Pitting the characters against each other is associated with gambling, which is banned under Islam, and the game is also perceived as promoting Darwin’s theory of evolution. Saudi Arabia has gone even further, with the country’s main religious body reissuing a fatwa first announced in 2001 banning any game involving Pokemon. Players in Bosnia meanwhile have been warned to avoid minefields, which remain a hangover from wars that wracked the country between 19.Īnd the Japanese government has published a leaflet advising children of the potential risks of Pokemon Go – including the dangers of playing the game while cycling – despite the app not yet having been officially released in the country. In Indonesia, a French player was stopped by police and questioned for several hours after the app led him into a military base. The phenomenon has grown so rapidly that authorities in a number of countries have issued warnings about the dangers of the game, while police forces have taken to social media to remind users how to behave safely in public spaces.Īnd not without cause – the hunt for Pokemon (or “pocket monsters”) has resulted in some unexpected situations.

“By appealing to several generations, from those who have memories of the original Pokemon in 1996 to the very youngest gamers, this app has the potential to reach vast numbers of players and become the reference point for virtual reality,” says Laurent Michaud, head of digital entertainment at the Idate ideas laboratory. The “augmented reality” smartphone app challenges users to roam the real world in search of virtual cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles, incorporating characters from the hit Nintendo game of the 1990s.

PARIS, France – Walk into a minefield, enter a military base or simply cross the road without looking: fans of Pokemon Go are prepared to do whatever it takes to capture the likes of Pikachu and its friends.Ī virtual hunt that has taken players worldwide by storm, the game has had real-world consequences in the Tokyo stock exchange and beyond.

Pokemon monster