The most awaited smartphone application 'Pokemon Go' has brought many countries in a frenzy as users could now 'Catch 'em all' while going through their usual commute and other activities. So far, the application is working in the United States, New Zealand and Australia but some users have been able to get the app through their foreign Apple ID accounts or through the APK of the app for Android phones.
In China, users can also get the application by switching their reginal settings. Others have even purchased it through Taobao and other mini-markets where users can buy foreign Apple IDs for only $0.04. Given the popularity of the game, the game developers have blocked out GPS signals in areas the game should not be out yet, leaving users to say that they should go abroad to play it. Some users have already invented hacks to play the game immediately despite the GPS block with the help of third-party sites.
Since there is no word yet regarding the availability of Pokemon Go for other countries, Chinese users are actually ok with it because there is an alternative way to play it in some sense through the Chinese version of the application.
The name of the game is City Elves Go and it is currently the most downloaded free app in the Chinese Apple App Store. The game was launched in March 2016 by Shenzhen developer Tanyu Mobi and currently has 1 million daily users. The app also has the same elements as Pokemon Go which starts with a professor saying the history of the world and the three monsters you can use as a starter. The game is said to be location-based, allowing users to locate their elves in various areas around them.
While there are some lapses with regards to the gameplay and orientation of this game, developers have said they did not "consider any factors from Pokemon Go" even if one of their art designers is a big fan of Pokemon. Analysts suggested that Pokemon Go may not gain popularity in the country unless the game is localized to compete against the popularity of City Elves Go.
