. 
 
Hanke said updates and new features would be rolled out in the coming months and years as the game grows to include more creatures and elements of the vast Pokemon universe. 
 
During a question&nbsp;and&nbsp;answer session with the audience, Hanke said the team was aware and fixing the glitches and bugs in the game and took fans&#39; suggestions on what to add, such as possible functions to breed Pokemon. 
 
He said they were working on enhancing the functions of &quot;pokestops&quot; and &quot;gyms&quot;, located at various landmarks within a user&#39;s neighbourhood, and unveiled the identities of the three virtual leaders of the teams - Blanche for Team Mystic, Spark for Team Instinct and Candela for Team Valor. 
 
The developer said AR &quot;can enhance the things we already do to get out of the house&quot;, and wanted Pokemon Go to encourage people to go outdoors, be active and meet new people. 
 
Many players at the panel had hopes that a rare Pokemon may have been released just for them, but Hanke disappointed them, saying no new rare creatures were at the convention. 
 
The small team at Niantic Labs, founded internally at Google and spun into an independent entity last year, has struggled to keep the game&#39;s servers running as more users join, Hanke said, and their current priority was to prevent servers from crashing. 
 
(Reuters)

&nbsp;

John Hanke said that the team was aware and fixing glitches and bugs in the game and also took fans' suggestions on what to add to the game

The creator of the wildly popular Pokemon Go gaming app received celebrity treatment on Sunday at the final day of San Diego's annual Comic-Con, as he discussed the viral popularity and future of the game. John Hanke, founder of Niantic Labs and developer of Pokemon Go, was welcomed with loud applause from more than 6,500 fans on a stage usually reserved for star-studded presentations from movie studios and TV networks. Hanke said the global popularity of the game, which incorporates colourful animated creatures from Nintendo's Pokemon universe into the real world using augmented reality (AR) and Google mapping technology, had been "mind-blowing". The game, released July 6, was evolved from an earlier Niantic Labs AR app game called Ingress, which Hanke said has also gained in popularity after the release of Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go has captivated fans around the world, with 21 million active US users in under two weeks of its launch. Stock prices for Nintendo soared after the game's launch. Hanke said updates and new features would be rolled out in the coming months and years as the game grows to include more creatures and elements of the vast Pokemon universe. During a question and answer session with the audience, Hanke said the team was aware and fixing the glitches and bugs in the game and took fans' suggestions on what to add, such as possible functions to breed Pokemon. He said they were working on enhancing the functions of "pokestops" and "gyms", located at various landmarks within a user's neighbourhood, and unveiled the identities of the three virtual leaders of the teams - Blanche for Team Mystic, Spark for Team Instinct and Candela for Team Valor. The developer said AR "can enhance the things we already do to get out of the house", and wanted Pokemon Go to encourage people to go outdoors, be active and meet new people. Many players at the panel had hopes that a rare Pokemon may have been released just for them, but Hanke disappointed them, saying no new rare creatures were at the convention. The small team at Niantic Labs, founded internally at Google and spun into an independent entity last year, has struggled to keep the game's servers running as more users join, Hanke said, and their current priority was to prevent servers from crashing. (Reuters)

Pokemon Go creator receives celebrity treatment at Comic-Con

Japan isn&#39;t taking any chances when it comes to the safety of impatient fans awaiting the release of Pokemon Go in the country where the cutesy monsters were born. 
 
Tokyo has issued a nine-point safety guide warning of dangers gamers could face, including heat stroke, online scams and dubious strangers. 
 
Japan&#39;s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) has also advised fans to download a weather app so Pokemon hunts don&#39;t land them, improbably in the path of a tsunami or climate-related dangers. 
 
Heat stroke is a constant worry this time of year so players should wear a hat, the guide advises, adding that parents should snap pictures of Pokemon-hunting kids for rescuers in case their young ones get lost. 
 
&quot;Dangerous places&quot; should be avoided at all costs, and gamers should never meet up with someone who contacts them online because they could be a real-life monster, it cautions. 
 
A caption featuring a pair of cartoon Wild West cowboys warns about robberies and other troubles that players elsewhere have recounted. 
 
&quot;There have been reports that players have gotten run over, fallen into water, gotten bitten by a snake or robbed,&quot; it added. 
 
The list is the latest in a slew of warnings issued worldwide since the hugely popular smartphone app was launched two weeks ago. 
 
It has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe. 
 
Pokemon Go has been released in more than 30 countries and is expected to be launched imminently in Japan, where Nintendo created the franchise two decades ago. 
 
The app challenges players armed with their smartphones to roam the real world in search of cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
(AFP)

A caption featuring a pair of cartoon Wild West cowboys warns about robberies and other troubles that players elsewhere have recounted

Japan isn't taking any chances when it comes to the safety of impatient fans awaiting the release of Pokemon Go in the country where the cutesy monsters were born. Tokyo has issued a nine-point safety guide warning of dangers gamers could face, including heat stroke, online scams and dubious strangers. Japan's National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) has also advised fans to download a weather app so Pokemon hunts don't land them, improbably in the path of a tsunami or climate-related dangers. Heat stroke is a constant worry this time of year so players should wear a hat, the guide advises, adding that parents should snap pictures of Pokemon-hunting kids for rescuers in case their young ones get lost. "Dangerous places" should be avoided at all costs, and gamers should never meet up with someone who contacts them online because they could be a real-life monster, it cautions. A caption featuring a pair of cartoon Wild West cowboys warns about robberies and other troubles that players elsewhere have recounted. "There have been reports that players have gotten run over, fallen into water, gotten bitten by a snake or robbed," it added. The list is the latest in a slew of warnings issued worldwide since the hugely popular smartphone app was launched two weeks ago. It has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe. Pokemon Go has been released in more than 30 countries and is expected to be launched imminently in Japan, where Nintendo created the franchise two decades ago. The app challenges players armed with their smartphones to roam the real world in search of cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. (AFP)

Japan is not taking any chances, issues safety guidelines ahead of Pokemon Go launch

Apple Inc stands to rake in $3 billion in revenue from the Pokemon Go craze in the next one to two years as gamers buy &quot;PokeCoins&quot; from its app store, brokerage Needham &amp; Co said. 
 
Pokemon Go, the augmented reality game from Japan&#39;s Nintendo Co Ltd, can be downloaded for free, but iPhone users can use PokeCoins to buy additional features.&nbsp;A pack of 100 PokeCoins costs 99 cents in Apple&#39;s app store, but the price can go up as much as $99.99 for a pack of 14,500. 
 
&quot;We believe Apple keeps 30 per cent of Pokemon Go&#39;s revenue spent on iOS devices, suggesting upside to earnings,&quot; Needham analyst Laura Martin wrote in a client note on Wednesday. 
 
Up to Tuesday&#39;s close, Apple&#39;s shares had gained 5 per cent in market value, or about $25 billion, since the launch of the game in the United States on June 6 Nintendo&#39;s stock has nearly doubled. 
 
Pokemon Go had 21 million active users in the United States alone as of July 18, less than two weeks after going live.&nbsp;The game, which has been rolled out in 35 countries, is also available on Android devices. 
 
Martin said Pokemon Go&#39;s ratio of paid users to total users was 10 times that of Candy Crush, the hit game from King Digital that generated more than $1 billion of revenue in both 2013 and 2014. 
 
Users in the United States are spending far more time playing the game than they are using Facebook or WhatsApp, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower. &nbsp;Electronics retailers have also seen a bump in sales of mobile chargers and charging cases since the launch of the game. 
 
(Reuters)

A pack of 100 PokeCoins costs 99 cents in Apple's app store, but the price can go up as much as $99.99 for a pack of 14,500

Apple Inc stands to rake in $3 billion in revenue from the Pokemon Go craze in the next one to two years as gamers buy "PokeCoins" from its app store, brokerage Needham & Co said. Pokemon Go, the augmented reality game from Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd, can be downloaded for free, but iPhone users can use PokeCoins to buy additional features. A pack of 100 PokeCoins costs 99 cents in Apple's app store, but the price can go up as much as $99.99 for a pack of 14,500. "We believe Apple keeps 30 per cent of Pokemon Go's revenue spent on iOS devices, suggesting upside to earnings," Needham analyst Laura Martin wrote in a client note on Wednesday. Up to Tuesday's close, Apple's shares had gained 5 per cent in market value, or about $25 billion, since the launch of the game in the United States on June 6 Nintendo's stock has nearly doubled. Pokemon Go had 21 million active users in the United States alone as of July 18, less than two weeks after going live. The game, which has been rolled out in 35 countries, is also available on Android devices. Martin said Pokemon Go's ratio of paid users to total users was 10 times that of Candy Crush, the hit game from King Digital that generated more than $1 billion of revenue in both 2013 and 2014. Users in the United States are spending far more time playing the game than they are using Facebook or WhatsApp, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Electronics retailers have also seen a bump in sales of mobile chargers and charging cases since the launch of the game. (Reuters)

Apple predicted to make billions off Pokemon Go

A Dutch hospital issued an appeal on Tuesday to overzealous fans of augmented reality game Pokemon Go not to &quot;hunt&quot; the fictitious monsters in the building after several mobile-clutching players ventured into restricted areas. 
 
&quot;There is indeed a sick Pokemon at AMC, but we&#39;ll look after him well. Please don&#39;t visit him,&quot; the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) in Amsterdam tweeted with a picture of Pokemon character Pikachu surrounded by tissues. 
 
Pokemon Go mania is sweeping up enthusiastic players from across the globe, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago and has now been adapted to the mobile internet age. 
 
By Monday, Pokemon Go had been downloaded millions of times, topping rankings at official online shops for applications tailored for smartphones powered by Apple or Google-backed Android software. 
 
The game uses GPS and mapping capabilities in mobile phones to let players roam the real world to find &quot;PokeStops&quot; stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon character monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
&quot;Since Monday we&#39;ve noticed young people walking around the building with mobile phones into places they&#39;re not supposed to be,&quot; AMC spokeswoman Loes Magnin told AFP. 
 
Some mobile-wielding monster hunters even found themselves in the hospital&#39;s basement which houses a television studio for children&#39;s programmes in the hospital and where clothes are sterilised. 
 
&quot;Patients need quiet and rest,&quot; Magnin said. 
 
Dutch railways controller ProRail said it had contacted Nintendo to ask them to change the game after several players unwittingly wandered onto railway tracks looking for the virtual critters. 
 
Dutch public newscaster said police have received several complaints in recent days about suspicious mobile phone users taking pictures of houses. 
 
First, they were thought to be burglars staking out a target, but later they turned out to be Pokemon Go players. 
 
Pokemon Go was first released last week in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. 
 
A tidal wave of interest in the game has bogged down servers hosting the software, frustrating some players and delaying plans to launch Pokemon Go in more countries. 
 
(AFP)

'Since Monday we've noticed young people walking around the building with mobile phones into places they're not supposed to be'

A Dutch hospital issued an appeal on Tuesday to overzealous fans of augmented reality game Pokemon Go not to "hunt" the fictitious monsters in the building after several mobile-clutching players ventured into restricted areas. "There is indeed a sick Pokemon at AMC, but we'll look after him well. Please don't visit him," the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) in Amsterdam tweeted with a picture of Pokemon character Pikachu surrounded by tissues. Pokemon Go mania is sweeping up enthusiastic players from across the globe, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago and has now been adapted to the mobile internet age. By Monday, Pokemon Go had been downloaded millions of times, topping rankings at official online shops for applications tailored for smartphones powered by Apple or Google-backed Android software. The game uses GPS and mapping capabilities in mobile phones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon character monsters to capture and train for battles. "Since Monday we've noticed young people walking around the building with mobile phones into places they're not supposed to be," AMC spokeswoman Loes Magnin told AFP. Some mobile-wielding monster hunters even found themselves in the hospital's basement which houses a television studio for children's programmes in the hospital and where clothes are sterilised. "Patients need quiet and rest," Magnin said. Dutch railways controller ProRail said it had contacted Nintendo to ask them to change the game after several players unwittingly wandered onto railway tracks looking for the virtual critters. Dutch public newscaster said police have received several complaints in recent days about suspicious mobile phone users taking pictures of houses. First, they were thought to be burglars staking out a target, but later they turned out to be Pokemon Go players. Pokemon Go was first released last week in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. A tidal wave of interest in the game has bogged down servers hosting the software, frustrating some players and delaying plans to launch Pokemon Go in more countries. (AFP)

Dutch hospital's request: No more Pokemon hunting!

High demand for the mobile augmented-reality game Pokemon Go crashed the app&#39;s servers in Australia on&nbsp;Tuesday while attracting safety and trespassing warnings from police. 
 
The game has been a huge hit with players since it was rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States late last week, with more than five million downloads on the Android Google Play app store. It has also topped Apple&#39;s app charts. 
 
A Pokemon &quot;walk&quot; in Sydney on Sunday saw thousands of gamers descend on the iconic harbour, chasing virtual cartoon character monsters around the Opera House and Botanical Gardens with their mobile phones. 
 
&quot;(Western Australia) Police have received numerous reports of Pokemon around the state. Rest assured - we&#39;re gonna catch &#39;em all!&quot; quipped the police force on Facebook, using the game&#39;s tagline. 
 
But they warned that &quot;&#39;I was collecting Pokemon is not a legal defence against a charge of trespass, so be sure that you have permission to enter an area or building&quot;. 
 
Officers in the northern city of Darwin also took to the social media website to advise users that while their police station featured as a &quot;Pokestop&quot; -- locations where players can pick up supplies -- gamers did not have to enter it to get the items. 
 
In Sydney and Melbourne, where &quot;Pokemon&quot; has been trending high on Twitter, users complained about crashed servers, with one posting: &quot;Twitter = moral support group for when #pokemongo server goes down&quot;. 
 
&quot;Finally the world has found something to unite about. Our collective trauma of the #PokemonGo server being down,&quot; another user wrote. 
 
Guy Blomberg, who arranged the Sydney &quot;walk&quot;, said he hoped to organise larger get-togethers at the Oz Comic-Con and PAX Australia video game conventions, which he helps run, later this year. 
 
&quot;Even on the train this morning, there were other people playing, so I leant over and went, &#39;What have you caught today?,&#39;&quot; he told AFP. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great conversation starter.&quot; 
 
The app&#39;s popularity has sent shares in Nintendo, which has invested in the game&#39;s developer Niantic after it was spun off from tech giant Google, soaring by more than 40 per cent over three trading sessions in Japan. 
 
&quot;It is a truly incredible offering,&quot; chief market strategist at IG Chris Weston wrote in a note Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Still, as someone who missed the original Pokemon craze, I am finding the idea of millennials transfixed on their phones through the streets of Melbourne like a scene from &#39;The Walking Dead&#39; quite concerning.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The authorities warned on Facebook that collecting Pokemon is not a legal defence against trespassing

High demand for the mobile augmented-reality game Pokemon Go crashed the app's servers in Australia on Tuesday while attracting safety and trespassing warnings from police. The game has been a huge hit with players since it was rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States late last week, with more than five million downloads on the Android Google Play app store. It has also topped Apple's app charts. A Pokemon "walk" in Sydney on Sunday saw thousands of gamers descend on the iconic harbour, chasing virtual cartoon character monsters around the Opera House and Botanical Gardens with their mobile phones. "(Western Australia) Police have received numerous reports of Pokemon around the state. Rest assured - we're gonna catch 'em all!" quipped the police force on Facebook, using the game's tagline. But they warned that "'I was collecting Pokemon is not a legal defence against a charge of trespass, so be sure that you have permission to enter an area or building". Officers in the northern city of Darwin also took to the social media website to advise users that while their police station featured as a "Pokestop" -- locations where players can pick up supplies -- gamers did not have to enter it to get the items. In Sydney and Melbourne, where "Pokemon" has been trending high on Twitter, users complained about crashed servers, with one posting: "Twitter = moral support group for when #pokemongo server goes down". "Finally the world has found something to unite about. Our collective trauma of the #PokemonGo server being down," another user wrote. Guy Blomberg, who arranged the Sydney "walk", said he hoped to organise larger get-togethers at the Oz Comic-Con and PAX Australia video game conventions, which he helps run, later this year. "Even on the train this morning, there were other people playing, so I leant over and went, 'What have you caught today?,'" he told AFP. "It's a great conversation starter." The app's popularity has sent shares in Nintendo, which has invested in the game's developer Niantic after it was spun off from tech giant Google, soaring by more than 40 per cent over three trading sessions in Japan. "It is a truly incredible offering," chief market strategist at IG Chris Weston wrote in a note Tuesday. "Still, as someone who missed the original Pokemon craze, I am finding the idea of millennials transfixed on their phones through the streets of Melbourne like a scene from 'The Walking Dead' quite concerning." (AFP)

Pokemon Go craze crashes servers in Australia, attracts police warnings

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