A lot of tech-savvy Filipinos found themselves in a stupor as Pokemon Go was finally made available in the country yesterday morning.
The augmented reality game was released in other countries last July.
Filipinos are expected to roam the streets, parks, and other public spaces while gazing at their smartphones looking for Pokemons.
In the game, players use their device’s GPS capability to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokemon, who appear on the screen as if they were in the same real-world location as the player.
Pokemon is widely regarded as one of the biggest video game franchises, a series worth billions that is the brainchild of designer Satoshi Tajiri and concept artist Ken Sugimori.
Tajiri’s company, Game Freak, was responsible for the original games on the Nintendo Game Boy, and it has since expanded beyond Nintendo consoles. The newest offering comes by way of Niantic Inc., a subsidiary of Google.
Businesses and other less-traveled locations reported that they have gained more foot traffic, thanks to the game.
Most of these places have embraced the phenomenon by putting up creative signs that not only advertise their business but also the fact that it happens to be a Gym or PokeStop. (Charmaine Tadalan)
