Indian Pokemon Go fans resist ban on game, say accusations 'baseless'

Mumbai: Indian Pokemon Go fans expressed their discontent over the prohibition of the game, pointing out that it has drawbacks but not enough to disallow it.

A Bangalore-based research analyst and Pokemon Go fan, Sayantan Baidya, 26, said banning the game is not necessary and it does not pose any serious threat.

He mentioned, however, that people should be more careful while playing the game and developers need to churn an algorithm which limits operating area of the game, preferably to parks and similar spaces.

He said, “It’s a great recreational game and banning it is rather unnecessary. Players should be more conscious and developers could tweak the game to make it safer and away from private properties.”

On the contrary, governments all around the world have been rooting to put a stop to the Pokemon Go menace, citing incidents such as deaths, petty crimes, and road accidents. Some individuals even went to say that the game was a threat to national security.

‘Idiotic allegations’

On Friday, Iran became the first country to ban the augmented-reality game. A Fatwa has been passed in India too, ruling the game as a threat and asking for an imminent ban on it.

Technology enthusiast and entrepreneur Blaise Crowly felt that allegations made against the game are ‘baseless’.

“The fears associated with Pokemon are mostly a product of paranoia of bad technical advisors in government, who see advancements in technology as a threat,” he said.

He felt that the demand for banning the game was similar to how some countries deemed television as an agenda-driven system to brainwash people during its early years.

“Increasing accidents and other incidents can be controlled with certain regulations. For instance, India could start charging drivers for negligent driving if they are found to be playing Pokemon Go and driving,” Crowly added.

Further strengthening the point, tech blogger Salman SH said that banning the game is utterly immature. The game offers an ambit of good activities such as exploring new locations and mingling with new people, albeit the various privacy threats, he added.

Though there are certain issues related to the game, he felt that certain steps can be taken by the governments and the developers to make it safer for fans.

“I think the developers should have thought about it in the first place. For solving privacy problems, the app could ask to verify user with a govt photo ID. To stop with addiction, they could have added time limits,” he added.

A 26-year-old Bangalore-based entertainment correspondent Shubhang Sinha, who is a fervent fan of the game, explained that considering “video-games as dangerous to society” is stupid.

He held a similar stance regarding Pokemon Go and felt that it solely depends on how an individual plays the game. As mentioned earlier, he too felt that people playing the game carelessly should be warned.

“The game is brilliant and if any government thinks that banning it will resolve the issue, such decision can only be laughed at,” he added.