Pokemon Go craze affects Google Map Maker work

Google Map Maker Việt Nam representative Lê Bách has asked Pokemon Go players to stop creating virtual places in Google maps to catch Pokemon, Youth (Tuổi trẻ) online newspaper reported.

Google Map Maker Việt Nam representative Lê Bách has asked Pokemon Go players to stop creating virtual places in Google maps to catch Pokemon, Youth (Tuổi trẻ) online newspaper reported.

Pokemon Go players have been asked to stop creating virtual places in Google maps to catch Pokemon.—Photo Google Map Maker Việt Nam
Pokemon Go players have been asked to stop creating virtual places in Google maps to catch Pokemon.—Photo Google Map Maker Việt Nam

Creation of virtual places would disturb the location of real places such as schools, hospitals or public works and reduce the accuracy of Google Map data, he said.

Bách said over the past two days, the Google Map Maker Việt Nam team had to reject thousands of requests from Pokemon Go players for the approval of new locations.

The team has 15 members and each rejected about 2,000 new-location requests from Pokemon Go players.

On average, two to three new locations per second were pending for approval with Google Map Maker, according to Bách.

It made work come to nearly a standstill at Google Map Maker Việt Nam because of the overload of requests for new locations over the past two days, he said.

Pokemon Go, the highest-grossing game on iOS and Android, was initially released in selected countries in July and launched in Việt Nam on August 6. The game allows players using a mobile device’s GPS system to locate, capture, battle and train virtual creatures called Pokemon that appear on the screen as if they are in the same real-world location as the player.

The game has attracted millions of players across the world.

Other news