Couches everywhere are being deserted as people take to the streets, phones in hand, to find Pokemon.
Since the release of “Pokemon Go” on July 6, more than 15 million smartphone users have downloaded the free app for a game in which players capture digital creatures that appear to be part of the real world.
The game, originally released in Australia and New Zealand, is available from the Apple Store and Google Play. It launched in Germany Wednesday and started to spread through Europe.
In recent numbers released from Sensor Tower, people are spending more time hunting Pokemon than they are on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.
The phenomenon has hit Tucson hard.
Hoards of people have been reported out at night — and during the day — hunting Pokemon.
A Facebook group, Pokemon Go: Tucson, Arizona, has more than 1,500 members. The page is used as a sounding board for the best spots to find Pokemon, questions on playing the game and more.
On a recent night, a crowd of 300 group members met at Reid Park, looking for the creatures.
Separate Facebook pages have been created for different teams.
And there’s even a public event for singles ages 18 and over posted on Facebook: Pokemon Go Singles 18+ (Tucson). They’ll meet at 6 p.m. July 22 at the Rose Garden at Reid Park.
“Meet your possible soul mate and go on an adventure to catch them all,” the event page reads.
The Children’s Museum Tucson posted on Facebook that it is a “Pokestop,” which is a place to get “Pokeballs” in the game. Players can look around the property, but can’t go in without paying admission.
The craze has even prompted safety warnings from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Facebook “to stay aware of your surroundings while playing, and please don’t play while driving.”
Tucson businesses, such as the newly opened Autobahn Indoor Speedway, downtown, are also in on the action.
“Most of our employees are gamers too, so when the game took the world by storm this week, we embraced PokeMania by offering players a fun, safe way to connect the game to karting with a discount on races when players show their trainer profiles at the front desk,” said Sean Maher, the raceway’s marketing director. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive on social media and inside each of our PokeBahn locations.”
