The Primary Warning of Pokémon Go

Quite a few Pokémon games have notices of some kind, including the main series games, for which I wrote about one nearly two years ago. Another one would be Pokémon Go, with another particularly well-known one. The only thing is that this notice is not so much a notice (at least, one that is purely informational), but a warning, something to be truly heeded. Anyone who plays the game will surely recognize this warning, and it goes like this, as the English version:

"Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings."

This warning notice is the piece of text that is seen when the game loads, after the splash logos and login if necessary. It is more or less the one thing that hasn't changed on the loading screen, aside from the image in the background. It appears just above the progress bar in the lower portion of the screen, often as two lines of text. Though the warning itself hasn't changed, the size of the text seems to have, from quite large to somewhat smaller. But the warning itself remains important.

For one thing, all the things that Pokémon Go says not to do while playing can be derived from this warning. The "no trespassing" rule can be regarded as more or less being based on the second clause, while "no play while driving" is based on the first, and "no entry into dangerous areas" is based on both. Recently, Pokémon Go also added the positive rule of "be courteous of local communities", which can be regarded as another inference of the second clause. Based on these alone, the warning remains important.

With the current situation of the world, this warning can be considered to be even more important. One has to remain alert and aware, especially with a global health crisis present. Even if there is no particular emphasis, it should be heeded regardless, even with play shifting to the home. Still, at least one post on the official Pokémon Go blog has cited the warning in brief, in part highlighting it as an emphasis. As with the positive rule above, this indicates the sense that the warning continues to be important.

Notices like the previous smaller one or this one as a more significant warning make up only a small part of the game. However, behind their small stature, they can and do have major implications; this warning in particular extends to specifics and appears rather pertinent to what is going on today. In this case, they become something more to note or keep in mind - they become something that compels players to take action, preferably to improve gameplay in a manner that is worthy of respecting them.

One year ago: Local EX Raid (and Nothing), 4/4/2019
Two years ago: Gambling Not Permitted
Three years ago: One Thing