Pokemon Go causes people to neglect their duties - UPM professor

A sociologist with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has recommended that Pokemon Go be banned in this country as it carries many negative implications.

Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran, a professor at the Faculty of Human Ecology, UPM, said Pokemon Go could cause one to become complacent.

"It causes people to neglect their daily duties," Mohammad warned, in the Bernama Radio programme 'Dalam Radar', last night.

He remarked, Pokemon Go players, especially the young generation, now prefer to play the game rather than to communicate with their family and friends, adding that the negative perception comes from the players' preoccupation in the hunt for the Pokemon characters.

Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game based on locations, developed by Niantic Incorporation of Nintendo USA, that was launched on July 6 has now reached the Malaysian market and more than 30 other countries since Aug 6.

It is a conventional 'hide and seek' game that requires players to find and fight virtual characters based on real-world locations that are detected through smartphones.