Is Somerset going mad for Pokémon Go?

But if you haven’t got a Pika-clue what is happening, let DANIELLE MORRIS explain...

MOVE over Angry Birds, ‘cause there’s a new game in town, and judging by the number of downloads, it’s here to stay.

As a nineties kid, app game Pokémon Go, which combines Augmented Reality with one of Nintendo’s all time most popular games, is a thrilling concept.

It combines some of the basic concepts of playing Pokémon (the aim is still to “Catch ‘em all”), with the modern technology of GPS to get users out and about.

Pokémon Go started out life as just Pokémon – a Game Boy game, which was then also turned into a successful trading card game, TV show and film.

As technology advanced, so did the game, and it’s still one of the more popular titles available for Nintendo devices including the Nintendo DS.

But this year, in a bid to keep up with the ever growing popularity of app games, Niantic, a Google start-up that became independent in 2015, created Pokémon Go with Nintendo.

So how do you play?

Firstly you’ll need to download the game from the App or Google Play Store.

You’ll customise your character before meeting Professor Willow, who gives you a Poké Ball to catch Pokémon in... and away you go.

As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon.

Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it.

With different Pokémon appearing in different areas, the game actually requires you to move around your neighbourhood and beyond in a bid to get ahead.

It uses a Google Maps-style interface which tracks where you go, so to become the best trainer around, you have to move.

And if you want to prove your worth as a trainer, you’ll have to rock up to the gyms in your area – and we’re not talking about the fitness kind.

In order to battle your Pokémon, landmarks are converted to ‘gyms’ where you can test your skills.

You’ll also occasionally pick up eggs which require you to walk a certain distance for them to hatch into Pokémon.

In spite of numerous controversies, the game is making an estimated $1.6 million (£1.2 million) a day from iPhone users in the US alone, and Nintendo’s shares have more than doubled since the game was launched.

In the first half an hour of it officially launching in the UK, the app was downloaded by over half a million people.

Health experts have also praised the game for getting people out and about; it is estimated that players spend an average of 43 minutes a day on the game.

But it’s not all been plain sailing – hackers PoodleCorp shut down the servers over the weekend, and they’ve threatened to do it again on August 1.

August 1st #PoodleCorp #PokemonGo

— PoodleCorp (@PoodleCorp) July 18, 2016

There have also been warnings and advice from police forces across the country about making sure people stay safe while playing the game.

Earlier this week, Gloucestershire Police released audio of a woman calling them on 999 to report that a Pokémon had been stolen, and three students reported having their phone stolen in a park in Manchester while using the app.

The NSPCC has also expressed safety concerns over the game.

The game allows players to buy a “lure module” to attract Pokémon – which as a result will also lure in other players.

In a statement, the children’s charity said: “It’s deeply troubling that the app’s owners have ignored many warning signals and well documented child safety concerns.

“It would have been better if they had taken time to reflect on these and put their young users first. It’s very disappointing that child safety isn’t at its heart.”

Before the app had been launched in the UK, the charity urged developers to hold it back because “basic safety standards appear to have been overlooked”.

A spokesperson from game creators Niantic said: “We take player safety seriously and want everybody to have a fantastic time exploring while safely playing Pokémon Go.

“We encourage all people to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends or family, especially when you’re exploring unfamiliar places.

“Please remember to be safe and alert at all times, don’t drive and play, abide by local laws, and respect the locations you visit and people you meet during your exploration.”

But there’s been plenty of good news around the app too.

South Yorkshire Police praised a group of players who came across a burglary at an industrial estate in Doncaster on Sunday and alerted the force.

And an animal shelter in the USA put out an advert asking avid Pokémon trainers to rack up their steps by helping walk dogs for them.

Poké​mon's newest fan:

Gazette editor Paul Jones

NOT since my youth, when I spent many an hour building theme parks or fighting bad guys on my Spectrum or Amiga computer, have I been genuinely interested in gaming.

During the intervening years I have watched as craze after craze sweeps the globe; from Candy Crush to Fifa, Angry Birds to Assassin’s Creed.

But I have never truly invested, only occasionally having a go to see what all the fuss was about.

That was until last week.

After hearing about the huge excitement surrounding Pokémon Go, I installed it on my phone in the name of ‘research’ as, clearly, readers will be interested in this app which allows you to catch various little creatures outside.

The technology (called ‘augmented reality’ apparently) is stunning, as with so many games these days, so at the risk of showing my age, that alone makes the game somewhat compelling.

But I have, in the days since downloading the game, found myself reaching for my phone as I walk to and from work or scour the supermarket, just to see if there is a Squirtle lurking in the dessert aisle...

I don’t profess to fully understand what I am doing, but I am now thoroughly ‘invested’ in Pokémon Go.

And judging by the number of people I see wondering the streets, phone before them, I am not alone.

So long as it is done safely and played by people of appropriate ages, what’s the problem?

Come on, join us and catch ‘em all.

Sticking to snap:

Chief reporter Phil Hill

I CAST an eye over the soles of my shoes and did a quick sniff test to check that I hadn’t stepped in anything awful on my way home from work last Friday.

Normally my homeward trudge following a long, hard week in the office involves smiling and wishing a good weekend to the same people I’d greeted with a good morning or good evening every day on my commute to work.

But last Friday was different.

I was my usual polite self, but I got not a single mutter or nod from the people I’ve almost come to consider as friends over the years.

The reason?

They were all trying to capture some chap called Pokémon on their modern phones, several of them almost bumping into me, others looking as though they might end up head butting a passing car.

I just don’t get it.

Children maybe, but fully grown adults whooping and jumping with delight as they shout, “Got it”, oblivious to anything happening around them.

Give me a good game of Snap any day.

I wouldn’t even be averse to playing Snap with some of those Pokémon characters instead of the traditional pictures.

My message to Pokémon addicts is snap out of it.

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