Pokémon Go Release Date in Hong Kong, Japan and India

By Mark Aserit
Pokemon Go
The augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo is shown on a smartphone screen in this photo illustration taken in Palm Springs, California U.S. July 11, 2016.  REUTERS/Sam Mircovich/Illustration

After Pokémon Go released on July 6, it became an instant hit to mobile users. From social media feeds to news reports, it seems like the game is all everyone could talk about. However, in other parts of the world, gamers have question: When is it going to be released in Hong Kong, Japan and India?

In Asian Countries, Pokémon's native country can now experience the smash hit mobile game on iOS and Android. The game's Japanese release was initially scheduled on July 26. However, Niantic postponed it due to server issues, according to Polygon. As a response to the delayed launching, Junichi Masuda, co-creator of the game, apologized to fans that patiently waited for the game.

Pokémon Go's Japanese release comes with a McDonalds sponsorship deal. Gamers should visit McDonald's stores where they can certainly catch wild Pokemons. The fast food restaurant has more than 3,000 shops across Japan. However, players are reminded "not to become a bother to customers who are eating," company's spokesman told in Reuters.

National Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity also issued warning to players. The organization said players should register with different name to avoid information hack. They also warned players to be careful while catching virtual monsters.

Players should follow the warnings so that they can play Pokémon Go on smartphones safely, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told in BBC.

In Hong Kong, on the other hand, South China Morning Post reported Niantic has installed servers around the country, but there's still no concrete release date yet.

Interestingly, Hong Kong-based mobile operators like CSL Mobile and 1010 Wan Chai expressed their support on Pokémon Go. The said mobile operators will offer subscribers free unlimited data once the game becomes available in Hong Kong.

Also, Hutchison Telecommunications is set to provide its customers three 30-minute sessions of free internet each day at any of its over 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots. This promo will help people access Pokémon Go around the country.

For Indian market, Pranay Parab of NDTV claims he played Pokémon Go for a few hours in India. He also stated he found wild Pokemons on the streets of Mumbai. However, due to poor internet connections, he was not able to access the game again.

As of now, India is not included in more than 30 countries that have Pokémon Go servers. Parab might have access the game illegally which Niantic prohibits.

Stay tuned with Gospel Herald for more update.

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