Pokemon Go: What the fuss is all about

All you need to know about the game that has seen 7.5 mn downloads and taken the world by storm

Mobile gaming app, ‘Pokemon Go’, has created ripples globally with its record downloads, as users get a first-hand experience of augmented reality technology.   

The game has already seen around 7.5 million downloads in the US and has earned the distinction of being the biggest mobile game in the country’s history. Analysts say that it surpassed installations of Tinder on people’s phones, which was considered to be one of the most popular apps globally. 

However, Pokemon Go has also had its share of controversies with users raising security issues. While the creator and experts have played down these threats, users were spooked by some permissions and incidents that were reported. 

Business Standard tells you all that you need to know about the game and the security threats. 

1) What the game is all about?

- Pokemon Go uses your phone’s location, GPS and clock in order to decide which Pokemon will appear in the game. Players can catch creatures that appear to be hovering moving around their locality in the real world. Advancing in the game involves collecting items such as “Poké Balls” which are needed to catch monsters, and can be found at “PokéStops.” Players use captured creatures to fight other players at “gyms,” a report in the Wall Street Journal States. 

-  The game is set to give all its users a first taste into the future utilities of augmented-reality technology. 

2) Popularity

- It is an instant hit with the audience with over 7.5 million downloads in the US. In fact, nearly 5% of Android users in the US have downloaded the game. 

3) Controversies

- A few days ago, reports emerged that the game was seeking full access into your Google account, which could let it access all details in your Google account like email, photos, cloud drives etc. 

- The developer admitted to have "erroneously" requested full access permission to users' Google accounts on iOS. Meanwhile, Google on its part altered the security permissions granted in the game. 

"Pokémon GO only accesses basic Google profile information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected. Once we became aware of this error, we began working on a client-side fix to request permission for only basic Google profile information, in line with the data that we actually access.  Google has verified that no other information has been received or accessed by Pokémon GO or Niantic. Google will soon reduce Pokémon GO’s permission to only the basic profile data that Pokémon GO needs, and users do not need to take any actions themselves," the developer said in a statement.  

- Apart from these, users also seem to be facing the threat of hurting themselves while exploring these creatures. The areas shown in the game, where users can generally collect these Pokemons, have sometimes been unsafe. Players could be in danger while searching as they constantly will be staring at a smartphone screen. 

- The game also throws light on how technologies like augmented reality need to be handled. People need to be guided on how to use them in everyday life, the Wall Street Journal report adds. 

4) Defending stance

- While Niantic, the game's developer, blocks creatures from locations like airport runways, roadways, water bodies, etc. its CEO John Hanke says that the game keeps warning players to be aware of their surroundings. “We rely on our users to use the same common sense they would to go out for a walk or bike ride,” Mr. Hanke told Wall Street Journal.