As hugely popular mobile game Pokemon Go struggles to get into China, a local knockoff may already be beating it off the punch.
Dubbed "City Spirit Go", the Chinese-made mobile game follows the same basic concept as Pokemon Go of locating and catching virtual creatures via its location-based game system. However, unlike the latter, which uses augmented reality technology to "put" the Pokemon into a real-world environment, the latter instead uses a cartoon map to display its creatures, the Global Times reported.
City Spirit Go is said to be currently the top downloaded free game in the Chinese iOS store since its launch in March, several weeks after Pokemon Go's developers Nintendo and Niantic began the game's beta test in Japan. It is also said to be enjoying similar popularity in the Android app market.
According to virtual reality expert She Shuanglin, the vacuum made by the long delay for the release of Pokemon Go in China contributed to the growing popularity of its clone.
Nintendo and Niantic have yet to give a formal announcement as to whether Pokemon Go would indeed be available in China. The two companies are reportedly having a hard time working for its release in the country due to new rules on game publication.
Under regulations promulgated by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television, mobile game publishers need to first seek approval from authorities to be allowed to release their titles. Pokemon Go's publishers are also required to partner with a local distributor to be allowed.
To further compound the problem, the game uses Google's Maps service, which is blocked in China, to create its in-game locations.
However, many Chinese Pokemon fans said that they still want to play the game and will not opt for copycats, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some have even gone to great lengths to have the chance to play the game, including using unauthorized third party distributors to download the and utilizing virtual GPS to create the maps.
China is considered as the most valuable mobile game market globally, generating $7 billion worth of revenues in 2015.