‘Pokémon Go’ Craze Reaches US Marines; National Park Service Offers Helps To Pokémon Hunters

The popularity of Nintendo's augmented reality game "Pokémon Go" has reached staggering levels in just a span of few days. The craze isn't limited to normal citizens only; even members of the Armed Forces are hopping onto the "Pokémon Go" bandwagon.

On Tuesday, the official Twitter account of the U.S. Marines shared a photo featuring Pikachu standing in front of two members of the military. The picture comes with a snapshot that reads: "Get off the firing line, Pikachu! That's a safety violation!" Check it out below.

Get off the firing line, Pikachu! That's a safety violation! pic.twitter.com/WilmXFBHlf

— U.S. Marines (@USMC) July 11, 2016

National Park Service Lends Help

Park rangers at Washington, D.C.'s National Malls and Memorial Parks, meanwhile, are offering to help hunters catch the virtual Pokémons instead of allowing them to frolic unattended all over the place. BuzzFeed's Chris Geidner pointed out that the park rangers' guidance will be able to transform the "Pokémon Go" experience into an educational one.

For instance, rangers can tell a particular monument's history to a Pokémon hunter while he/she hunts for the virtual creatures in the park. Aside from that reason, rangers are also there to prevent "Pokémon Go" players from entering forbidden areas in the park.

Warnings And Precautions Issued

"Pokémon Go" players are also milling about in New York City sidewalks and popular attractions like Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral, The New York Times reported. Pokémon hunters in the city have grown in numbers that they are often bumping into each other while on the quest for stray Pokémons.

"Pokémon Go" has been praised for forcing people to go outside, walk around, and unconsciously get some exercise. Despite this, the "Pokémon Go" app still warns users to stay alert of their surroundings and to be vigilant every time they are outside.

The 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side of Manhattan went to Twitter to warn "Pokémon Go" players as well. In the tweet, they are forbidding users to catch Pokémons while driving.

Pokémon Company International and Niantic Inc. encouraged "Pokémon Go" users to play with their friends when heading to unfamiliar locations, Reuters reported. The warnings came after a series of news reports about accidents and robberies related to playing the game.

"Pokémon Go" is currently the top-earning app in the iTunes App Store, Entertainment Weekly wrote. The game uses augmented reality technology, GPS mapping, and a smartphone camera to integrate real-world surroundings into the game's levels. Through their phones, users can throw a Pokeball to a stray Pokémon and catch them.