‘Pokemon Go’ Now Officially Available in Japan

The phenomenal game Pokemon Go in which players can capture and train virtual creatures has finally reached Japan, the home of many animated series and characters.

After the game’s successful release in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other European countries, the hit online game finally launched in Japan, the land where the Pokemon was first born.

According to GameSpot, Pokemon Go is in partnership with McDonald’s and around 3,000 fast food outlets will be turned into Pokemon gyms where players can capture, train and battle their Pokemon. The company’s spokesperson already claimed that players will not bother customers who are eating.

Excited Japanese players immediately downloaded the app, though authorities have announced warnings and safety guidelines to avoid accidents while capturing Pokemon. Japanese authorities warned players against using their phones while walking and against searching Pokemon in dangerous areas. Players must be aware of heat stroke and must avoid playing while driving or crossing roads.

In a tweet through which the announcement was released, developer Niantic thanked fans for patiently waiting for the game to be launched.

As published in The Japan Times, the reason the game was not released earlier in the country is due to its server capacity. John Hanke, the head of Niantic in the US said that they had to wait until they are certain that the game’s server will not crash due to the massive surge in traffic.

Now that Pokemon Go has finally launched in Japan, players can now step outside and search for the virtual creatures. The game craze is expected to increase its revenue as access is made available worldwide. It set a record of more than 30 million downloads in just two weeks and 10 million downloads in a span of seven days beating the mobile strategy game Clash Royale and the puzzle game Candy Crush Saga.