Pokémon Go turns a walk into a game map

Pokémon Go arrived today on iPhone and Android in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The free game places familiar creatures on a map built around the player’s physical location and encourages travel on foot to find them.

Landmarks become PokéStops that provide supplies or Gyms where teams compete. The camera can place a creature over a live view of the surroundings, while optional in-app purchases sell items and an accessory can signal nearby activity.

The game gives augmented reality a simple public demonstration: the important illusion comes from shared geography as much as from the camera view. Parks and streets may become meeting places for players who would otherwise remain indoors. That scale also creates immediate questions about battery use, mobile data, trespassing and paying attention near roads.