Pokémon Go hotspots lure late-night gamers, raise security concerns | KHON2

Some players say it’s just nicer to search for Pokémon later because it’s much cooler.

Source: Pokémon Go hotspots lure late-night gamers, raise security concerns | KHON2 (http://www.khon2.com/2016/07/13/pokemon-go-hotspots-lure-gamers-raise-security-concerns).

Accessed on 14 July 2016, 16:06 hrs, UTC.

Reporter:  Alex Cerball.

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Comment:

The Pokemon Go app is sweeping the nation, including the state of Hawaii.  On any given day, you’ll find gamers and the merely curious tracking down “pokemon” objects at familiar landmarks, often at odd hours of the night when temperatures are cooler.  In Hilo, you can see gamers tracking down elusive pokemon objects at Liliuokalani Park and Gardens.

The game incorporates smartphones, gaming theory, virtual reality concepts, and geolocation to lead gamers on a merry chase through Hawaii’s urban and rural areas.

According to reporter Alex Cerball,  local businesses “are trying to deal with gamers flocking to their property at all hours of the day.”

Police are concerned that people “so into the game” are not paying attention to their surroundings. There have been reports of people running into poles, nearly getting hit by buses, and trespassing on private property.

Critics of the phenomenon say they are concerned that “the game could make users a target for crime”, citing an Oregon man who was reportedly stabbed while he was playing the game. “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” reporter Kirsten Johnson says there have been national reports that users of the popular app “have been robbed while playing the game.”

Perhaps, it’s best to remember that Pokeman Go is just a game–that bus heading toward you while you look for pokemon is not.

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Russ Roberts

Hawaii News Digest