'Pokemon GO' Update: Alleged Koffing Sighting In Gas Chamber Exhibit Sparks Controversy [VIDEO]
Pokémon GO is undoubtedly the year's most popular mobile game to date, with the augmented reality title now approaching upwards of 15 million users. With millions of players traveling from one real-world location to another in an attempt to "catch them all," it is quite unsurprising that some controversies about the game have arisen.
Among the rather questionable aspects of the game in its current iteration involves the real-world Pokestops, places where trainers can capture Pokémon, acquire in-game items and battle each other. Unfortunately, a number of these Pokestops have been deemed questionable and downright unacceptable by many.
Considering that Pokestops usually correspond to notable real-world locations, it is no surprise that some areas such as cemeteries, monuments and museums would be tagged as Pokestops. When these monuments, cemeteries and museums deal with sensitive topics, however, some might have a problem.
One of the most notable complaints was from the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., which was unfortunately tagged as a Pokestop in the game. Dealing with the very sensitive topic of the casualties of the Nazi genocide in World War II, the Museum administration has requested players of the game to not play the title within the museum grounds.
Apart from this, an alleged sighting of Koffing, a Pokemon which releases poison gas to fight, inside the gas chamber exhibits in the museum, has sparked a certain degree of outrage. Considering the nature of the Pokémon and the location it was found in, many found the incident in very poor taste.
Communications director at the Holocaust Museum Andrew Hollinger has explained the Museum's stance on Pokémon GO and its players.
"We feel playing Pokémon Go in a memorial dedicated to the victims of Nazism is inappropriate. We encourage visitors to use their phones to share and engage with Museum content while here. Technology can be an important learning tool, but this game falls outside of our educational and memorial mission. We are looking into how the Museum can be removed from it," he said.
Niantic has not released a statement about the questionable Pokestops in the game as of writing.
