This Week in Pokémon Go News

[inkstone]

Happy Friday, trainers!

• The main highlight from the past week was the launch of Pokémon Go in 15 countries across Asia and Oceana! Please allow your mod a moment of selfishness and let me especially welcome my kaibigan from the Philippines. Mabuhay! (full list of countries)

• Niantic has begun removing PokeStops and gyms from some locations--specifically the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Which, to be fair, probably should never have had any of those virtual landmarks added in the first place. (source)

• Japanese prefectures hard hit by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami have formed a collaboration with Niantic to use Pokémon Go to promote tourism by adding PokeStops and gyms to sitesighting spots. (source)

• A Fresno City College is offering physical education class specializing in PokeGo. (source)

Any bits of news from your neck of the woods?

Comments

[kittydesade]

I have committed stats nerdery upon the community?

[senmut]

Sadly our local FB group has had to crack down on call-out posts against cheaters. Glad I don't do gyms, because apparently there's been a rash of accusations of cheating surrounding them.

There's supposed to be a PokeWalk organizing next month; haven't seen much about it lately.

And there is this wonderful, silly rush that comes from reading posts on the group that are basically "I am here; come help me take this gym" or "Hey, 'X' keeps spawning here, come catch them!" and people answering that they are on their way. People who were strangers two months ago!

[recessional]

I am so glad I am not on facebook, I think taking the whole thing that seriously would make my head explode.

[inkstone]

I mean, there are cheaters in the game but they're very obvious and unlikely to be hanging out on FB so callout posts are kind of silly, LOL.

[recessional]

I finally got my gd Persian. XD Now I can only complain about not having enough Vulpixes in the area for a Nine-tail, and the UTTER AND UPSETTING LACK OF CHARMANDER-TYPES to let me level up my baby. *SAD*

[storme]

This area is also dry of Charmanders and it makes me very very sad.

[recessional]

I have managed to hatch one (1) other than my starter, and I have hatched A LOT OF EGGS OK.

*sulk*

[storme]

Yesterday one -- the only one I've seen in the wild -- spawned a few minutes after I had walked away from a spawn-heavy area to find a bathroom; my wife (bless her soul) texted me immediately and I ran back to catch it. Pokemon Go vs dignity, one point to PG.

[inkstone]

If I knew then what I know now, I totally would have picked Charmander as my starter. I see Bulbasaur regularly, Squirtle often enough (the starter I picked & Pikachu occasionally. I have yet to see a Charmander in the wild!

And we've already covered my luck with 2km eggs.

[recessional]

I have actually yet to see any Bulbasaurs! But yeah I see Pikachus around and I already have a Wartortle of my own.

There was no other choice for me though. *solemn* "Small thing with FIRE. Coincidentally when fully grown is A FUCKING DRAGON and much cooler looking than the actual called-dragon pokemon."

(Fire and dragons are a . . . . THING for me. XD Indeed I am continually irked that regardless of the setting, the team or house or whatever I am most accurately described as is always blue and air or water associated, and the red and the fire always go somewhere else. SIGH.)

[moxieweed]

This was a pretty cute news article: http://www.king5.com/mb/news/local/pokemon-go-saves-struggling-business/291816887

Pokemon Go saved a small town's ice cream shop run by ill veteran that was on the verge of closing. The video is especially good; he's so happy!