'Pokemon Go' craze presents real life dangers, police say

MADISON, Wis. - A new mobile app that's becoming more popular than Twitter takes players on a real-world scavenger hunt, but police say the trouble is it's leading some users into dangerous situations.

For many users, "Pokemon Go" is a blast from the past but with a updated twist.

"It's full of my memories, when I was a kid," University of Wisconsin-Madison student Shyan Wei said.

Wei played the game in the '90s when it first came out, but now with "Pokemon Go," he can use his environment to find the characters he is so familiar with.

"I can get outside and say, 'Wow, there is a Pokemon close to you and when you go there...boom, it comes out and it's so easy,'" he said.

"Pokemon Go" uses players' environment to encourage them to find virtual characters. The game combines GPS and augmented reality so players can find Pokemon using a digital map and view the monsters blended into the real world using their phones. Characters can show up anywhere from university campuses and government buildings to appearing in the middle of the street.

The problem is, catching those cute characters can get dangerous if you're not paying attention to your surroundings.

"In the excitement of playing this game, judgment is flying a little bit out of the window. That's something that parents should be aware of, as much as it's great to see the kid running around the yard, make sure that they're focusing on real reality and not just the augmented reality," said Steve Noll, marketing professor at Madison College.

In St. Louis, four teens allegedly used the game to rob players by luring them to their location. Those who play the game have also reported being injured from running into buildings and other objects.

On the UW-Madison campus, players have had at least three close calls this past weekend.

"We want people to have a fun time but just don't walk in the middle of the street. We have had people biking in the street and using it who are weaving in and out of traffic; it's just not safe. We just don't want someone to get seriously hurt or even killed," UW-Madison Public Information Officer Marc Lovicott said.

The game has racked up around 2 million downloads and generated $1.6 million in revenue from in-app purchases daily. To win the game, Lovicott said it's important to stay in your own reality.

"No Pokemon character is worth getting hit by a vehicle, and that's what we are worried about," he said.

UW-Madison police said players need to be aware of their surroundings and use common sense. They say if gamers aren't careful, and create an accident from playing the game, they could face fines.