Sports Editor
Ever since Pokémon Go was released on July 6, it has become the “biggest US mobile game ever.” Worldwide, Pokémon Go has more users than any other successful app such as Slitherio, Clash Royal, or even Candy Crush. Due to this popularity, Pokémon Go has led to many interesting and bizarre stories about individuals throughout the world.
In New Zealand, 24-year-old Tom Currie, a barista and bartender, quit his job to become a professional pokémon master, catching all pokémon available. According to The Guardian, Currie says “I wanted to have an adventure; I have been working for six years and I was desperate for a break. And Pokémon gave me the chance to live that dream.” Currie traveled to many new places and made new friends simply by becoming involved with the game. Though he is committed to Pokémon Go at the moment, he knows that he will not be able to make a living off catching them. When Currie returns from his travels, he will look to find job opportunities and begin to work on his own business.
As far as stories go, this may be the most interesting one of them all. In Encinitas, CA, in July, two men fell off a 50-90 foot cliff searching for a specific pokémon. The Fire Department had to come and assist one of the men who landed farther up the base of the cliff. The men suffered few injuries and fortunately were rescued safely. The game advises people to be careful while playing upon opening the app, and uses alerts such as “No trespassing” or “Do Not Cross” to rope in the riskier pokémon players. Apparently, the signs either did not apply to the two men, or they simply did not care to take the warnings into consideration.
In August, an olympic gymnast shares an interesting story about the game and his ordeals with Pokémon Go. Kohei Uchimura, a 27 year old Japanese gymnast and four time gold medalist, spent 5000 dollars unknowingly on the game. Coming into Brazil, Uchimura downloaded the app without knowing that his data plan would not support the expenses of the game. Because of his ignorance, he exceeded his limit of 500,000 yen. Once Uchimura took notice of his extensive bill, he did not know how to react. According to his teammate Kenzo Shirai, “He looked dead at the team meal that day.”
In all parts of the world, stories about Pokémon Go continue to entertain and inform people over what is going on. The app itself reveals many intriguing stories that worldwide prove to be of interest. Clearly, the game inspires people to go out of their way in order to try and catch them; however, it is debatable whether or not this game may actually be safe.
(Sources: CNN, The Guardian, BBC News, Survey Monkey Intelligence, Hypegram, Mashable)
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