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IF YOU’VE wondered why countless people have been wandering around the streets of Tamworth with their faces glued to their phones, you probably haven’t heard of Pokemon Go.
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The new smart phone app, Pokemon Go, is an interactive, reality game which encourages people to get outside, and hunt for characters from the anime series Pokemon.
Bicentennial Park is a happy hunting ground for Tamworth’s Pokemon trainers and yesterday The Leader literally bumped into the town’s keenest gamers.
The game uses the phone’s GPS and camera technology to give the impression of “wild” Pokemon appearing in the user’s real world.
Pokemon Go - Out and about on a mobile
KIDS and adults alike have been swept up by the Pokemon Go craze, which saw Bicentennial Park become the epicentre of action on Monday.
The Leader spotted dozens of people strolling through the Tamworth park, with eyes transfixed on their phones, on the hunt for their next Pokemon catch.
The Browns from Brisbane were visiting Tamworth and were spotted taking in the sights through their phones.
The parents and the kids were equally enthralled by the app and admitted it had given them an opportunity to explore the city.
“It gets you away from the console and out into the real world,” father Phil Brown said.
“We wouldn’t have come out to the park if we didn’t have it.”
Mother Kate Jefferay said the game had enthralled the whole family and the interactive, augmented reality aspect was like nothing she had seen.
“It’s nice that it’s something that we can all play,” Ms Jefferay said.
“We usually have no screen time after school for the kids, so this is a bit of a treat,” she said.
The kids, Anouk and Ozzy, were keen to catch more Pokemon on their way home to Brisbane, but their father was sceptical about how many Pokemon would be hiding in Guyra.
Local lads Daniel Lee and Mitchell Parker have already started a Facebook page for Tamworth’s Pokemon hunters to swap hotspots and arrange get togethers.
The page has already attracted about 400 likes and the pair agreed there was a very social aspect behind the app’s meteoric rise, which was just released last Wednesday.
“A lot of people haven’t seen a game like this that takes people out into the real world,” Mr Parker said.
“And a lot of people would’ve enjoyed Pokemon as children.”
While the people playing the app appear to be totally absorbed, Mr Lee said it was more social than it looked.