Amid a flurry of social media excitement, Niantic Labs, the software company behind the game, announced it was “finally broadcasting” in Japan. First released in the US, Australia and New Zealand on 6 July and now available in more than 30 countries, the game has been a global phenomenon. The Japanese launch comes with a McDonalds sponsorship deal. Fast food restaurants were expected to be advertised as places where people were guaranteed to find Pokemon, or as “gyms” where players can train up their captured monsters for virtual fights. But a McDonald’s spokesman said restaurants would “call on players not to become a bother to customers who are eating”.
