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It’s become so popular that even some telcos are getting into the fun, offering free unlimited data for Pokémon Go gamers
The slow march across Asia has begun for Nintendo’s Pokemon Go phenomenon, as today it was officially announced the game has launched in Hong Kong.
Even Telcos have gotten on board with the excitement generated by the augmented reality game as operators CSL and 1010 said they will offer customers free unlimited data to play the game, according to the South China Morning Post.
Today’s news makes Hong Kong the second location in the region to enjoy the official version of Pokémon Go, after the launch of the game last Friday in Japan.
Also Read: 2 industries that can repeat Pokemon Go’s augmented reality success
The main reason why the game has not been released across the board is because Niantic Inc. and Nintendo need to ensure they have servers in each given location that can handle in inevitable onslaught. For example, after 10 million people signed up for the game in Japan, servers struggled to handle the load and users experienced login issues.
#PokemonGO SERVER UPDATE: Following the recent Japanese release, players may experience login issues. We will provide updates when possible.
— Pokémon GO News (@PokemonGoNews) July 22, 2016
The Pokémon brand has had an interesting recent history in Hong Kong, as it became the target of local identity protests after it made a series of efforts to unify the translations for the Greater China launch of the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games.
For example, the renaming of Pikachu from 比卡超 (Bei-kaa-chyu in Cantonese) to皮卡丘 – (Pikaqiu in Mandarin) caused fans to express concerns about the loss of cultural identity — a talking point that has become an increasingly volatile subject in Hong Kong.
Also Read: Coming Home: Pokémon Go officially launches in Japan
Pokémon Go has become so popular that it has grabbed the attention of governments across Asia.
In Indonesia, where the game is playable despite not being launched, the government banned police and military from playing and issued a strong warning to civilians about it being a security threat — according to International Business Times those warnings have largely been ignored.
In Singapore, Minister of Communications and Information, Yacoob Ibrahim, said the government is going to monitor how the game is played in the city.
There is no official word yet about when the game will be released in other countries in Asia.
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