A Hollywood twist in an LA Times blink of an eye
How much of my reality should be augmented?
Are ‘they’ near me? A Pokemon Hub — a Gym? a Pokestop?
The “Pokemon Go” magic overlays a Pokemon world atop your real world. Are you ready?
Step outside and you’ll spot cartoonish creatures to capture. Head to a place where people congregate and you’ll battle other players — or encounter the rarest of beasts.
How do I play?
Don’t walk off a cliff or into a hospital, or cross a street w/o looking both ways
“When people are being directed by the gameplay to enter inappropriate or dangerous places, there are a whole host of different questions that need to be addressed whether or not the gameplay is to blame,” said Darren Cahr, an intellectual property attorney from Chicago. “No one really knows how far people are going to push this.”
Niantic launched the app without giving locations the ability to opt out. That hasn’t stopped many establishments, including UC Irvine Medical Center, from contacting the company asking to be left out. (UC Irvine Medical Center says it has not heard back from Niantic, and Niantic declined to comment for this story).
Some tech experts predict Niantic will create a feature that allows establishments to opt out (though that could raise its own questions: Which requests coming from affected establishments are valid?)
But because of the game’s massive success, some question whether those changes will come soon.
Now that “Pokemon Go” is, by some estimates, the biggest-ever mobile game in the U.S., the San Francisco company has lots on its plate.
Boosters of augmented reality predict more apps to use the technology in the coming years. The success of “Pokemon Go” suggests they’ll have a captive audience — and the potential for real-world friction.
“Its just the beginning,” Cahr said. “Five years from now, 10 years from now, people are going to look back at this as quaint and will be amazed at far these things have really gone.”
Read More:
HQ Overrun By Disruptive Pokemon Go Creatures
WILSON, Wyo. — A glitch in the Pokemon Go app Wednesday caused TGR’s world headquarters to be overrun by playful — but violent — cartoon creatures, leading many to worry about production delays and an ensuing social media blackout. TGR employees trapped inside the building were reportedly “hanging in there,” but said they were “running out of pokeballs fast” and needed food, water and Red Bull energy drinks airdropped on the besieged compound.
Once word spread that the media house had suffered an infestation, local and regional Pokemon hunters descended upon the location, snarling roads and backing up nearby Teton Pass all the way into Idaho. One anonymous TGR athlete who turned to Poke-hunting after the onslaught said it’s “like a war zone!” referring to Wilson, Wyoming. “I just saw a cute little Charmander go full Charzard and FUCKING DESTROY Pearl Street Bagels!”
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