WHITHER, PIKACHU?
A few weeks ago we reported on the Pokémon GO craze invading the S.C. State House.
Now?
According to Eva Moore of The (Columbia, S.C.) Free Times, the wildly-popular augmented reality game has vanished from the downtown Columbia, S.C. government complex.
“The game appears to have wiped the State House off its map,” Moore noted.
Pokémon GO invites users “to find and catch more than a hundred species of Pokémon as you explore your surroundings.”
Basically, the game uses the GPS locator information on your smart phone to direct you to Pokémon characters in your vicinity.
“As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon,” the game’s website explains. “Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away!”
The game features “PokeStops,” which allow players to stock up on the tools they need to play the game. Many of these stops were located at public facilities – including government buildings, parks or historical sites.
According to Moore, all but one of the “PokeStops” on the State House grounds disappeared on Friday afternoon.
Game-players were not pleased …
“Say it isn’t so!!!” one told us.
Moore’s investigation has yet to produce any information on what happened to the game, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground along with her to see if an explanation is forthcoming.
UPDATE: Looks like S.C. governor Nikki Haley – a Pokémon GO player herself – is petitioning Niantic Labs, the company which runs the game, to restore “PokeStops” to the S.C. State House.
(Click to enlarge)
(Cap via Twitter)