Nintendo gadget could spell the end for 'Pokemon Go' accidents

“Pokemon Go” accidents could soon be on the decline with the launch of Nintendo Inc.’s new Pokemon Go Plus, a wearable device that allows users to keep their eyes fixed on the real world.

Cashing in on the craze for the “Pokemon Go” smartphone app, Nintendo will start selling the gadget in Japan on Sept. 16.

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, which manages the Pokemon brand, said on Sept. 8 that the device, priced at 3,500 yen ($34) in Japan without tax, will be marketed in the United States and European countries almost simultaneously.

Nintendo is hoping that the release of the new type of game machine will help prevent the fatalities and injuries that have been linked to "Pokemon Go" after the game became a social problem.

Although the initial fever has subsided somewhat, “Pokemon Go” is still going strong.

It has been played in more than 100 countries and regions, according to Niantic Inc., the game’s developer.

In the past eight weeks alone, the app has been downloaded more than 500 million times. The total distance covered by users while playing the game is equal to 4.6 billion kilometers, the distance between the Earth and Pluto.

Pokemon Go Plus is a small device that can be worn around the arm.

It will vibrate and display a blinking light to notify the wearer of a Pokemon appearing nearby.

Pokemon can be caught by simply pressing a button.

Children can play “Pokemon Go” with their parents by linking their devices with the latter’s smartphones.

Pokemon Go Plus is available at the Pokemon Center, a specialist store for Pokemon goods across the country, Amazon.com and other outlets.

（The Asahi Shimbun）