A man holds up his phone as he plays the Pokemon Go game on July 13, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. The augmented reality app requires players to look for Pokemon in their immediate surroundings with the use of GPS and internet services turning the whole w (Photo : Getty Images/Robert Cianflone)
The newly-launched augmented reality (AR) mobile game has become a phenomenon since its release. Now, a report says that incredibly high demand for the game has crashed the app's servers in Australia on Tuesday, resulting in safety and trespassing warnings from the local police.
Since the release of the game last week, it has turned out to a huge hit with players the United States, Australia and New Zealand. As of now, the game has been downloaded over five million times on the Android Google Play app store, besides topping Apple's app charts, AFP reported.
On Sunday, a Pokemon "walk" in Sydney witnessed several thousands gamers descend on the iconic harbor. They chased virtual cartoon character monsters around the Opera House and Botanical Gardens with their mobile phones.
The Western Australia Police have received several reports of Pokemon around the state. "Rest assured - we're gonna catch 'em all!" the police said on Facebook, utilizing the game's tagline. At the same time, the police have warned that collecting Pokemon is not a legal defense against a charge of trespass. Hence, one needs to be sure that they have permission to enter an area or building.
Users in Sydney and Melbourne, where "Pokemon" has been trending high on Twitter, complained about crashed servers. One user posted "Twitter = moral support group for when #pokemongo server goes down." Another user wrote finally the world has got something that will help people to unite. According to the user, the #PokemonGo server being down is a collective trauma.
Meanwhile, a new report said on Wednesday that "Pokemon Go" poses a great data security threat to users as the app gets "full access" to their Google account. This allows the gaming company to read all emails. For some iPhone users, signing into the game with the most convenient option, using the Google account, the gaming company to read their emails, Trend Micro, a security software company, reported.
Aside from other risks this game, it exposes players of physical risks to actual life and limb. The report further warned that while a player is enjoying the game, he may be exposed to many threats, thereby introducing entire new categories of life risks.
"Pokemon Go" is real-world gameplay has been associated with armed robberies as criminals have used the game to locate and lure intended targets. Moreover, there are reports of trespassing as passionate players strive to "find" and "capture" creatures on others' property. Gamers trespassing on others' property face a real threat of physical harm from property owners in the United States, who may use force to protect their property, the report added.
Watch police sending warnings to "Pokemon Go" players below:
