We're a week past the chart-topping U.S. debut of Niantic's augmented-reality mobile game Pokémon Go, and the game now seems to have grown into a bit of a public phenomenon.
Most notably, it's spurred police departments across the U.S. to issue safety warnings to people playing the game in public and garnered attention from politicians, business owners, celebrities and thieves.
While it's yet unclear how long the game will maintain this level of public interest, what is clear is that many, many people have an affinity for Pokémon -- and that likely accounts for why this free-to-play, location-based AR game has taken off in a way that none of its predecessors did.
In an effort to help devs better understand the broad impact of Niantic's latest game, we've taken the liberty of rounding up interesting quotes about Niantic's latest game from notable folks around the world.
"For the city, it is not easy to promote what the government restricts. But it is a great help for the city's tourism because media continues to report about Sokcho and game manias are promoting Sokcho."
- Lee Se-Moon, an official with the tourism department of South Korean city Sokchu. According to the Associated Press, people can play Pokémon Go in the city even though the game isn't currently available in South Korea, and that has driven a surge in tourism.
"I think at the end of the day the goal is to get as many people through the door and interested in the apartment, and ultimately, if there's a 'Pokémon' obsessed person out there who also likes this home, then we want them here, and this is the best way to attract them."
- Real estate agent Jay Glazer explaining why he's now including phrases like "I'm fairly certain there is a Pikachu at this open house, don't miss it" in his real estate listings.
"Playing the game is not appropriate in the museum, which is a memorial to the victims of Nazism. We are trying to find out if we can get the museum excluded from the game."
- Andrew Hollinger, communication director for the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., speaking to the Washington Post about how the museum is trying to discourage Pokémon Go players from visiting the grounds specifically to play the game.
"I don't, but people are playing it. No question about it. I do not -- I wish I had time."
- U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, speaking to the Washington Examiner about whether or not he's playing Pokémon Go.
"We’re finding that there are thousands of people coming to the National Mall, to play this game, to collect Pokémon, and we know they’re going all over the place — which is great, they’re coming to the park and they’re experiencing that."
- National Mall and Memorial Parks representative Paul Ollig, speaking to Buzzfeed News about how the U.S. National Park Service aims to launch ranger-led park tours that will incorporate time for participants to stop and play Pokémon Go.
"People born in the 1980s and ’90s, they grew up with this. It’s approachable and reassuring and that’s why it’s gone from zero to millions of users in just a few days. I see McDonald’s, Home Depot, national brands playing into the culture."
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