A new game for smart phones came out on July 6th 2016 called Pokémon Go sparking a revolution in video game playing. It's not your typical type of game. Pokémon Go gets players out of their house and travel to different locations in our real world to catch Pokémon. It has been very beneficial in a shorter amount of time.
It's free at the App Store.
Pokémon uses a lot of high-tech features like GPS which is why it's surprising that the game is free. But in the future, there will be another option with the game which is called Pokémon Go Plus where players can wear a blue-tooth type of device that includes LED display and light vibration. This is an extra charge.
The game encourages leaving the house to catch more Pokémon.
One thing that is very positive about the game is the fact that unlike other games, you use the world around you to play. Video games and games on smart phones usually keep people stuck inside and nowadays, kids aren't going outside to play. It branches out to learn your surroundings. But like other games, you have to keep your head down to see what's going on which can cause an unawareness of your surroundings.
There's already safety concerns...
On July 9th, Shayla Wigeons found a body floating in a nearby river in the state of Wyoming. It is implied that the death was accidental. The teenager was playing Pokémon Go when she discovered the body which has raised some concern for the safety. The game warns players that they should "Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings." A lot of gamers have been playing while driving, walking around late at night, or driving to far locations just to catch certain Pokémon.
...including a highway accident.
CartelPress issued an article where they said that Lamar Hickson caused a highway accident because he was playing Pokémon Go. But once the article was released, it was found that it was false. Although it was meant to be funny, the article issue was not taken lightly. Drivers should not play the game while driving because things like this COULD actually happen. The hashtag #DontPokemonAndDrive has surfaced to Twitter reminding players to play safe.
But some car crashes have been close.
One player explains that driving is a special tool you can use when playing the game. "It's the way to do it, it really is." says YouTube user ScottTheOxytocinrobot 10. This user doesn't really understand the risk that can happen if you drive around while playing this game. Nothing happens in his video, but he, along with other gamers obviously take for granted that no major accidents have happened yet.
Here's the video:
Americans are ready to put themselves in serious danger to catch them all.