Pokémon Go: The virtual game spilling into the real world

[The view in Pokémon Go from the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto / DipidyDip / Reddit]
BY: Trevor Koroll

Pokémon Go is a game that could change the world.

The ‘augmented reality’ iteration of the ‘90s staple has the virtual Poké-world spilling into the real one, and while the game isn’t officially available to download in Canada yet, that hasn’t stopped Canadians from trying to catch ‘em all.

The game has already rolled out in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, but it’ll be a bit longer before it comes north of the border. The servers that run the game have had trouble handling the traffic, reports Forbes, and the company behind the game, Niantic, is still working out the kinks.

Pokémon trainers have already sprung up all across Canada, and it may not be long before someone shows up in a neighbourhood near you attempting to catch the pocket monsters.

While gyms (arenas for players to compete against each other) in the game are usually near city landmarks, Pokémon could be anywhere. Some players have reported running down alleyways in pursuit of a virtual monster, or even taking a break from a night out to catch something.

For instance, Pokémon can pop up somewhere like Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto.

Or other unexpected places:

The virtual game is also having real world effects. Pokémon GO is reportedly positively impacting players’ mental health by giving them a chance to exercise.

And on the Pokémon Go subreddit for Toronto there are various ‘lure parties,’ where players meet up, talk shop and try to catch rare Pokémon. One of the most interesting side-effects of the game is that it is causing a lot of real-world interaction.

But not all interactions are positive. Police in Missouri say that four teens used the game to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies. And while it may seem obvious to not Pokémon-and-drive, some people still need reminders.

And as the game gets more popular, it could lead to more of this:

While the Pokémon G0 craze has only just begun to hit Canada, it’s important to know that the full extent of the madness may still be yet to come.