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McDonald’s joins ‘Pokemon Go’ craze hoping to catch the wave

Pokemon crazed fans are eagerly awaiting the ultra-popular game’s highly-anticipated release in China, but it looks like that will be a long and probably fruitless wait – especially considering the high priority that China places on its military secrets.

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“We believe Apple keeps 30 percent of Pokemon Go’s revenue spent on iOS devices, suggesting upside to earnings”, Needham analyst Laura Martin wrote in a client note on Wednesday.

This Wednesday, the craze that is Pokemon Go here in the US got a lift from the McDonald’s chain in Japan, where the game has still not launched.

McDonald’s Japan is collaborating with Pokemon Go for the launch, turning the fast food chain’s restaurants into hot spots for the game. Already, players have been reported walking off a cliff, into a police auto, or becoming lost in their own hometowns after losing track of where they were. Of course, improved features, advertising and updates to the game could could potentially drive profits higher in the future. He also pointed to reports that fears of server outages, which have disrupted the game elsewhere, may be delaying the release.

Pokemon GO has yet to roll out in Japan, or in any eastern country for that matter, so local fans are desperate to have Pokemon GO hit their app stores.

From the game industry (perspective), the critical point here is that this game is making money from in-app purchases.

People maneuver their smartphones as they play “Pokemon Go” at Akihabara in Tokyo, Friday, July 22, 2016. And, when you consider that Pokemon originated in Japan years ago, gamers are going to feel a certain type of way if their expectations aren’t met.

Amid widespread anticipation before the official release, the government issued a rare safety guide warning over dangers gamers could face, from heat stroke to online scams. Most of it is rather sensible, and the government is asking people to share this info with other players, especially younger ones.

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Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga asked the country’s Pokémon players to follow the nine tips outlined on the flyer.

Pokemon go debuts in the country where Pokemon was born