Users began tweeting it was available Friday morning, and the Pokemon Co. and the developer of the augmented reality game, USA -based Niantic Inc., confirmed its launch shortly after. The augmented-reality game Pokemon Go, which has been released in more than 30 countries, was finally launched in its native market Japan where Nintendo created the franchise two decades ago. When Pokemon do appear, they are in real time and can be found at the exact spot marked on the map along with a timer showing how long they have been there. The other 2,500 are “Pokestops”, where they can get items to play the game.
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Pokemon Go is now managing to keep players invested in it despite these glaring issues, though it’s only a matter of time before people eventually grow exhausted of the copious server crashes and bugs littering the game.
Nintendo, which holds stakes in Pokemon and the game’s developer Niantic, saw its stock nearly double through Thursday following the game’s debut in the US. In any event, Pokemon Go is now available in Japan and it’s enjoying its first official sponsorship. “I want to play it immediately, ‘” Amaha said outside colourful Sensoji Temple of her reaction when the app became available.
“Since I really wanted to play, I’m very, very glad”. Its stock has jumped more than 20 per cent since Pokemon Go launched.
The wait is finally over in Japan. Children congregated at a Pokemon store and at McDonald’s Holdings Co (Japan) outlets, which are among the digital pit stops where people can collect tools and train their monsters.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated launch, the Japanese government had launched a campaign promoting safe play of this smartphone game after multiple incidents of injury or trespassing by people playing the game have been reported in several countries.
Shares of related companies also rose, including electronic parts makers Hosiden, which Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group said may be producing an accessory for Pokemon Go, also rose more than 9 per cent. As of right now, Pokemon Go’s servers remain up and functional.
Though a verifiable global phenomenon, authorities in a number of countries have expressed safety and other concerns about the craze.
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“Pokemon Go came, I can not bother with work”, a Twitter user posted minutes after it hit Google Play in Japan.
