Forbidden: Pokémon No?
The global obsession with Pokémon Go has prompted numerous complaints from administrations of memorial sites
Pokémon Go often uses historic landmarks as Pokéstops or Gyms. PHOTO: AFP
PARIS:
The global obsession with Pokémon Go has prompted numerous complaints from administrations of memorial sites, saying it is disrespectful to play there, to countries imposing blanket bans on the smartphone game.
But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for those hunting the cartoon monsters?
Places that have expressed irritation at Pokémon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites. The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan’s Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors trying to catch Pikachus, instead of contemplating the weight of history.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game. The Iranian ban came days after Pokémon Go’s release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations.
In Saudi Arabia, a top clerical body re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa, saying the game is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is anti-Islamic.
With other sites, there is a warning that playing could actually be life-threatening. In Bosnia, people have been warned not to risk entering areas littered with mines from the 1990s war, just because a much-coveted Pokémon may be lurking there.
Much of the game’s appeal lies in the way the Pokémon pop up around you, overlaid on a phone’s camera images. The game also encourages players to explore by making them visit landmarks designated as Pokéstops and Gyms. These could be anything from the local grocery store to a major tourist attraction like the Taj Mahal. At Pokéstops, players can collect the tools they need to catch the critters while at Gyms, they can fight them against each other.
In both cases, the locations are designated by the game’s California-based designer Niantic. The company used data from an earlier game called Ingress, wherein players walked around the streets capturing locations on a GPS map. Niantic grew its original list of landmarks with extra suggestions from players.
So, a Pokémon can appear on your smartphone screen at any time, in any place. The game’s algorithm places the monsters more or less at random, although you are more likely to find different types of Pokémon in different locations. Fish-type Pokémon, for example, can often be found near lakes or rivers. There’s no need to be right on top of a Pokémon to catch it – the system allows for a capture within a several-meter radius.
Declaring a place a no-go zone depends on whether it is a Pokéstop, a Gym or simply somewhere the little critters have been popping up. It is possible to ask Niantic for a location to be removed as a Pokéstop or Gym. The developer cannot remove them from the game instantly, but each update of the app sees sites added and removed. The most recent update saw the Hiroshima and Berlin Holocaust memorials disappear as Pokémon landmarks.
But it’s a lot more complicated to stop the monsters from popping up at a site that ought to be banned. That would require a modification of the game’s algorithm – a complex process that presents a headache for the developers. The Pokémon Company – the Japanese firm which manages the hugely popular brand – says Niantic is working on improving the algorithm.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2016.
The global obsession with Pokémon Go has prompted numerous complaints from administrations of memorial sites, saying it is disrespectful to play there, to countries imposing blanket bans on the smartphone game.
But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for those hunting the cartoon monsters?
Places that have expressed irritation at Pokémon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites. The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan’s Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors trying to catch Pikachus, instead of contemplating the weight of history.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game. The Iranian ban came days after Pokémon Go’s release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations.
In Saudi Arabia, a top clerical body re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa, saying the game is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is anti-Islamic.
With other sites, there is a warning that playing could actually be life-threatening. In Bosnia, people have been warned not to risk entering areas littered with mines from the 1990s war, just because a much-coveted Pokémon may be lurking there.
Much of the game’s appeal lies in the way the Pokémon pop up around you, overlaid on a phone’s camera images. The game also encourages players to explore by making them visit landmarks designated as Pokéstops and Gyms. These could be anything from the local grocery store to a major tourist attraction like the Taj Mahal. At Pokéstops, players can collect the tools they need to catch the critters while at Gyms, they can fight them against each other.
In both cases, the locations are designated by the game’s California-based designer Niantic. The company used data from an earlier game called Ingress, wherein players walked around the streets capturing locations on a GPS map. Niantic grew its original list of landmarks with extra suggestions from players.
So, a Pokémon can appear on your smartphone screen at any time, in any place. The game’s algorithm places the monsters more or less at random, although you are more likely to find different types of Pokémon in different locations. Fish-type Pokémon, for example, can often be found near lakes or rivers. There’s no need to be right on top of a Pokémon to catch it – the system allows for a capture within a several-meter radius.
Declaring a place a no-go zone depends on whether it is a Pokéstop, a Gym or simply somewhere the little critters have been popping up. It is possible to ask Niantic for a location to be removed as a Pokéstop or Gym. The developer cannot remove them from the game instantly, but each update of the app sees sites added and removed. The most recent update saw the Hiroshima and Berlin Holocaust memorials disappear as Pokémon landmarks.
But it’s a lot more complicated to stop the monsters from popping up at a site that ought to be banned. That would require a modification of the game’s algorithm – a complex process that presents a headache for the developers. The Pokémon Company – the Japanese firm which manages the hugely popular brand – says Niantic is working on improving the algorithm.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2016.