Players walk around real-life neighborhoods to hunt down virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens. The Nintendo game has become an instant hit just one week after its launch.
Last night, a teenager in Australia broke an arm after a tree branch fell on her while she was hunting for Pokemon in Brisbane's Botanic Gardens.
The Queensland Ambulance Service said she was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition about 9.30pm.
Spanish police issued guidelines earlier this week on how to safely use augmented-reality video games, including reminders that users are in "the real world" and must be aware of obstacles such as traffic lights and cars.
They were issued after two Japanese tourists were rescued from a motorway tunnel in Barcelona on Saturday, where they had wandered in search of Pokemon characters, according to Spanish media.
Police warned players that the use of GPS technology for the game means users' location is visible to others, potentially making them vulnerable to muggings or theft, as well as signalling when they are not at home.
Across the United States, players have been drawn down dark alleys and into dangerous neighborhoods in search of the imaginary creatures, only to be targeted by criminals.
The police manual warns players not be distracted by the excitement of catching rare Pokemon characters and to remember their safety is paramount.
Pokemon Go became available in Spain on July 15, following its release in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom the previous week.
The game has been a runaway success, boosting Nintendo's market share by $US17 billion ($NZ24 billion) in just over a week.
- AAP and Reuters
