Pokemon GO-es live in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: While young Malaysians have jumped on the Pokemon GO bandwagon, many still prefer to stay indoors to indulge in the game.

The viral augmented reality mo­bile game, which requires players to walk around outside to catch virtual pets, has finally gone live in Malaysia after its release in the United States last month.

The game is particularly popular with people in their 20s, many who grew up with the videogame or the TV show based on it.

They can now finally pursue their childhood dream of being Pokemon trainers.

Fresh graduate Mohd Mustaqeem Anuar, 26, said he woke up early to play the game after hearing that it would be launched yesterday.

He said he rode around his neighbourhood in Ampang on motorcycle to look for Pokemon and ma­naged to catch 30 by noon.

Pokemon GO requires players to walk around to find the virtual pets and locations called PokeStops which will reward players with gifts and PokeGyms where players can challenge each other.

“Usually the PokeStops will be at buildings or parks, but you don’t have to enter the buildings. It’s enough to be on location,” he said.

Lee Ming Han, 26, who works as a software engineer, said the wait was worth it.

“I’m now having the urge to take a week’s leave just to play it,” he added.

University student, Chong Jun Jie, 20, said he found out about Pokemon GO going live when he went to campus in the morning.

“I was surprised that my university area had several Pokestops and Pokemon gyms. Coming to class will never be boring again,” he said.

International Islamic University Malaysia student Nizam Hosen, 24, said he had looked forward to playing the game as it was very popular in other countries.

“Now I’m a happy Pokemon trainer,” he said.

Teacher Ting Chee Han, 31, lamented about the availability of the app, saying he hoped his students could focus in class.

“International news reported several Pokemon GO-related injuries. We need to educate our children so that they know how to play responsibly, so that they don’t get hurt while playing the game,” he cautioned.

Banking executive Tan Li Hoon, 25, was happy that the Pokemon app was “for real” this time as it was removed after several hours the last few times.

“We can now enjoy the game fully!” said Tan.

A check by The Star found many people playing the game while walking around malls.

Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with postings about the game yesterday.

One Twitter user vowed to conquer all the PokeGyms in Kuala Lumpur while another, Melissa Boudville, posted: “Pokemon GO is out in Malaysia. I went out of my house, bought data and started riding around my area on my bike.”

However, there were the unlucky ones who found that their devices were incompatible with the game.

“I’m so sad that the game isn’t compatible with my phone,” said student Wan Eizzul Zulkifli, 23, adding that it could be an issue for phones with low specifications or low quality cameras.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission urged the people to put safety first while playing the popular game, warning Malaysians that the game could turn “harmful” if safety measures were overlooked.

“Players should be alert of their surroundings, follow common rules and local sensitivities,” it said in a statement yesterday.