It's the crazy megahit app that everyone is going mad about and everyone is talking about. As far as we know, people are spending an average of 43 minutes daily using the app, which is more than Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat and Messenger. "Pokémon Go" is going neck and neck with Twitter on daily usage and is likely to have more daily active users than any other social network.
On the day of its release, it was installed on 5.16 percent of all Android devices in the US. It doesn't seem like that much, but consider that this app is officially downloaded on more US Android phones than Tinder.
It's shocking for me to see the number of fans increasing while playing this app. For those who don't know how to play it or what the game is about — The gameplay concept is very simple; create your avatar and with it catch any Pokémon using Google Maps. It's very simple, right? So, people go around the streets with their phones, and they look like they are taking selfies, but really, they are catching Pokémon.
As with any sensation, it has come with stories that make it to the news. Some of them are weird; others are fresh, and some make you just want to cry. So here are just my top five stories of “Pokémon Go” that have gone viral:
1. Phone Thieves
Well, it is not a surprise that phones are getting stolen, and the way the thieves did it is not new either. Every time criminals see a new fad taking over the nation, they do what they can to benefit from it. The latest one happened in Hulme, Manchester on Friday night just a few hours after the Greater Manchester Police had warned about the potential danger of using the app.
2. Pokémon Go Servers Crash
People have been ranting on social media about the servers crashing when they are using the app. Niantic is the company behind Pokémon Go, and since their game became an instant hit, it means that they have struggled to keep up from the start from the start with the demands of their user base — which only keep growing.
Image Credit: Jordan Novet/VentureBear
3. Man Shoots At Teens Playing Pokémon Go
The story is not only crazy, but it's shocking. A 37-year-old man shot at two teenagers who were just playing the app. According to officials, a man was sleeping in his Palm Coast area home at about 1:30 a.m. when a loud noise woke him up. The man looked outside and spotted a white car parked on the road by his home. He grabbed his handgun and went outside to investigate. The man thought the teenagers were there to break into his house, so he opened fired at them.
4. Pokémon Go Players Create A Stampede Through NYC Central Park
What is so unique about this story? Well, a massive number of Pokémon Go players rushed through NYC’s Central Park on Thursday, July 14, after spotting a rare Pokémon, and there is a video of the incident that went viral. Hundreds of people were crossing the streets just to find a Pokémon.
A crowd gathers to locate a rare Pokemon in New York City's Central Park. Credit: Vimeo
And finally, the craziest story...
5. A Girl Finds A Dead Body While Playing Pokémon Go
Shayla Wiggins, 19 from Wyoming, told the news outlet County 10 she found a dead body while she was playing Pokémon Go. The man was lying face down in the river near her Riverton, Wyo. According to the Sheriff's department, "No evidence at this time would indicate foul play. Evidence located at the scene has led investigators to believe the man went into the water at the location he was found.”
