Police warn Pokemon Go players to remember real-world risks

Sergeant Mark Ribbink said police were anxious about the number of people criss-crossing the city playing Pokemon Go, a new smartphone game based on Nintendo characters like Squrtle and Pikachu.

The game uses GPS technology and layers gameplay onto the real world.

Players, or Pokemon trainers, are required to wander the streets in search of digital creatures.

Police were on the lookout for traffic incidents around Federation Square caused by gamers attempting to capture a new Pokemon rather than checking for traffic, Sergeant Ribbink said.

Hundreds of players converged on the square for an organised Pokemon party on Saturday.

"That was our concern, but no incidents were reported," he said.

Melburnians have taken to the streets en masse to play the game, which was launched in Australia on Thursday.

The mobile game is downloaded as an app and is based on the original Nintendo video game made popular in the 1990s when it was played on hand-held Game Boys. Players are known as Pokemon trainers. They catch and train fictional creatures, or Pokemon, which are then used to battle other trainers with.

In the latest incarnation, smartphone cameras capture the scene around the player as Pokemon characters appear on the screen.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the Pokemon Go phenomenon has been a noticeable presence on the city's streets since its launch in Australia last week.

He echoed the concerns of police for gamers to remain aware of their surroundings.

"It's really taken off but it's taken people's attention away from trams and traffic," he said.

"People are not watching out for cars, particularly along the city's narrow streets like Little Burke and Little Collins. I know Pokemon Go is very addictive but when you're looking at nothing but your mobile phone in a busy street, that puts you at risk."

Gamer James Zhu said he's noticed other players clearly engrossed in the game put themselves in harm's way.

"I haven't seen any accidents but I've seen some near misses," he said.

In the US, players have already begun reporting injuries as they wander the real world with their eyes glued to their phone screens in search of digital monsters.

Mike Schultz, a 21-year-old communications graduate on Long Island, New York, took a spill on his skateboard as he stared at his phone while cruising for critters early on Thursday.

He cut his hand on the footpath after hitting a big crack, and blames himself for going too slowly.

"I just wanted to be able to stop quickly if there were any Pokemon nearby to catch," he says."I don't think the company is really at fault."

Earlier in the week the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services issued a warning to budding Pokemon trainers to "look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street.

"That Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast," the post read. "Stay safe and catch 'em all!"

Posts in a popular Reddit thread reveal gamers have gone to great lengths to build their arsenal.

One poster says they caught the punt from Como Landing on the Yarra River in South Yarra to Herring Island, where they found several free Pokemon gifts.

Pokemon players have uploaded photos of creatures they have spotted in hospitals, toilets and in the bath.

However, the sheer number of Pokemon Go downloads has caused server issues, leaving many would-be players in the lurch.

Pokemon Go took to Twitter to urged players to remain patient while the company irons out its server issues.

A police spokeswoman said police were also becoming increasingly concerned about driver distraction, particularly people using their phones to play games.

"Driving is a complex task that requires full concentration, it is essential drivers minimise the risk of distraction in their vehicle," she said.

The fine for using a mobile phone while driving is $466 and four demerit points.

In the US state of Wyoming, CNN reported that one teenage gamer's pursuit of Pokemon creatures led him to discover a dead man's body in a river.

Despite the dangers, users have reported exercising more in their search for Pokemon.

Unlike many computer and hand-held games that require nimble fingers, Pokemon Go demands users venture into the real world to catch the virtual creatures.

Mother and son Jessica Lu and Adam Wang, of Doncaster, were traversing the city on Sunday in search of new Pokemon.

Ms Lu said the pair had walked more than five kilometres since downloading the game less than 24 hours ago.

"Instead of catching the tram, we decided to walk hoping we'd catch more," she said.

"It's very good exercise. We've walked five kilometres since 4pm yesterday, which is very rare for us."

With AP