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

Avid players of smash-hit mobile phone game Pokemon Go in Indonesia, home to the world&#39;s largest Muslim population, are not letting religious decrees or security warnings get in the way of their mission to catch their next cartoon creature. 
 
Nintendo&#39;s augmented reality app, in which players walk around real-life places to hunt virtual characters on their smartphone screens, has become an instant hit globally, almost doubling the market value of the Japanese game-maker. 
 
But not everyone is cheering it. 
 
Saudi Arabia&#39;s top clerical body recently renewed a 15-year-old fatwa, or edict, that declared the Pokemon game franchise un-Islamic, saying it promotes gambling and the theory of evolution, among other concerns. 
 
The fatwa, however, made no mention of the successful new Pokemon Go mobile game. 
 
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country&#39;s top Muslim clerical body, has not made a formal statement on Pokemon Go, senior official Amidhan Shaberah said. But he said the game carries &quot;more harm than benefits&quot; as it can make people &quot;intoxicated&quot;, at the cost of their work or studies. 
 
Indonesian security officials have said it could allow enemies to gather sensitive satellite data, according to local media. Officials have also banned people from playing in the presidential palace premises. 
 
A spokeswoman at Pokemon Co, which produced the title with Nintendo, said the game was designed for enjoyment and not to promote social ills. 
 
Pokemon Go has not been officially launched in the country of 250 million people - an enthusiastic adopter of social media apps - but tens of thousands of Indonesians are already getting it by using a proxy location on their smartphones that gives them access to app stores of other countries. 
 
&quot;I will not stop playing unless the reason is realistic,&quot; said Mohammad Resja Ilham, a 24-year-old radio host who catches Pokemons on his way to work and back home, and up to five hours on weekends. 
 
&quot;I can meet new people when I play, it&#39;s really fun.&quot; 
 
Businesses are also cashing in. 
 
Indonesian telecommunication service provider PT XL Axiata Tbk is offering a 20 per cent discount for certain 4G data packages to &quot;take advantage of the Pokemon Go trend&quot;, spokeswoman Turina Farouk said. 
 
Last Saturday, Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab offered deals to Pokemon hunters who hopped on its vehicles to get to the National Monument in the Indonesian capital. 
 
&quot;People are crazy about it now,&quot; said Ridzki Kramadibrata, Indonesia managing director for Grab. &quot;I was there (the National Monument) myself and managed to catch some Pokemons.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's top clerical body had recently renewed a 15-year-old fatwa that declared the Pokemon game franchise un-Islamic

Avid players of smash-hit mobile phone game Pokemon Go in Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, are not letting religious decrees or security warnings get in the way of their mission to catch their next cartoon creature. Nintendo's augmented reality app, in which players walk around real-life places to hunt virtual characters on their smartphone screens, has become an instant hit globally, almost doubling the market value of the Japanese game-maker. But not everyone is cheering it. Saudi Arabia's top clerical body recently renewed a 15-year-old fatwa, or edict, that declared the Pokemon game franchise un-Islamic, saying it promotes gambling and the theory of evolution, among other concerns. The fatwa, however, made no mention of the successful new Pokemon Go mobile game. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country's top Muslim clerical body, has not made a formal statement on Pokemon Go, senior official Amidhan Shaberah said. But he said the game carries "more harm than benefits" as it can make people "intoxicated", at the cost of their work or studies. Indonesian security officials have said it could allow enemies to gather sensitive satellite data, according to local media. Officials have also banned people from playing in the presidential palace premises. A spokeswoman at Pokemon Co, which produced the title with Nintendo, said the game was designed for enjoyment and not to promote social ills. Pokemon Go has not been officially launched in the country of 250 million people - an enthusiastic adopter of social media apps - but tens of thousands of Indonesians are already getting it by using a proxy location on their smartphones that gives them access to app stores of other countries. "I will not stop playing unless the reason is realistic," said Mohammad Resja Ilham, a 24-year-old radio host who catches Pokemons on his way to work and back home, and up to five hours on weekends. "I can meet new people when I play, it's really fun." Businesses are also cashing in. Indonesian telecommunication service provider PT XL Axiata Tbk is offering a 20 per cent discount for certain 4G data packages to "take advantage of the Pokemon Go trend", spokeswoman Turina Farouk said. Last Saturday, Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab offered deals to Pokemon hunters who hopped on its vehicles to get to the National Monument in the Indonesian capital. "People are crazy about it now," said Ridzki Kramadibrata, Indonesia managing director for Grab. "I was there (the National Monument) myself and managed to catch some Pokemons." (Reuters)

Indonesia shrugs off Pokemon fatwa as gaming fever takes hold

An eighteen-year-old boy from Guatemala was shot dead after breaking into a house while playing Pokemon Go, Mirror, United Kingdom, reported on Wednesday. 
 
Jerson Lopez de Leon was playing the game with his cousin when they broke into a house to catch one of the Pokemons. Reports say that his cousin was badly wounded and the police is searching for people in an agricultural van that was seen &ldquo;racing from the scene.&rdquo; 
 
The location-based augmented reality game was launched only in July, but there have been numerous reports of accidents from the world over. 
 
There were reports of two players in California falling off a cliff while two teens narrowly escaped when a man shot at their car in Palm Coast area for playing Pokemon Go outside his house late at night. 
 
In another incident, a driver in Baltimore crashed into a cop car on Wednesday while playing Pokemon Go. 
 
With the raging popularity of the game, authorities have become more watchful. 
 
According to the BBC, Pokemon Go players in Bosnia have been warned against treading into minefields. 
 
There have also been instances of people falling into water-bodies while searching for water pokemons. 
 
(WION)
&nbsp;

This is the first death involving the recently launched virtual reality game

An eighteen-year-old boy from Guatemala was shot dead after breaking into a house while playing Pokemon Go, Mirror, United Kingdom, reported on Wednesday. Jerson Lopez de Leon was playing the game with his cousin when they broke into a house to catch one of the Pokemons. Reports say that his cousin was badly wounded and the police is searching for people in an agricultural van that was seen “racing from the scene.” The location-based augmented reality game was launched only in July, but there have been numerous reports of accidents from the world over. There were reports of two players in California falling off a cliff while two teens narrowly escaped when a man shot at their car in Palm Coast area for playing Pokemon Go outside his house late at night. In another incident, a driver in Baltimore crashed into a cop car on Wednesday while playing Pokemon Go. With the raging popularity of the game, authorities have become more watchful. According to the BBC, Pokemon Go players in Bosnia have been warned against treading into minefields. There have also been instances of people falling into water-bodies while searching for water pokemons. (WION)

Guatemalan teen shot dead while playing Pokemon Go

Gamers in Japan, home of Nintendo Co&#39;s Pokemon, waited in vain today for the launch of its smash-hit mobile game amid reports that the developers behind it had hit the brakes, concerned that overwhelming demand would overload server capacity. 
 
Nintendo&#39;s shares suffered a rare bad day since Pokemon GO took the world by storm, tumbling 13 per cent on the disappointment. Even so, the stock has gained 86 per cent since its US launch earlier this month, adding $17 billion to its market capitalisation. 
 
&quot;Isn&#39;t Japan the home of Pokemon? I beg them to hurry up!&quot; said Toshihide Onchi, a 40-year-old system engineer who took part in the trial of the game&#39;s beta version. 
 
Late on Tuesday, technology news site TechCrunch and other media outlets reported the launch would take place the following day. TechCrunch later reported a postponement, but said the rollout for one of the world&#39;s most critical gaming markets was still imminent. 
 
A spokeswoman for Pokemon Company, which created the game along with Nintendo and Google-spinoff Niantic, declined to comment on the report, reiterating that nothing had been decided over the Japan launch date. Nintendo referred any queries regarding Pokemon GO to Pokemon Company. 
 
Investors and analysts are betting the success of game, available officially in 35 countries and played in many more, will be transformational for Nintendo. While Pokemon GO will not prove a major direct boost, it could prompt Nintendo to cash in more effectively on an extensive cupboard of characters. 
 
Until Pokemon GO, the company had focused on more profitable consoles and snubbed mobile games.&nbsp;Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters on Friday the developers were being extra-cautious in Japan, given the level of expectation and sheer number of players. 
 
&quot;The technical challenge for us is having enough server capacity on the back end to handle that number of users,&quot; he said. 
 
Pokemon GO, which marries a classic 20-year-old franchise with augmented reality, is on its way to becoming the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year barrier, beating Candy Crush Saga, according to Macquarie Research. 
 
Others too have benefited from the craze. Shares of Japan&#39;s McDonald&#39;s Holdings Co ended up 9.8 per cent after the TechCrunch report said the fast-food chain operator would become the game&#39;s first sponsor. 
 
TechCrunch said the sponsorship would see McDonald&#39;s 3,000 plus fast food restaurants across Japan become &quot;gyms&quot;, or battlegrounds, for Pokemon collectors. The chain already gives away Pokemon-themed toys with its Happy Meals.&nbsp;McDonald&#39;s Japan declined to comment. 
 
(Reuters)

Niantic CEO said developers were being extra-cautious in Japan, fearing servers would overload given the level of expectation

Gamers in Japan, home of Nintendo Co's Pokemon, waited in vain today for the launch of its smash-hit mobile game amid reports that the developers behind it had hit the brakes, concerned that overwhelming demand would overload server capacity. Nintendo's shares suffered a rare bad day since Pokemon GO took the world by storm, tumbling 13 per cent on the disappointment. Even so, the stock has gained 86 per cent since its US launch earlier this month, adding $17 billion to its market capitalisation. "Isn't Japan the home of Pokemon? I beg them to hurry up!" said Toshihide Onchi, a 40-year-old system engineer who took part in the trial of the game's beta version. Late on Tuesday, technology news site TechCrunch and other media outlets reported the launch would take place the following day. TechCrunch later reported a postponement, but said the rollout for one of the world's most critical gaming markets was still imminent. A spokeswoman for Pokemon Company, which created the game along with Nintendo and Google-spinoff Niantic, declined to comment on the report, reiterating that nothing had been decided over the Japan launch date. Nintendo referred any queries regarding Pokemon GO to Pokemon Company. Investors and analysts are betting the success of game, available officially in 35 countries and played in many more, will be transformational for Nintendo. While Pokemon GO will not prove a major direct boost, it could prompt Nintendo to cash in more effectively on an extensive cupboard of characters. Until Pokemon GO, the company had focused on more profitable consoles and snubbed mobile games. Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters on Friday the developers were being extra-cautious in Japan, given the level of expectation and sheer number of players. "The technical challenge for us is having enough server capacity on the back end to handle that number of users," he said. Pokemon GO, which marries a classic 20-year-old franchise with augmented reality, is on its way to becoming the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year barrier, beating Candy Crush Saga, according to Macquarie Research. Others too have benefited from the craze. Shares of Japan's McDonald's Holdings Co ended up 9.8 per cent after the TechCrunch report said the fast-food chain operator would become the game's first sponsor. TechCrunch said the sponsorship would see McDonald's 3,000 plus fast food restaurants across Japan become "gyms", or battlegrounds, for Pokemon collectors. The chain already gives away Pokemon-themed toys with its Happy Meals. McDonald's Japan declined to comment. (Reuters)

Delayed Pokemon Go launch upsets Japanese gamers

Legions of Pokemon fans were left disappointed on Wednesday after a rumoured release of the franchise&#39;s hugely popular smartphone game in Japan proved wrong. 
 
The app has now been released in more than 30 countries, but Japan, where Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago has been kept waiting with no official launch date. 
 
Technology website TechCrunch on Tuesday had flagged the rollout in Japan, but it backtracked within a day, saying it had been delayed. 
 
The Nikkei business daily said Japanese fans may get relief this week. 
 
But the agonising wait sparked a round of national hand-wringing in Japan Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Pokemon Go: When will it come out in Japan?&quot; cried a headline in the afternoon edition of the top-selling Yomiuri newspaper. 
 
But some took to social media to express their frustration at the delay in launching the game on Pokemon&#39;s home turf. 
 
&quot;Wouldn&#39;t it be better to say that the Japan release will be in the autumn if the Pokemon Go release is delayed several times and cause this confusion?&quot; @im_usami001 wrote on Twitter. 
 
User @aquasonic00 added: &quot;Wanting to play Pokemon Go in Japan ASAP (o^^o).&quot; 
 
Nintendo and the Pokemon Company have declined to comment on any official release date. US-based Niantic -- which developed the game -- has not replied to requests for comment. 
 
Forbes earlier cited Niantic chief executive John Hanke as saying worries that Japan&#39;s server capacity was not powerful enough to keep up with expected demand delayed the game&#39;s rollout. 
 
Since its global launch two weeks ago, Pokemon Go has sparked a worldwide frenzy among users who have taken to the streets with their smartphones in a bid to capture and train the creatures for battles. 
 
(AFP)

'Pokemon Go: When will it come out in Japan?' cried a headline in the afternoon edition of the top-selling Yomiuri newspaper

Legions of Pokemon fans were left disappointed on Wednesday after a rumoured release of the franchise's hugely popular smartphone game in Japan proved wrong. The app has now been released in more than 30 countries, but Japan, where Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago has been kept waiting with no official launch date. Technology website TechCrunch on Tuesday had flagged the rollout in Japan, but it backtracked within a day, saying it had been delayed. The Nikkei business daily said Japanese fans may get relief this week. But the agonising wait sparked a round of national hand-wringing in Japan Wednesday. "Pokemon Go: When will it come out in Japan?" cried a headline in the afternoon edition of the top-selling Yomiuri newspaper. But some took to social media to express their frustration at the delay in launching the game on Pokemon's home turf. "Wouldn't it be better to say that the Japan release will be in the autumn if the Pokemon Go release is delayed several times and cause this confusion?" @im_usami001 wrote on Twitter. User @aquasonic00 added: "Wanting to play Pokemon Go in Japan ASAP (o^^o)." Nintendo and the Pokemon Company have declined to comment on any official release date. US-based Niantic -- which developed the game -- has not replied to requests for comment. Forbes earlier cited Niantic chief executive John Hanke as saying worries that Japan's server capacity was not powerful enough to keep up with expected demand delayed the game's rollout. Since its global launch two weeks ago, Pokemon Go has sparked a worldwide frenzy among users who have taken to the streets with their smartphones in a bid to capture and train the creatures for battles. (AFP)

Japan Pokemon fans in agonising wait for game launch

Shares of Japan&#39;s Nintendo Co soared another 14 per cent on Tuesday, more than doubling the firm&#39;s market capitalisation to 4.5 trillion Yen ($42.5 billion) in just seven sessions since the mobile game Pokemon GO was launched in the United States.&nbsp; 
 
The phenomenal success of Pokemon GO - now available in 35 countries, the majority in Europe, and most recently in Canada - has triggered massive buying in Nintendo shares, surprising even some seasoned market players. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve never seen the trend of such a big company&#39;s shares changing so quickly in such a short period of time,&quot; said Takashi Oba, senior strategist at Okasan Securities. 
 
Nintendo shares ended up by 14.4 per cent at 31,770 Yen on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game on July 6. 
 
Turnover in Nintendo shares hit 703.6 billion Yen, surpassing the record for trading turnover in individual shares it set on Friday, of 476 billion Yen. 
 
Trading in Nintendo shares roughly accounted for a quarter of the entire trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange&#39;s main board. 
 
The success of Pokemon GO, unforeseen even by its creators, has boosted hopes that Nintendo could capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario to strengthen its new foray into augmented reality. 
 
&quot;Virtual reality and augmented reality have been a focus of the market but hardly anyone was expecting Nintendo in this area. Suddenly Nintendo has become an AR-related stock,&quot; said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm, who declined to be named as he is not allowed to discuss individual shares. 
 
The fund manager said the big gains were justifiable considering the likely boost to Nintendo&#39;s bottom line. 
 
&quot;Under my rough estimate, the sales from Pokemon GO and upcoming related gadgets will boost net profits by 50 billion Yen. Based on that assumption, Nintendo is traded at 30 times profits, which is not unreasonable,&quot; he said. 
 
The popularity of Pokemon GO is producing an unexpected boom in some shares that have a scant link to the game. 
 
Shares in First Baking Co, a bakery firm with annual sales of 25 billion Yen, saw its shares rise 18 per cent on Tuesday as the firm sells &quot;Pokemon Bread&quot; among other breads wrapped with character-decorated bags. 
 
(Reuters)

Shares ended up by 14.4 per cent on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game

Shares of Japan's Nintendo Co soared another 14 per cent on Tuesday, more than doubling the firm's market capitalisation to 4.5 trillion Yen ($42.5 billion) in just seven sessions since the mobile game Pokemon GO was launched in the United States. The phenomenal success of Pokemon GO - now available in 35 countries, the majority in Europe, and most recently in Canada - has triggered massive buying in Nintendo shares, surprising even some seasoned market players. "I've never seen the trend of such a big company's shares changing so quickly in such a short period of time," said Takashi Oba, senior strategist at Okasan Securities. Nintendo shares ended up by 14.4 per cent at 31,770 Yen on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game on July 6. Turnover in Nintendo shares hit 703.6 billion Yen, surpassing the record for trading turnover in individual shares it set on Friday, of 476 billion Yen. Trading in Nintendo shares roughly accounted for a quarter of the entire trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's main board. The success of Pokemon GO, unforeseen even by its creators, has boosted hopes that Nintendo could capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario to strengthen its new foray into augmented reality. "Virtual reality and augmented reality have been a focus of the market but hardly anyone was expecting Nintendo in this area. Suddenly Nintendo has become an AR-related stock," said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm, who declined to be named as he is not allowed to discuss individual shares. The fund manager said the big gains were justifiable considering the likely boost to Nintendo's bottom line. "Under my rough estimate, the sales from Pokemon GO and upcoming related gadgets will boost net profits by 50 billion Yen. Based on that assumption, Nintendo is traded at 30 times profits, which is not unreasonable," he said. The popularity of Pokemon GO is producing an unexpected boom in some shares that have a scant link to the game. Shares in First Baking Co, a bakery firm with annual sales of 25 billion Yen, saw its shares rise 18 per cent on Tuesday as the firm sells "Pokemon Bread" among other breads wrapped with character-decorated bags. (Reuters)

Nintendo's market capital doubles since Pokemon GO launch

The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go and the surge in Nintendo Co&#39;s market value by $17 billion in just over a week has been seized upon by one of its most vocal investors to press for a change of strategy at the company. 
 
Until Pokemon Go, a mobile game, was launched just over a week ago, Nintendo had taken every opportunity to say its main focus was still gaming consoles, and games for smartphones were just a means to lure more people to them. 
 
But the success of Pokemon Go - unforseen even by its creators - has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario. 
 
Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer at Oasis Management, is one of Asia&#39;s best known hedge fund managers and has long been a small but loud shareholder. Encouraged by the success of mobile games like &quot;Candy Crush&quot;, he has campaigned for years for the Japanese console maker to develop and sell games for platforms run by Apple and Google. 
 
&quot;I hope they will now understand the power of smartphones,&quot; Fischer told Reuters. &quot;And as a result, I hope this means there is a whole change in strategy.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My next focus with Nintendo is for them to focus on monetizing the rest of their 4,000 patents for mobile gaming, multi-player gaming, etc. I think they could be making 30 to 60 billion Yen ($290 million to $570 million) annually from licensing.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Fischer has described Oasis as an advisor to entities that own Nintendo shares and a shareholder. The fund&#39;s direct holding is not listed among the company&#39;s largest investors. 
 
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata last year cautioned against hoping for too much change at the company. The expansion into smartphone games was &quot;not because we have lost our enthusiasm or prospects for the console business&quot;, he said at the time.&nbsp; 
 
A Nintendo spokesman, asked about its mobile strategy, said last week there were three main objectives: &quot;To maximize exposure of Nintendo&#39;s intellectual properties to consumers, to make profits on mobile devices, and to create synergies with the console business.&quot;&nbsp; 
He did not comment further on Pokemon Go. 
 
JUNK FOOD 
 
Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said Nintendo still saw itself as a console maker. 
&quot;When you sell $400 dedicated devices and you sell the gamer boxed software for $60 a piece - for them this is the gold standard,&quot; he said. &quot;For them, mobile is the junk food: enjoy while you wait for the bus. It&#39;s not something that Nintendo sees for itself.&quot; 
 
Pokemon Go, however, has been a runaway success, marrying a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality. Players walk around their neighbourhoods in real life, search out and capture Pokemon cartoon characters on their smartphones. 
 
The game was created by Nintendo, Google-spinoff Niantic, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic. 
 
Nintendo has not commented on next steps, which many speculate could now involve other favourite characters. 
 
The hardware-focused group had planned to introduce a device called Pokemon Go Plus, which could allow it to piggyback on the success of the mobile game. The device vibrates when a Pokemon character is nearby, enabling players to catch them without constant monitoring. 
Pokemon Go is on track to be the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year wall, beating out Candy Crush Saga and Supercell&#39;s Clash of Clans, according to Macquarie Research. But the impact to Nintendo&#39;s bottom line could be minimal because of shared ownership, as little as 3 per cent of net profit in the year to next March. 
 
Niantic declined to comment on the future of its relationship with Nintendo, although it credited Pokemon&#39;s unique appeal for the game&#39;s success.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Its been wonderful to be able to combine our philosophy for these kinds of games with the powerful affinity that people have for Pokemon,&quot; Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters. 
 
But analysts say the craze signals the vast money-making opportunities available for Kyoto-based Nintendo - when it eventually brings out more serious hits.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Over the last decade they never compromised on the software side. That&#39;s why they&#39;ll blow everybody out of the water once they start take iOS and Android more seriously than they do now,&quot; Toto said. &quot;The successes of Pokemon Go will open the eyes of executives in Kyoto. This is unprecedented.&quot; 
 
There are no signs, however, that will happen soon. 
 
Of the four mobile games that Nintendo has promised to launch this financial year through March, two are set to be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - no sign of Mario nor Donkey Kong, at least not yet. 
 
($1 = 104.6600 Yen) 
 
(Reuters)

The success of Pokemon Go shows the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters

The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go and the surge in Nintendo Co's market value by $17 billion in just over a week has been seized upon by one of its most vocal investors to press for a change of strategy at the company. Until Pokemon Go, a mobile game, was launched just over a week ago, Nintendo had taken every opportunity to say its main focus was still gaming consoles, and games for smartphones were just a means to lure more people to them. But the success of Pokemon Go - unforseen even by its creators - has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario. Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer at Oasis Management, is one of Asia's best known hedge fund managers and has long been a small but loud shareholder. Encouraged by the success of mobile games like "Candy Crush", he has campaigned for years for the Japanese console maker to develop and sell games for platforms run by Apple and Google. "I hope they will now understand the power of smartphones," Fischer told Reuters. "And as a result, I hope this means there is a whole change in strategy." "My next focus with Nintendo is for them to focus on monetizing the rest of their 4,000 patents for mobile gaming, multi-player gaming, etc. I think they could be making 30 to 60 billion Yen ($290 million to $570 million) annually from licensing." Fischer has described Oasis as an advisor to entities that own Nintendo shares and a shareholder. The fund's direct holding is not listed among the company's largest investors. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata last year cautioned against hoping for too much change at the company. The expansion into smartphone games was "not because we have lost our enthusiasm or prospects for the console business", he said at the time. A Nintendo spokesman, asked about its mobile strategy, said last week there were three main objectives: "To maximize exposure of Nintendo's intellectual properties to consumers, to make profits on mobile devices, and to create synergies with the console business." He did not comment further on Pokemon Go. JUNK FOOD Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said Nintendo still saw itself as a console maker. "When you sell $400 dedicated devices and you sell the gamer boxed software for $60 a piece - for them this is the gold standard," he said. "For them, mobile is the junk food: enjoy while you wait for the bus. It's not something that Nintendo sees for itself." Pokemon Go, however, has been a runaway success, marrying a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality. Players walk around their neighbourhoods in real life, search out and capture Pokemon cartoon characters on their smartphones. The game was created by Nintendo, Google-spinoff Niantic, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic. Nintendo has not commented on next steps, which many speculate could now involve other favourite characters. The hardware-focused group had planned to introduce a device called Pokemon Go Plus, which could allow it to piggyback on the success of the mobile game. The device vibrates when a Pokemon character is nearby, enabling players to catch them without constant monitoring. Pokemon Go is on track to be the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year wall, beating out Candy Crush Saga and Supercell's Clash of Clans, according to Macquarie Research. But the impact to Nintendo's bottom line could be minimal because of shared ownership, as little as 3 per cent of net profit in the year to next March. Niantic declined to comment on the future of its relationship with Nintendo, although it credited Pokemon's unique appeal for the game's success. "Its been wonderful to be able to combine our philosophy for these kinds of games with the powerful affinity that people have for Pokemon," Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters. But analysts say the craze signals the vast money-making opportunities available for Kyoto-based Nintendo - when it eventually brings out more serious hits. "Over the last decade they never compromised on the software side. That's why they'll blow everybody out of the water once they start take iOS and Android more seriously than they do now," Toto said. "The successes of Pokemon Go will open the eyes of executives in Kyoto. This is unprecedented." There are no signs, however, that will happen soon. Of the four mobile games that Nintendo has promised to launch this financial year through March, two are set to be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - no sign of Mario nor Donkey Kong, at least not yet. ($1 = 104.6600 Yen) (Reuters)

Headline success of Pokemon Go adds impetus for change at Nintendo

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil.&nbsp;The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find &quot;PokeStops&quot; stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
&quot;Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody&#39;s coming. You should come on down too,&quot; Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). 
 
Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. 
 
Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city&#39;s landmarks like Copacabana beach.&nbsp;Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America&#39;s first Olympics from August 5-21.&nbsp;Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. 
 
(AFP)

'Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too', said Mayor Eduardo Paes on Facebook

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil. The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. "Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city's landmarks like Copacabana beach. Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America's first Olympics from August 5-21. Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. (AFP)

Pokemon Go welcome at Rio Olympics, mayor says

&nbsp;Nintendo&#39;s smash hit Pokemon GO is likely to face hurdles in South Korea, where Google mapping functions are restricted due to security issues with North Korea - though some fans are already trekking out to one remote area where it can be played. 
 
South Korea is the world&#39;s fourth-biggest gaming market after China, the United States and Japan, according to Amsterdam-based research firm Newzoo, potentially representing a big opportunity loss for Nintendo and game publisher Niantic if it can&#39;t be officially rolled out. 
 
The augmented reality game where players walk around neighbourhoods in real life, searching out Pokemon to catch and train, relies on Google Maps to work. But in most of South Korea those functions have been limited by the government, which is technically still at war with North Korea, for national security reasons. 
 
&quot;Due to government restrictions on maps data, it&#39;s impossible for Pokemon GO to work properly using Google Maps service in South Korea,&quot; a person familiar with the matter said, declining to be identified as the person was not authorised to speak on the issue. 
 
Representatives for Niantic were not immediately available to comment. Nintendo and Alphabet&#39;s Google declined to comment. 
 
Nintendo&#39;s first venture into mobile gaming has only been officially launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand with other countries such as Japan slated to see a launch soon. 
 
The craze has sent Nintendo&#39;s shares skyrocketing and although they lost some ground on Wednesday as investors took profits. The stock has gained 46 per cent, adding nearly $10 billion to the company&#39;s market value since Thursday&#39;s close. 
 
Despite the limited rollout so far, users in other countries have sought to get in on the action either by downloading the game file in some way or masking their account so that it appears as if they have either an Australian or US account for example. 
 
Those tactics are believed to be exacerbating logging-in problems. By early Wednesday, about 1,300 Pokemon GO users had reported problems accessing the game in Australia over the last two days, according to website aussieoutages.com. 
 
In South Korea, some impatient fans have rushed to Sokcho, a city close to the border with North Korea - an area where the game can be played as it has not been classified as South Korean territory in Google map data. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t go to some big tourist attraction; all I did was walk around for tens of kilometres to play a game. But I&#39;m more satisfied with this than any other trip. I would still be in Sokcho had it not been for an urgent issue,&quot; one user posted on an internet message board. 
 
Indeed, the city of Sokcho has been quick to capitalise on its unusual status, sharing maps on of free wi-fi areas and advertising itself on social media as &quot;the only Pokemon GO holy land on the pennisula.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The game requires google maps to work which is restricted by South Korea due to security issues with the North

Nintendo's smash hit Pokemon GO is likely to face hurdles in South Korea, where Google mapping functions are restricted due to security issues with North Korea - though some fans are already trekking out to one remote area where it can be played. South Korea is the world's fourth-biggest gaming market after China, the United States and Japan, according to Amsterdam-based research firm Newzoo, potentially representing a big opportunity loss for Nintendo and game publisher Niantic if it can't be officially rolled out. The augmented reality game where players walk around neighbourhoods in real life, searching out Pokemon to catch and train, relies on Google Maps to work. But in most of South Korea those functions have been limited by the government, which is technically still at war with North Korea, for national security reasons. "Due to government restrictions on maps data, it's impossible for Pokemon GO to work properly using Google Maps service in South Korea," a person familiar with the matter said, declining to be identified as the person was not authorised to speak on the issue. Representatives for Niantic were not immediately available to comment. Nintendo and Alphabet's Google declined to comment. Nintendo's first venture into mobile gaming has only been officially launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand with other countries such as Japan slated to see a launch soon. The craze has sent Nintendo's shares skyrocketing and although they lost some ground on Wednesday as investors took profits. The stock has gained 46 per cent, adding nearly $10 billion to the company's market value since Thursday's close. Despite the limited rollout so far, users in other countries have sought to get in on the action either by downloading the game file in some way or masking their account so that it appears as if they have either an Australian or US account for example. Those tactics are believed to be exacerbating logging-in problems. By early Wednesday, about 1,300 Pokemon GO users had reported problems accessing the game in Australia over the last two days, according to website aussieoutages.com. In South Korea, some impatient fans have rushed to Sokcho, a city close to the border with North Korea - an area where the game can be played as it has not been classified as South Korean territory in Google map data. "I didn't go to some big tourist attraction; all I did was walk around for tens of kilometres to play a game. But I'm more satisfied with this than any other trip. I would still be in Sokcho had it not been for an urgent issue," one user posted on an internet message board. Indeed, the city of Sokcho has been quick to capitalise on its unusual status, sharing maps on of free wi-fi areas and advertising itself on social media as "the only Pokemon GO holy land on the pennisula." (Reuters)

New test for Nintendo? North Korea an obstacle for South Korean Pokemon hunters

New mobile game Pokemon Go has become an overnight sensation with US fans but also played a role in armed robberies in Missouri, the discovery of a body in Wyoming and minor injuries to fans distracted by the app, officials and news media reported on Monday. 
 
The &quot;augmented reality&quot; game based on the 1990&#39;s Japanese franchise surged to the top of Apple Inc&#39;s app charts over the weekend. 
 
Gamers use their mobile devices to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu at various real-life locations. 
 
Five days after its release, the game now is on more Android phones than dating app Tinder, and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. 
 
Highlighting a dark side to its popularity, the game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, police and media reports said. 
 
Police warned players to be vigilant when using smartphones and other mobile devices to search for characters in the game. 
 
&quot;When you&rsquo;re involved in a game and not paying attention to what&rsquo;s going on around you, your situational awareness can go down,&quot; Greensboro, North Carolina police officer Ben Wingfield told local television. 
 
Developed by Pokemon Company International, Niantic Inc and Nintendo Co Ltd, the game uses the GPS mapping and camera systems on players&#39; devices. 
 
&quot;We encourage all people playing Pokemon Go to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends when going to new or unfamiliar places,&quot; Pokemon Company International and Niantic said in an emailed statement. 
 
Police in O&#39;Fallon, a suburb of St. Louis, said they arrested the four teens on Sunday after a robbery victim called police from a convenience store. 
 
&quot;Using the geolocation feature of the Pokemon Go app, the robbers were able to anticipate the location and level of seclusion of unwitting victims,&quot; O&#39;Fallon police Sergeant Bill Stringer said in a release. 
 
Social media buzzed with reports of players who suffered minor injuries from tripping and falling while glued to their cell phones and minor incidents while driving and looking for Pokemon. 
 
&quot;I catch myself almost walking into things, so I&#39;ve kind of started playing a little bit less in the street,&quot; said Henry Mendez, 32, a parking valet from Los Angeles. 
 
The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple&#39;s app store while Nintendo&#39;s shares surged nearly 25 per cent for their biggest daily gains in history after Pokemon Go&#39;s takeoff. 
 
Shayla Wiggins, 19, was searching for a water-based Pokemon character near Riverton, Wyoming when she discovered a body near a bridge, where a man is thought to have drowned in shallow water, according to media reports. 
 
&quot;I probably would have never went down there if it weren&#39;t for this game,&quot; Wiggins told CNN. 
 
(Reuters)

The game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, said police and media reports

New mobile game Pokemon Go has become an overnight sensation with US fans but also played a role in armed robberies in Missouri, the discovery of a body in Wyoming and minor injuries to fans distracted by the app, officials and news media reported on Monday. The "augmented reality" game based on the 1990's Japanese franchise surged to the top of Apple Inc's app charts over the weekend. Gamers use their mobile devices to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu at various real-life locations. Five days after its release, the game now is on more Android phones than dating app Tinder, and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. Highlighting a dark side to its popularity, the game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, police and media reports said. Police warned players to be vigilant when using smartphones and other mobile devices to search for characters in the game. "When you’re involved in a game and not paying attention to what’s going on around you, your situational awareness can go down," Greensboro, North Carolina police officer Ben Wingfield told local television. Developed by Pokemon Company International, Niantic Inc and Nintendo Co Ltd, the game uses the GPS mapping and camera systems on players' devices. "We encourage all people playing Pokemon Go to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends when going to new or unfamiliar places," Pokemon Company International and Niantic said in an emailed statement. Police in O'Fallon, a suburb of St. Louis, said they arrested the four teens on Sunday after a robbery victim called police from a convenience store. "Using the geolocation feature of the Pokemon Go app, the robbers were able to anticipate the location and level of seclusion of unwitting victims," O'Fallon police Sergeant Bill Stringer said in a release. Social media buzzed with reports of players who suffered minor injuries from tripping and falling while glued to their cell phones and minor incidents while driving and looking for Pokemon. "I catch myself almost walking into things, so I've kind of started playing a little bit less in the street," said Henry Mendez, 32, a parking valet from Los Angeles. The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple's app store while Nintendo's shares surged nearly 25 per cent for their biggest daily gains in history after Pokemon Go's takeoff. Shayla Wiggins, 19, was searching for a water-based Pokemon character near Riverton, Wyoming when she discovered a body near a bridge, where a man is thought to have drowned in shallow water, according to media reports. "I probably would have never went down there if it weren't for this game," Wiggins told CNN. (Reuters)

Amid frenzy, Pokemon Go leads to robberies and injuries

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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