Shortly after the introduction of Pokémon Go, Canada’s armed forces noticed a peculiar trend. Canadian civilians claiming to be chasing pocket monsters were showing up inside the country’s military bases, memorials, museums, and even cemeteries. Officials responded to the influx of civilians with a mixture of alarm and bemusement while struggling to understand the game and its fans.
Pokémon Go was released three years ago for iOS and Android. The game, based on the Japanese Pokémon anime franchise, used augmented reality to encourage fans to chase down Pokémon monsters and locate Pokéstop and Pokégym locations around the world. The imaginary creatures and places were superimposed over actual places worldwide, leading players on wild chases—often to places they’d never been to before. Distracted players were also the victims or cause of accidents, and even deaths due to the game were reported.
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