Pokemon craze takes over Qatar

In just a few days of its release, the location-based augmented reality mobile game Pokemon GO has whipped up a maddening frenzy far and wide across the globe, and Pokemon fans in Qatar are just as keen in joining the craze what with meet-ups and social media accounts dedicated to it.Making use of GPS and the camera of the user’s smartphone, Pokemon GO allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokemon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world. Released earlier this month for iOS and Android devices, the free-to-play game pulls the mobile gamer out into the real world, where Pokemon are up for grabs — or not really.Developed by Niantic and published by The Pokemon Company, the game makes clever use of augmented reality. So when you walk around a neighbourhood, your smartphone will vibrate if there’s a Pokemon nearby. That’s when you stop, take aim at it on your screen and throw a Poke Ball — if you aren’t alert, it might even get away.The premise of the game is that more than hundred species of Pokemon — from Venusaur and Charizard to Blastoise and Pikachu — have been discovered on Earth. The game compels you to step outside and capture the Pokemon on the loose.“You will join one of three teams and battle for the prestige and ownership of Gyms with your Pokemon at your side,” the synopsis of the game says, “Certain Pokemon appear near their native environment — look for Water-type Pokemon by lakes and oceans. Visit PokeStops, found at interesting places like museums, art installations, historical markers, and monuments, to stock up on Poke Balls and helpful items.”Here in Doha, Pokemon GO meet-ups are being planned thick and fast — there’s one this Thursday at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park. Carlo Yan, Founder of Snap TV and the popular Filipino community news mediahouse FilipiKnows, who is organising the meet-up, told Community, “This meet-up is for those who are interested in playing Pokemon GO and those who are already playing it using the cracked version. Since the game isn’t available yet here in Qatar, many people are curious about how to install it, use it and play it on their phones. The meet-up will answer all these questions and will help people get to know each other and kick-start this small but fast-growing community of Pokemon GO lovers.”Yan, too, is a fan. “Pokemon GO is an amazing experience,” he said, “The meet-up should be a lot of fun. There is no entry fee and it is open to all nationalities. We will start at 8 pm on Thursday at the entrance of MIA Park and we will be roaming around the vicinity, looking for Pokemons. We will also be shooting and broadcasting the event live on Snap TV.”Meanwhile, there is a Facebook page and a Twitter account — both @PokemonGOQatar — buzzing with the latest updates, discussions and excited user score posts. The talks range from complaints about the server being down to exchanges such as this: Question – Best pokestops in Wakra? Answer –Wakra is boring. Try Wakra Park. Good Pokemons there.Adnan Mohammmad Mujib, Electrical Engineering Student at CNA-Q, who is active on Qatar’s Pokemon GO social media pages, confesses to being addicted to the game. “I have been playing Pokemon GO for about a week and honestly I couldn’t be any happier,” Mujib said, “I used to watch Pokemon almost daily when I was in school, but now after about 10 years, I am catching different Pokemons and going out with my friends more often. Apart from catching various Pokemons, I am also getting to know about so many places in Qatar that I hadn’t been to yet. I am very excited for the official release so we can go for Pokewalks and meet new people. Team Mystic will take over Doha soon.”As you level up, you will be able to catch more-powerful Pokemon to complete your Pokedex, the game synopsis says. You can add to your collection by hatching Pokemon Eggs based on the distances you walk. “Help your Pokemon evolve by catching many of the same kind,” the synopsis says.While the game drives mobile users to explore outdoors like perhaps no other game before, due caution must be taken by Pokelovers as the game has already been causing several instances of driving accidents and public nuisance, at least in the US. Two men fell down a cliff in San Diego in their desperate quest to capture a Pokemon. But then, in the wise words of JRR Tolkien, not all those who wander are lost — a Pokemon-hunting teen in rural Wyoming accidentally discovered a dead man’s body in a river.