By now, there’s probably only a handful of people in America that haven’t heard of Pokemon Go, a mobile game that has taken the country by storm. Seemingly everyone is playing and trying to catch virtual critters on their phones, from elementary aged kids to senior citizens. All things with the game aren’t golden, however, and many problems have come along with Pokemon Go. Personally we’d prefer to relax and play some nice games at the Royal Vegas casino instead of chasing Pokemons all over the country…
Injuries and Crimes
Most people were surprised when a rash of crime started happening surrounding the Pokemon Go game. In one notable instance, a trio of robbers stalked the areas that were marked in the game and then robbed unsuspecting players as they wandered into the area. In other instances, Pokemon Go players have been injured while playing and not watching where they were walking. Car accidents have been caused, two men fell off a cliff, and others have broken their ankles falling down while glued to their screens and attempting to “catch ’em all”.
The Latest Time Suck
As for the game’s effect on kids and adults, Pokemon Go is just the latest virtual means of procrastination to become popular. Aside from those cases where people have been hurt or made the victim of a crime while playing, the game is no more harmful a time waster than social media sites, online games, and the like.
Financial Consequences
PokemonGo isn’t the only mobile gaming craze that has caused a ton of hype in recent years. Virtual casinos have earned billions as people rush to the net to place bets and play online versions of classic games such as Blackjack, slots, poker, and roulette. The Royal Vegas casino app is one example of such a platform that has become extremely popular, but its future doesn’t have the shadows cast on it that Pokemon Go does.
As it stands, Nintendo, which has a 13 percent stake in the game, has seen its stock plunge the most since 1990. While the company’s market value was initially doubled soon after the release of Pokemon Go, after Nintendo revealed the fact that it doesn’t own a large share in the game’s profits, its stock sank quite a bit. In addition, uncertainties about whether the game will be launched in China — where the geographic data necessary to run Pokemon Go has governmental restrictions — has put another damper on earning prospects.
Frustrating Changes
The Pokemon Go craze has reached a fever pitch, but there’s no telling how long that will last. Much of the hype was built on nostalgia for the game, which is why so many millennials are into it. As much as it is a way to enjoy a classic game from one’s childhood, playing Pokemon Go hasn’t been without its challenges. One of the most frustrating updates to the game from its developer, Niantic, has made Pokemon characters more difficult to catch.
The time it takes for the app to scan for new Pokemon critters has also been doubled from five seconds to ten seconds, which is problematic for those who play on the go while driving, biking, or riding on public transport, something that the developers advise against in the first place. Along with gripes about Pokemon Go lacking in-game tracking, its bugged counter, the revocation of legendary Pokemon characters from trainer accounts, and the loss of its battery saving options, some people are falling out of love with the app. Given the chaos that Pokemon Go has caused thus far, that may not be such a bad thing.
