The smartphone game, which blends real locations with the famous Japanese cartoon characters, is now played by 40 million people across the globe, and the craze has spread to Jersey.
Using GPS location tracking and smartphone cameras, the game, which was developed by Nintendo, allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures known as Pokémon, who appear on device screens at real-world locations.
The game can be played individually or in teams with friends and it has quickly became one of the most used smartphone apps in the world, surpassing the previous record held by Candy Crush Saga in the United States and on Sunday three teams of Islanders – red team Valour, blue team Mystic and yellow team Instinct – battled to take control of the ‘Pokémon Gym’ in the centre of Howard Davis Park in a capture-the-flag-style contest.
Organiser Ed Peck (30) of Jersey eSports, which arranges digital gaming events, said that he was ‘really surprised’ at how competitive the event was.
Find out more about the Pokémon Go phenomenon in Monday’s JEP.
