Have you caught on to the virtual gaming craze that has revived a beloved 1990s Nintendo game and nearly knocked Twitter off its pedestal?
If not, you'll likely be downloading and obsessing over "Pokemon Go" soon enough.
The former kids' gaming sensation was launched by Niantic as a mobile app for adults in early July in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
Even with limited release, information technology company SimilarWeb reports the app, by July 8, had been downloaded on 5.16 percent of all Android devices, surpassing the number of Android phones with the Tinder app.
Beyond that telling statistic, more than 60 percent of those who have downloaded the app are using it daily. That's a metric that puts Pokemon Go's engagement level neck and neck to Twitter's.
How and where to get into the action
In layman terms, "Pokemon Go" uses your phone’s GPS and clock to detect where and when you are in the game and make Pokémon appear around you (on your phone screen), so you can virtually catch them.
As you move around, varied Pokémon will appear depending on where you are and what time it is. The game encourages users to travel around the real world to catch Pokémon in the game. (A combo of the game and the real world interacting is known as "augmented reality.") Here's more on how "Pokemon Go" works.
Reddit users have provided an assist for those metro Atlantans wanting to scour every corner of town for "Pokemon Go" points by compiling a user-friendly Google map of about 200 Pokestops at gyms, offices and businesses across metro Atlanta.
On social media, Atlanta players have posted for the last several days about clocking serious mileage on their Fitbits capturing, battling, training and trading virtual Pokémon — which can look like everything from rats to enraged bats called Zubats.
Along with the craze and fanfare, the game has stirred some controversy after a teenage gamer crossed paths with a dead body and robbers lured victims through the free-and-play app.
As the app warns at the start of the game, "watch your surroundings" and be aware at all times while traipsing around town capturing virtual villains, Atlanta.
About the Author
