Pokémon Go

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pokémon Go
Pokémon GO logo.svg
Original title Pokémon GO
Studio Niantic
Publisher The Pokémon Company , Nintendo
Senior Developer Dennis Hwang
composer Jun'ichi Masuda
Erstveröffent-
lichung
0July 6, 2016 July 13, 2016 July 16, 2016 July 22, 2016 January 24, 2017New ZealandNew Zealand AustraliaAustralia United StatesUnited States
GermanyGermany
AustriaAustriaSwitzerlandSwitzerlandNetherlandsNetherlands PolandPoland
JapanJapan
Korea SouthSouth Korea
platform Android , iOS
Game engine Unity
genre Computer role play , location-based game , augmented reality
Subject Pokémon
Game mode Single player , multiplayer
control Touch screen
system advantages
preconditions
Operating system : Android 5 or higher, iOS 11 or higher
language German , English , French , Italian , Japanese , Spanish , Korean , Portuguese
Current version Android: 0.181.1
iOS: 1.147.0
(July 23, 2020)
Age rating
USK released from 6
PEGI recommended from 3 years

Pokémon Go (proper spelling: Pokémon GO ) is a game for handheld - mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers . In the game, players can catch and develop virtual fantasy creatures ( Pokémon ) and compete against each other in virtual battles. By the end of 2018, the game had been downloaded over a billion times.

Pokémon Go was developed by the software company Niantic for the iOS and Android operating systems. It is a location-based game and uses a gaming environment on the principle of augmented reality ( augmented reality ). The game uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) and real-time localization to determine the player's location data and virtually positions them on a map based on OpenStreetMap maps. The game is played in the reception area of ​​the GPS signal, i.e. usually outdoors, and uses sights, landmarks and conspicuous objects from the material world to create a virtual game world .

The free-to-play game is financed through in- app purchases. For real money, the player purchases virtual play money , so-called Poké coins . These can in turn be exchanged for various items.

Game mechanics

After registration, the player first creates an avatar from different styles and assigns attributes such as gender, skin, hair and eye color, as well as clothing. The avatar is always placed on the virtual map of the game depending on the real location of the player. In order to move the avatar in the game world, the player must perform the corresponding movement in the real world. The graphic depicts the player's immediate surroundings, including Pokémon, Pokéstops and arenas. The game originally used Google Maps as the map base , but switched to OpenStreetMap at the end of 2017 , which contains more detailed route data, especially for pedestrians.

Pokémon

Player in a Magikarp "nest" in Tokyo ; the frequent presence of the Pokémon enabled a rapid development of the strong water Pokémon Gyarados
The Girardet Bridge in Düsseldorf was temporarily closed to road traffic
Pokémon Go players in Pau , France

The Pokémon are randomly generated in the game's virtual map by the game server. If several players are playing in the same place, they can all independently see and catch the Pokémon there. A Pokémon can be caught by several players at the same time or one after the other, but each player can only catch a Pokémon once. The Pokémon can be visualized either in front of a computer-generated background image or in augmented reality mode (AR) as an overlay on the camera image. A smartphone with a gyroscope is required for the AR display . The AR mode uses the satellite navigation signal as well as the position and rotation rate sensor of the device to position the Pokémon correctly in the video image. At the same time, the AR camera in Android version 0.135.0 can also be used to create a so-called “go snapshot” with which Pokémon that have already been caught can be photographed.

In contrast to other games in the Pokémon series, which began in 1996, “wild” Pokémon do not have to be weakened in battle to catch them, but rather thrown off with virtual balls (Pokéballs) by swiping on the touchscreen . Catching wild Pokémon is rewarded with candy and stardust, which are necessary for the Pokémon to evolve and level up. For actions carried out in the game, the player receives additional experience points (EP), through which he ranks and additional functions are activated. From level 5 the player can choose one of the three teams "Intuition" (yellow), "Daring" (red) and "Wisdom" (blue), which appear as overarching factions in the game world and enable participation in battles or raids .

The competition points (WP) and strength points (CP) are decisive for fights. The competition points represent the individual strength of a Pokémon. The higher, the stronger the Pokémon. The power points represent the Pokémon's energy. If these drop to zero in combat, the Pokémon is unable to fight. CP can be refreshed with revitalizers and potions. There are also the so-called IVs ( English Individual Values ), which represent the basic values ​​for attack, defense and endurance and can usually only be precisely determined by third-party providers. The team leaders' ratings provide a rough approximation. High IVs allow higher maximum CP and CP of the respective Pokémon.

The different Pokémon live in different regions of the world depending on their preferred habitat. Water Pokémon usually stay near water. With some Pokémon, the time also plays a role, for example ghost Pokémon prefer to appear at night. Since December 2017, the local weather has also influenced the Pokémon that appear: Depending on the weather situation, Pokémon of certain types appear more frequently; these are also stronger. In addition, since the beginning of the game there have been so-called nests, which are mostly located in real parks and in which a certain Pokémon appears intensified over a two-week period.

While most Pokémon can be caught in the "wild" in the manner described above, there are exceptions: some can only be obtained by evolving from another species, some can only be hatched from eggs, and others can only be obtained as rewards Research tasks or being caught as raid bosses in raids.

Regional Pokémon

Some Pokémon are only available in certain regions of the world. With the introduction of the 5th generation, there are 32 regional Pokémon:

  • Generation 1 (Kanto):
    • Kangama: Australia
    • Pantimos: Europe
    • Porenta: East Asia
    • Tauros: North America
  • Generation 2 (Johto):
    • Corasonn: along the equator
    • Scaraborn: Central and South America
  • Generation 3 (Hoenn):
    • Illumise: Africa, North, Central and South America
    • Qurtel: South Asia, Southeast Asia
    • Relicanth: New Zealand and Fiji
    • Sengo: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania (until January 2018: North, Central and South America)
    • Tropius: Africa, southern Spain, Canary Islands, Crete
    • Vipitis: North, Central and South America (until January 2018: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania)
    • Volbeat: Asia, Oceania, Europe
  • Generation 4 (Sinnoh):
    • Pachirisu: America and Asia north of 52 ° N (Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Russia)
    • Mime: Europe (only from 5 km eggs)
    • Chatterbox: southern hemisphere
    • Shelllos (eastern form, blue): east of the prime meridian
    • Shelllos (western shape, pink): west of the prime meridian
    • Selfe: East Asia, Australia, Pacific
    • Tobutz: North, Central and South America, Greenland
    • Venuflibis: Southeastern United States, Bahamas
    • Vesprit: Europe, Africa, Middle East, India
  • Generation 5 (Einall):
    • Perch (blue-lined): west of the prime meridian
    • Perch (red line): east of the prime meridian
    • Bisofank: Area of ​​New York City
    • Fermicula: east of the prime meridian
    • Furnifraß: west of the prime meridian
    • Grillmak: Europe, Africa, Middle East, India
    • Jiutesto: Africa, North, Central and South America
    • Karadonis: Europe, Asia, Australia, Pacific
    • Maracamba: Central and South America, Caribbean, southern states of the USA
    • Sodamak: North, Central and South America, Greenland
    • Symvolara: Egypt, Greece, Israel
    • Vegimak: East Asia, Australia, Pacific

Lunastone and Sunfel can be caught around the world, but according to The Pokémon Company , both will never appear in one region at the same time. On the occasion of the solstice , both Pokémon change regions between the eastern and western hemisphere every year . During some temporary events, both Pokémon are also available at the same time.

Plusle and Minun were initially separated when the 3rd generation was introduced: Plusle could only be caught in America and Africa, Minun only in the rest of the world. On February 9, 2018, this separation was lifted so that both can now be caught worldwide.

For official events, some regional Pokémon are occasionally available in other regions or through eggs.

Iridescent Pokémon

In 2017, dazzling Pokémon from the main series were introduced in Pokémon Go for the first time with the dazzling Pikachu and the dazzling Magikarp. These are rarely found in the wilderness, but in contrast to other values ​​such as the WP, the iridescent property is individual from trainer to trainer. In the course of the celebrations for the two-year anniversary, a large number of events have been held, especially since January 2018, in the course of which new dazzling forms were available. By April 2020, 369 dazzling shapes in 175 development series as well as some special shapes such as Pikachu with hat or Eevee with wreath of flowers had been published. The evolutions of dazzling Pokémon are only available through the development of the previous development stage.

Lucky Pokémon

End of July 2018 were lucky Pokémon ( English Lucky Pokémon ) introduced. These have the peculiarity that they only need half as much stardust to become stronger. Pokémon can only become Lucky Pokémon using the exchange function. The longer a Pokémon has been in the possession of a trainer, the greater the chance that the trading partners will receive Lucky Pokémon. Lucky Pokémon are specially marked in the Pokédex and in the Pokémon storage.

Crypto Pokémon

In July 2019, Niantic released another feature. From now on, bullies from the so-called “Team GO Rocket” can appear temporarily at Pokéstops and their Pokémon can be fought there in a similar way to trainer battles. If you win all three fights, you have the opportunity to catch the Pokémon as a so-called Crypto-Pokémon. As soon as you have caught it, you can “redeem” it, which increases its status values ​​by 2 points each time. While Crypto-Pokémon are caught at levels 1 to 5, they rise to level 25 through redemption. A further level up costs about 10% more stardust and candy compared to normal Pokémon.

Eggs

Eggs can be hatched with the help of incubators by moving a certain distance. For this, the app only counts movements that are comparatively slow (walking pace), so as not to count car or train journeys for the distance. Pokémon hatch from the eggs, which usually have very good basic values ​​compared to wild catches. When hatching, they have the same level as the player, but no more than level 20. The eggs run distances of 2 km, 5 km, 7 km and 10 km. 7km eggs can only be obtained through gifts from friends, while the other eggs can be obtained through Pokéstops and Arenas. The rarity of the hatched Pokémon is based on the running distance.

Pokéstops

Player at a Pokéstop in Bern

Pokéstops are places where players can receive virtual items such as Poké Balls, eggs, and potions, as well as development items since the introduction of the second generation of Pokémon. They use the Ingress portal system , with which Niantic has already been able to test the technology behind Pokémon GO. Many portals from the Ingress world were transformed into Pokéstops. There were five million Pokéstops worldwide in July 2016. According to John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, Pokéstops and arenas can be found all over the world, even in remote locations such as the North Pole or Antarctica .

Since July 2019 it has been possible for a Pokéstop to be occupied by Team Rocket . If the player turns the occupied stop, he will be asked to fight by a Team Rocket member. If the player wins this 3-on-3 fight, he then has the opportunity to catch a Pokémon used by Team Rocket , a so-called Crypto-Pokémon .

Arenas

Like Pokéstops, arenas are special places where Pokémon battles can be held from trainer level 5 upwards. Up until the summer of 2017, the teams were each able to place ten of their own Pokémon in an arena they had conquered, within the arena they could train with Pokémon from the same team, thus increasing the prestige - the capacity of the arena. In the summer of 2017, the arena system was comprehensively renewed. Since then, it has no longer been possible to train in the arenas, and there is no longer any rank according to prestige. Instead, up to six different Pokémon from the same team can be placed, but they lose motivation over time and are therefore easier to defeat. The daily limit of the ingame currency "Pokécoins" has been reduced from 100 to 50.

Raids

Sporadic raid fights take place, for which several trainers have to come together to defeat and then catch exceptionally strong Pokémon - the raid bosses. In order to take part in a raid battle, you need a raid pass. One raid pass per day is available free of charge through the photo window of an arena, additional raid passes can be purchased for Poké coins. Legendary Pokémon have been integrated into the game via raid battles since July 2017. Raids usually last 45 minutes and are announced by a one-hour countdown, symbolized by an egg. A captured raid boss is either level 20 or - thanks to the weather bonus - level 25. By successfully completing a raid battle, each player involved receives special items such as technical machines, golden berries or special sweets.

EX raids

On August 14, 2017, Mewtwo was unlocked as raid boss of the Pokémon Go Stadium event by Niantic. In the following weeks, Mewtwo was made accessible through exclusive invitations in the first field tests. About two weeks later, on September 21, 2017, the first invitations to EX raids were sent out in Germany and Austria. EX-Raid invitations are sent by Niantic to players who have contested and completed a raid battle at the corresponding EX-Raid arena in the previous week. EX Raid arenas are almost exclusively located in parks or sponsored locations. Between October 2018 and September 2019, Mewtwo was replaced by Deoxys as the EX raid boss, after which Mewtwo returned as the ex raid boss for a few weeks. From the end of November Regigigas must be fought in ex-raids. From April 2020 he should have been replaced by Genesect, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all ex-raids have been suspended until further notice.

Research tasks

Research tasks have been integrated into the game since April 2018; these are divided into field research and special research. The former is given to the player when turning Pokéstops. If he fulfills at least one of these tasks on seven days, he can catch a legendary or rare Pokémon as a reward. The player receives the special research tasks directly from the professor. Any number of field research tasks can be received and solved promptly, but the special research tasks are limited, designed for a longer period of time and are completed with the capture of the special Pokémon or the completion of the last task. Some special research is only accessible for a certain period of time or with real money investment.

Friendships

Since June 2018 it has been possible to make friends with other trainers in Pokémon Go. This is done by exchanging the friendship codes or by scanning the respective QR code. By playing together (raids, fights, swapping, sending gifts) the friendship level can be increased by one level every day. After reaching a certain friendship level, certain bonuses such as stardust discount when trading and attack bonus in raids are activated. There are four levels of friendship in total. After reaching the fourth level, it is possible to become lucky friends with the respective friend . The next time the lucky friends trade, the exchanged Pokémon is guaranteed to be a Lucky Pokémon .

To deceive

On June 18, 2018, Niantic announced that it would allow Pokémon to be exchanged between players the following weekend. In order to prevent a third market (e.g. on trading and auction platforms on the Internet) as much as possible and in order not to change the game balance too much, the friendship system described above was introduced: Two players can only exchange Pokémon when they are in the game Are "friends", which is tied to certain conditions. Further restrictions apply to the exchange of special Pokémon (legendary, dazzling or those that are not yet in the Pokédex). The “mysterious Pokémon” Mew, Celebi, Deoxys and Darkrai cannot be exchanged, as can Crypto-Pokémon.

A special form of exchange is the connection with one of the two Nintendo Switch games Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! By exchanging a Pokémon from Pokémon Go on the Switch, the transferring player receives a wonder box , after which the mysterious Pokémon Meltan can be caught up to twenty times for 30 minutes. Then there is a three-day cooldown , after which the box can be reactivated by exchanging it again.

Coach fights

In late November 2018, Niantic announced the introduction of personal battles between two coaches, also known as PvP battles . Fights between players are possible in three leagues with different WP limits on the Pokémon that can be used: in the Super League (maximum 1500 WP), the Hyper League (maximum 2500 WP) and the Master League (without WP limit). A coach can put together their own combat teams for each league. Hyperfriends and best friends can duel at any time, while other friendship levels or unfriendly players have to be close to each other. In addition, individual fights can be played against the respective team leader. Whoever defeats all three of his opponent's Pokémon first wins a battle and receives rewards for doing so.

As part of this update, you can teach your Pokémon a second charge attack for the first time. This must first be unlocked against stardust and candy and can then be adapted with a charging TM. The additional attack remains permanent and is therefore also available in arena and raid battles. In addition, a protective shield can be used in trainer battles to repel enemy attacks. Unlike in arena battles, defeated Pokémon do not need to be revived or healed.

Since February 2020 you can fight with players worldwide. Every two months a new "Battle League Season" begins, over the course of which ranks and rewards are determined. In addition to valuable items (including loading TMs and special candies), the winner of a battle can also receive legendary Pokémon that also appear in raids.

Changes due to pandemic

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic , Niantic introduced a series of sometimes drastic changes from March 13, 2020 in order to adapt the game to the fact that the freedom of movement of many coaches is significantly restricted and that playing together in groups is no longer possible. In particular, all events have been canceled or postponed indefinitely (community day, raid hours, EX raids, safari zones), the running distances of the eggs have been halved, the running distances for the battle league have been completely abolished, the duration of the smoke has been doubled In addition, you can purchase various items at the symbolic price of one Poké coin every week.

development

Gradual release of the game:
  • July 6, 2016
  • July 13, 2016
  • July 14, 2016
  • 15th July 2016
  • July 16, 2016
  • 17th July 2016
  • 19th July 2016
  • July 22, 2016
  • July 24, 2016
  • July 25, 2016
  • 3rd August 2016
  • August 6, 2016
  • 29th September 2016
  • September 30, 2016
  • 4th October 2016
  • 17th November 2016
  • December 13, 2016
  • January 24, 2017
  • 11th September 2018
  • Satoru Iwata from Nintendo and Tsunekazu Ishihara from the Pokémon Company came up with the idea for the game in 2013 as an April Fool's joke for Google called the Pokémon Challenge , with Tatsuo Nomura from Google Maps (now senior project manager at Niantic) as the focus of the project. On September 10, 2015, Ishihara dedicated his game announcement speech to Iwata, who had died two months earlier. The Niantic Labs software team had previously developed the augmented reality game Ingress . The arenas and Pokéstops in Pokémon Go are also based on the portals that were used for Ingress .

    Beta test

    On March 4, 2016, Niantic announced that it would start a beta test limited to Japan that same month , in which players could help with troubleshooting before the final release. The beta test was later extended to other countries, including New Zealand and Australia . The application period for the field test began on May 16 and the beta phase in the United States began on May 25 . On June 27, the Pokémon Company announced that the test would end on June 30.

    publication

    The game was released on July 6, 2016 through the Google Play Store and the App Store in the United States , Australia and New Zealand . The game was not released for Windows Phones, and at the time of the release of the iOS and Android versions, there was no information about Windows release plans from Nintendo or Niantic. The international launch was split up due to server overloads and the game gradually appeared in each country.

    Server problems

    In the first weeks after the release, Pokémon Go had to struggle with severe server problems and overload. As Google has now announced, the reason was that Niantic had grossly underestimated the data traffic . Shortly after the launch , the actual data traffic of Pokémon Go rose to about fifty times the amount of traffic made available by Niantic, which was made available for the "worst-case scenario". By working with Google, the problem was addressed and fixed.

    Speed ​​warning

    With the update of August 8, 2016 (Android: 0.33.0, iOS: 1.3.0), a new function was added by Niantic. Above a certain speed, a message appears stating that you are moving too fast and that you should n't play Pokémon Go while driving. This message did not result in any restrictions and only had to be clicked away each time it appeared by clicking on "I am a passenger". On 18./19. This system was tightened in October 2016. In addition to the notification, no Pokémon appear at a speed of more than 30 miles per hour (approx. 48 km / h).

    Pokémon Go Plus

    Pokémon Go Plus

    Nintendo developed the Pokémon Go Plus wearable bracelet, which uses a Bluetooth connection to the smartphone to inform the player by means of a light-emitting diode and a vibrating alarm when a Pokémon or a Pokéstop is nearby. A catch attempt can then be carried out or the Pokéstop rotated by pressing a button. The decision to develop a stand-alone electronic bracelet instead of adapting the game for smartwatches was based on the intention of reaching those gamers for whom smartwatches might be too expensive. Pokémon Go Plus is sold independently of the app. It was published in Germany in September 2016.

    Events

    There are numerous events - both official and privately organized - where players come together to play together.

    Official events

    Players at Pokémon GO Fest 2017 in Chicago

    Official events are hosted by Niantic, the developer of the app. These can be roughly divided into global events, in which any player can participate worldwide, and local events, which are usually limited to a small area, such as a park or a shopping center.

    Multi-day events

    Worldwide events take place at irregular intervals, which last about one to two weeks and usually follow a specific topic. These events are often accompanied by special bonuses, such as increased stardust for catching Pokemon, or increased XP for fighting raids. A distinction can be made between the following events:

    • Type events at which Pokémon from a certain trip, such as water or rock, appear intensified.
    • Holiday events that are dedicated to a specific real holiday or event and for which either the dazzling variant of a Pokémon or even a new Pokémon appears.
    • Bonus events that do not follow any of the above schemes and only contain special bonuses such as increased stardust, increased candy or increased XP. These bonus events are often preceded by global challenges to unlock these bonuses.

    Raid events

    Worldwide raid events take place at irregular intervals, in which each arena is occupied by a certain legendary raid boss over a three-hour period and groups of players can therefore carry out a large number of raids within a short period of time. In addition, there is a legendary raid lesson once a week , in which the current legendary raid boss spawns for an hour in every free arena.

    Community Days

    Once a month there is a Community Day around the world, on which a certain Pokémon - usually a starter Pokémon or a rare Pokémon from 10 km eggs - occurs particularly frequently, and its dazzling variant is also more likely to occur. In addition, the highest development of this Pokémon learns a special attack up to two hours after the end of the respective event.

    Go Fests / Safari Zones

    Local Go Fests or Safari Zones take place at irregular intervals. Special Pokémon appear at these events, which are otherwise not or only very rarely to be found; these are usually a regional Pokémon and strong Pokémon from 10 km eggs. In addition, the rare Pokémon Icognito appears, whose shapes then form the name of the city or the event (e.g. SAFRI for “Safari”). The interest in these events is so great that the locations concerned are often overcrowded, which is why admission is often combined with the purchase of tickets. The following official events have taken place in Germany so far:

    Safari Zone 2017 in Oberhausen
    This took place on September 16, 2017 in cooperation with the CentrO . Participants had to register beforehand; the 4000 tickets were sold out within a few minutes.
    Safari Zone 2018 in Dortmund
    The main venue from June 30th to July 1st 2018 was the Westfalenpark , although the event extended over the entire city area. Prior registration was not necessary. According to the organizers, 170,000 players came to Dortmund.
    Go Fest 2019 in Dortmund
    From July 4 to 7, 2019, in addition to the events in Chicago and Yokohama , a Go Fest took place in Germany for the first time, again in Dortmund's Westfalenpark. According to Der Tagesspiegel , a total of 85,000 players were there, ran around 400,000 kilometers and collected over 28 million Pokémon.

    Third party events

    Player at an unofficial “Lockmodul-Party” 2016 in London

    At local meetings that are organized privately, no special Pokémon can be caught, but such meetings offer the opportunity to use resources in the game more efficiently together, e.g. B. Lock modules. They also enable a larger group of players to trade Pokémon with one another.

    On August 2, 2016, “more than 4000” participants came to a Pokémon Go party in Vienna's city park . The city informed about this beforehand or pointed out afterwards that permits are required for an event of this size. None of the organizers and organizers had tried to get a permit.

    In various cities such as New York City or Taipei there were occasional traffic delays and crowds from large groups of players.

    In several large cities - in Germany a. a. in Augsburg, Munich and Dusseldorf - buses or trams were rented, with which players were driven for a fee along particularly worthwhile routes along which there were many Pokéstops. In addition, it is sometimes driven slowly so that eggs can be hatched.

    reception

    Meta-ratings
    Database Rating
    Metacritic 68/100
    reviews
    publication Rating
    GamePro 60/100
    GameSpot 7.0 / 10.0
    IGN 7.0 / 10.0
    The Guardian 2/5
    Time 3/5

    IGN Entertainment's Kallie Plagge gave the game 7.0 out of 10.0 points and called the idea clever. The fact that the app crashes so often is frustrating, but social interaction with others, catching Pokémon and fighting in the arena are fun. However, the combat system is not fully developed and the game does not give you the feeling of being a Pokémon trainer in the real world. The greatest weakness is that it is not yet possible to swap Pokémon, that there are no fights against friends and that you cannot communicate with friends within the app. Many of the criticized points have since been resolved. B. exchanging and fighting between players possible.

    Records

    The game broke numerous records shortly after its release. It was the game with the highest sales at $ 206.5 million and the most downloaded game in the first month with 130 million downloads. In addition, it was the fastest game to date and achieved sales of 100 million US dollars after just 20 days and was number 1 on the mobile phone game charts in more countries in the first month; in 70 countries based on the number of downloads and in 55 countries based on sales. In the location-based games market , the game has a share of 84% in terms of downloads and 92% in terms of sales.

    Awards

    Pokémon Go was named Best Mobile Game and Best Family Game at the 2016 Game Awards .

    At the Webby Awards 2017, Pokémon Go received the awards for Best Use of GPS or Location Technology , Experimental & Innovation and Games in the field of Mobile Sites & Apps .

    privacy

    The first version for the iPhone gained unnecessarily full access to the smartphone user's account when logging in via Google . The fact that the operators allow data to be passed on to private third parties in their general terms and conditions if something illegal, unethical or legally contestable is done is criticized as "very vague". On July 20, 2016, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations filed a warning against Niantic and requested a signed cease and desist declaration, since, in the opinion of consumer advocates, 15 clauses in the data protection and conditions of use violate German law. Results of a study among users show that users are aware of data protection concerns, but this has no influence on their usage behavior.

    Social implications

    A variable message signs in Fountainbleau ( Florida ) that motorists warns Pokémon go to play at the wheel.
    Playing Pokémon Go is expressly prohibited on the grounds of the Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights , California

    With the release of the game came a worldwide hype . As soon as the game was released in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, high download numbers were achieved, also in other countries where players installed the APK . So could Pokémon Go be played before the official release. The rush was so great that the servers were often overloaded and failed. The game topped the download charts in the iTunes Store and Android Store in the countries where it was released. On July 12, 2016, Pokémon Go became the most active mobile game in the US with 21 million active users, breaking the record previously held by Candy Crush Saga with 20 million active players. The market value of Nintendo doubled as a result.

    In the first few weeks after its release, the game and Pokémania were also a very prominent topic in general mass media . Playing Pokémon Go while driving and walking around carelessly has resulted in numerous accidents. In places where many Pokéstops existed, focus areas developed, where many Pokémon Go players stayed. There were so many players on the Girardet Bridge on Königsallee in Düsseldorf in the summer of 2016 that the city decided at times to close the bridge to car traffic and to set up toilets. Finally, at the request of the city, two Pokéstops were deleted, whereupon the rush decreased. Two men fell off a cliff in California . There were also robberies on Pokéstops. In Chiquimula (Guatemala) , a suspected smartphone app player was shot dead while breaking into private property.

    According to Deutschlandfunk , the author Omari Akil had pointed out in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement that he could not afford to play Pokémon Go in public because, as an African American, this would expose him to an above-average risk being aggressively checked by the police or even shot during the check. The editor Marcus Richter says that Pokémon Go illuminates the issue of racism in a strange but impressive way. Store owners whose stores are close to Pokéstops have bought lock modules within Pokémon Go to attract players to the stores as customers. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has complained that visitors play Pokémon Go.

    The Israeli Navy made recruitment advertisements with a screenshot of a Pokémon on the high seas , with the indication that it could only be obtained as a member of the Navy. Palestinian activists made via Twitter to a Pokémon on the ruins of a 2014 Gaza war attentive bombed house. A Hebroner used a picture of a Pokémon in an Israeli settlement to draw attention to the restricted freedom of movement of the Palestinians in the West Bank .

    The feminist author Margarete Stokowski , who named her Pokémon by politicians like Helmut Kohl and Merkel , highlighted the liberating function of Pokémon Go in a satirical column on Spiegel Online in 2016: Young people are finally back on the streets.

    Game bans and restrictions

    Due to fears of Israeli counterintelligence has Israeli Foreign Ministry employees in the diplomatic service prohibited Pokémon Go in embassies , consulates , even in the Ministry and, if there classified information be kept to play at home. Israel also banned gambling on military bases and during military operations . There are also fears that Pokémon Go could lure diplomats into traps, attack them, or be kidnapped . In July 2016, Indonesia also banned the national police and navy from using the game Pokémon Go.

    The Standing Committee on Legal Issues in Saudi Arabia renewed a fatwa that it had announced in 2001 on the Pokémon game . The legal scholar Sheikh Saleh al-Fausan sees no difference in Pokémon Go either. After that, Pokémon is compared to a game of chance , and the game characters would be based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution . Islam rejects both . As a result, three male players have already been arrested at Jazan airport .

    Health effects

    Cardiologists of the American Heart Association praised the Pokémon Go, because it brings the players out, to move, which is conducive to health. In order to hatch an egg, the player has to walk several kilometers. According to Wei Peng from Michigan State University, it can already be observed that people are moving more again. Debra Lieberman of the University of California sees Pokémon Go as having the potential to improve the lifestyles of some people. By walking, they might notice that exercise can be fun and devote themselves to other activities such as cycling or swimming . However, it is also advised that the player should avoid unfamiliar areas and playing at night for safety reasons. In conclusion, Lieberman states that the game promotes fun, challenge, social interaction and movement as long as the player also looks at the surroundings.

    It is also believed that Pokémon Go has the potential to improve the mental and physical health of players suffering from depression and social anxiety. According to Kashmira Gander from The Independent , the game makes it easier for shy people to interact with other people, but an empirical study in Germany suggests that this motivation is of secondary importance. John Grohol, the founder of Psych Central , notes that Pokémon Go is unique in the extent to which people express its mental health benefits. According to Grohol, one of the success factors is that Pokémon Go motivates players to exercise in the fresh air, which also has a positive effect on the psyche, as well as to have fun and social interaction. Daniel Freeman, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford, said more cautiously about the game : More clinical studies are necessary to be able to draw conclusions about health effects.

    Usage motives

    An empirical study by Philipp Rauschnabel, Alexander Rossmann and M. Claudia tom Dieck shows that, in addition to physical activity, other factors such as nostalgia , fun, flow and perception by other people (in particular image, social norms) represent decisive motives for use that differ Explain forms of usage behavior. In addition, the perceived risk of physical dangers (e.g. the fear of not recognizing real dangers) has an inhibiting effect on use. Data protection concerns and the possibility of maintaining social contacts play no or only a subordinate role.

    Web links

    Commons : Pokémon Go  - collection of images, videos and audio files

    Individual evidence

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