Concerned about state and personal security, the Chinese media censor has barred the launch of Pokémon Go in the country and has banned clones from being released too. According to a report by Reuters, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television claims that such games could put people's lives and property at risk and may even threaten national security.
While such grandiose statements are no surprise from the country that banned games consoles until a few years ago, but allowed PC gaming to flourish, there is some bearing for its concerns. We have seen a number of people injure themselves or trespass because of Pokémon Go in other countries and giving everyone accurate mapping of certain parts of the country could reveal certain things it wants to keep from the populace.
Not that these are good reasons to stop a game being available, but they are reasons nonetheless.
Something to consider however is that countries like China blend laxer road rules, with incredibly dense populations in major cities. There is certainly the potential for major stampedes of people as they attempt to capture certain Pokémon.
It will be interesting to see if Niantic makes an effort to get the game running in China, or whether it will simply ignore the territory. It certainly has plenty more to worry about.
Source: Eduardo Woo/Flickr