Game daze: Pokémon Go has stirred local headaches since debuting

Anatolia is quiet today, free of the hundreds of Pokémon Go fiends who clogged the Rancho Cordova suburb’s streets last month hunting a rare character: Dratini, which evolves into Dragonite, one of the strongest Pokémon in a popular game that has led to everything from fender benders to armed robberies in the Sacramento area.

Since it was released July 6, Pokémon Go has become a mobile gaming phenomenon by turning regular reality into a colorful arena where fantastical creatures can be sought out. But because players must scan their mobile devices as they navigate the physical world, they’ve become easy bait for criminals and the cause of avoidable accidents.

On July 22, two Pokémon Go players were robbed at gunpoint while sitting in a car at an Elk Grove park around 1:15 a.m. A couple of days earlier, a distracted player walked into the window of Midtown’s Crepeville, cracking it. And for two weeks last month, Anatolia became such a draw that the Rancho Cordova Police Department was flooded with complaints about increased traffic, distracted driving and late-night gatherings.

Anatolia resident Aaron Combs says he was walking with a friend one Saturday morning, and counted “about 77 cars” being driven by people whose eyes were glued to their phones. “In total, I’ve seen some 1,000 cars come through here,” he said. “I’ve never called the police in my life. Since Pokémon Go, I’ve called four or five times. The drivers block driveways, crowd the streets and hang around parks all hours of the evening. I have three kids and I didn’t let them outside while this was going on.”

According to an email from assistant police chief Lt. Kate Adams, officers “issued citations and educated Pokémon [Go] users on the frustrations of the community and applicable vehicle code violations.”

“A total of 56 citations have been written,” she added.

Noah Powell, administrator of a Pokémon Go Facebook group in Sacramento and a local musician, bemoaned the traffic and litter some gamers were causing. “I’m amazed at what’s happened,” he said. “You know, we still need to play our part in society and respect where we go, even if it’s not our own home.”

As of July 29, Dratini was no longer hiding out in Anatolia.

Game developer Niantic has made updates that seem to coincide with community complaints about how Pokémon Go has inconvenienced those caught up in its appeal. No longer do Pokémon “nests” remain in certain areas for long periods of time. Instead, both common and rare Pokémon move from location to location, forcing players to move with them.

That has helped nongamers. But has that hurt the game’s popularity? The Sacramento Bee reported last week that the multitudes who spent weeks chasing Pokémon through Old Sacramento were now virtually gone.

Powell remains a fan. “It’s bringing people together, getting people outside, creating new friendships with people—there’s an inherent social element to Pokémon Go,” he said. “I know people who have lost weight because of Pokémon Go.”