Viet Nam News
Nguyen Thuy Linh
After much anticipation, Pokemon Go officially launched in Viet Nam on August 6.
The mobile game has encouraged crowds of youths to loiter around sidewalks, roads, and other public spaces. According to GameK, the largest gaming website in Viet Nam, the most densely populated area is Ho Tay lake, which houses 50 pokestops and 17 gyms.
A PokeStop is a place in real life such as a monument, art installment, or historical site marked by a blue tower on the map where Poke Balls and other goodies can be obtained. PokeStops in Ha Noi range from the Friendship Cultural Palace on Tran Hung Dao Street, to an obscure red and blue statue titled “Red and Blue” in Ciputra International City.
“I did not think I would walk so much because of this hot weather, but [the app] indicates I’ve walked 5 kilometers,” states Nguyen Thanh. “I think I will finally be able to shed some weight and the best thing is that I do not feel tired.”
Thanh turned 28 last month, and claims that this is the first time he has walked around Hoan Kiem lake— despite living in Ha Noi his whole life.
The augmented reality game claims to offer an unparalleled gaming experience of “capturing 3D monsters with futuristic augmented reality which makes it feel like they’re actually there” (Niantic). The game developers created the game with the hope that it would promote exercise, motivate social activity, and encourage exploration of key landmarks.
“I would agree that this game is a form of social activity, although I admit that we don’t talk much when a Pokemon shows up” says an unidentified, 16-year-old student. “I cannot tell you my name, because my parents think I am elsewhere.”
However, not everyone is excited with what the Niantic game has to offer.
“I have witnessed so many young adults stopping in the middle of the road, risking their lives with their eyes stuck to their phones” says Phuong Hang, an English teacher at the Foreign Trade University. “I recently learned that they are playing Pokemon Go.”
“At midnight last night, my family was asleep, and a young lady rung my doorbell asking to come into my house to catch a Pokemon. I could not believe what I was seeing, and I told her that I could not allow it” says Ha My Trang, a 37-year-old working mother of two children.
The game has inspired new social habits— many of which are interfering with the daily lives of citizens and proving to be dangerous.
“I was driving and I honked at the [Pokemon gamers] to keep moving, but they did not even notice. I had to go over and tell them to move,” continues Trang, discussing the incident that happened two days ago.
Phuong Hang continues, “It is okay to play responsibly. However, if you are trying to catch Pokemon while driving, that’s unacceptable. Doing so puts your life and the lives of others in grave danger.” — VNS