The game was created by Nintendo, Niantic and Pokemon Co, part-owned by Nintendo.
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The game, first released in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, is now available in more than 30 countries.
The launch in Japans also marks collaboration with McDonald’s Japan, citing a potential expansion of the hit game’s revenue base aside from the sale of in-app purchases.
The smartphone app has now been launched in more than 40 countries, including the US and much of Europe, but Japan – where Nintendo started the mythical creature franchise 20 years ago – was kept waiting. Nevertheless, Niantic claims that it will happen “soon” in Japan and then in more countries outside Europe. “Pokémon GO is now available to download in Japan!” the game’s official Twitter account said. Players will be able to “battle” their Pokemon against other players at McDonald’s locations.
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Apparently, this might even curb the risk involved in playing “Pokemon Go” as several reports of auto accidents and other mishaps have surfaced of people who were too busy playing the game. While many bars, restaurants and stores have bought objects in the game that attract Pokémon creatures and, more importantly, players. He also sees the possibility of injury to players, who are ‘wandering through the physical world while staring through a phone screen’. The country’s National Center for Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) told users of the mobile game not to use their real names and warned them about the risks of heat stroke in the muggy Japanese summer. On Friday, they climbed another 4% in early Tokyo trading, before ending the day up around 0.8%.
