What is Pokemon GO and why is it taking the internet and mobile world by storm?

Know all about Pokemon GO and why has become an overnight internet and mobile world sensation.

Zee Media Bureau/Reema Sharma

New Delhi: Within less than a month of its launch, Nintendo's mobile game Pokemon GO has taken the internet, gaming and mobile world by storm.

Hundreds of game lovers are flocking to try out the new Pokemon GO smartphone game, raising hopes that Nintendo`s long-awaited shift into mobile gaming will pay off.

So if you were thinking about the game here's something that might interest you.

What is Pokemon GO?

PokemonGo is a game in which players search out and capture Pokemon characters and do battle with other Pokemon.

Players of the Pokemon GO can capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called “Pokemon”, appearing on device screens and is very similar to that of the real world.

The free-to-play game makes use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices. However, it also offers in-app purchases for power-ups and extra items.

Players, known as "trainers," download the Pokemon Go game to their smartphones. To progress in the game, they must walk around to find and catch Pokemon and access specific locations called Pokestops - where Pokeballs and other useful items are collected.

Why is it taking the internet gaming and mobile world by storm?

The wildly popular mobile app, which is based on a 1990s Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters.

Such was the craze of the game that in the United States, it saw the title shoot up to become the No. 1 free app in Apple Inc`s US iTunes store within a couple of days of its launch. In the US, by July 8 - two days after its release - it was installed on more than 5 percent of Android devices in the country.

What seems to have caught the fancy of gamers is perhaps the fact that the new game puts Pokemon in the real world by utilizing GPS location information and makes players chase down the virtual pocket monsters in their own vehicles.

The game has been released in the United States, Australia and New Zealand and is now on more Android phones than dating app Tinder and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter. The game is also being played an average of 43 minutes a day, more time spent than on WhatsApp or Instagram.