"Pokémon Go" fever is on hold in Iran after the country officially banned the GPS/augmented reality (AR) smartphone game. The Middle Eastern nation's High Council of Virtual Spaces that observes online activity banned the smash-hit game. It claimed that the mobile game caused security issues, which could involve Pokemon Go fans walking onto private property in the middle of the night while looking for the pocket monsters.
It is also possible that Iran wants to end the "Pokémon effect". It involves up to hundreds of people hanging out at real-world places for several hours.
There have also been some cases of Pokémon players being robbed or attacked while near Pokestops. That is where the players can collect Poke Balls and eggs to help them capture the little monsters.
Iran was already ruminating on the ban last month. However, government officials wanted to see if the nation could work with "Pokémon Go" creator and developer Niantic Labs, according to PC Magazine.
It is unclear what kind of restrictions Iran wanted the Google spin-off to add. It could have been limited hours of daily gaming, or geographic areas such as historic landmarks.
Iran already has strict rules on Internet use. However, in recent weeks Iranians have used social media to talk about their Pokémon Go games.
A top Saudi clergy member has also stated that a 16-year-old religious ruling on the Pokémon card game applies to the smartphone app. That is because the game includes "forbidden images" and breaks an Islamic gambling ban.
Iran is not the first ban of the "Pokémon Go" game. New York recently added Internet games to the list of parole violations for about 3,000 registered sex offenders. It mentioned the latest Pokemon game.
Indonesia has also banned police officers from playing the mobile game while on duty. Meanwhile, a French man was arrested last month after walking onto a top-secret military base while trying to catch Pokémon.
Singapore officials are also studying the effects of "Pokémon Go" including how it could affect everyday life in the Lion City.
Yaacob Ibrahim is Singapore's minister for communications and information. He shared in a recent interview with The Straits Times that it wants to observe how the game is being played and its societal effects.
In related news, "Pokémon Go" is now live in 15 more Asian countries, but not China or India, according to Tech Crunch. The nations online include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Here are Pokemon Go tips for advanced players: