If we look at the stupendous rise of Pokémon Go in the U.S., we might have thought the mobile game would experience a similar meteoric ascent in the rest of the world. Nothing that good could surely not catch on, right? Nonetheless, the numbers right now are telling us Pokémon Go is pretty much a U.S. and U.K.-centric pastime, where it was initially released along with Australia and New Zealand. A month later it hits parts of South East Asia, but we might ask Pikachu hunters, where art thou on the streets of Manila? How come Bangkok’s smartphone addicted millions weren’t seen arriving en-masse at Pokéstops last weekend?

As this infographic demonstrates, the game has been breaking records in the U.S., and it is now attempting to win much of the rest of the world over. Although Pokémon Go real-time downloads, according to data from the AppInstitute, show us that globally the game is somewhat lagging behind in popularity compared to the U.S. and U.K. Real-time downloads right now in the latter countries far outweigh downloads in all the other 73 countries it is now available, including densely populated nations such as Indonesia, Brazil and the home of Pokémon, Japan.

The ‘herd-mentality’ backlash

Pokémon Go, presently dubbed not just a game but a phenomenon, has become a totem of what critics have said is indicative of the dumbing down of the human race, mass hysteria, and how easily exploited people can be. If you cast your mind back to Zynga’s Farmville there were similar indictments of that game relating to it being manipulative, an exercise in futility, but not nearly on the scale of the criticism aimed at the widely beloved Pokémon Go. One of the most popular shows on TV right now, Mr. Robot, frequently condemns such ‘herd mentality’. “We want to be sedated. Because it’s painful not to pretend,” says Mr. Robot’s protagonist hacker Eliot Alderson as he rants about the evils of consumerism. Pokémon Go is pretty much the exemplar of Alderson’s misgivings.

Widely shared image: ‘Control’ by Polish graphic artist Pawel Kuczynski

This backlash is not hidden in the shadows — internet memes depicting the addicted masses mindlessly playing Pokémon Go appear often, while for all the media sensation about the game there has also been a good bit of heady criticism. The game is a victim of its own success, and in spite of the virulence of Pokémon Go downloading, anti- Pokémon Go sentiment has also been busy going viral. The game may have caught on in the U.S. and the U.K., but as the rest of the world was/is waiting for it to arrive, they have had time to read countless counter opinions to how great the craze is.

In Japan the media has railed against Pokémon Go – in spite of millions of downloads – with the Japanese Times relating it to the “intellectual decline” of the Japanese people. As soon as it was released in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported players sounding not anywhere as near as infatuated as U.S. players, with one interviewee decrying it as boring and “just a way to make money” – which of course it verily is. Thai officials this week were reported as saying, “The phenomenon may not be a good fit for Thailand.” The reference here is political, as well as cultural.

The Indonesian government has been mulling over a Pokémon Go ban in schools, stating that the game makes children lazy and leaves children’s minds “damaged”. The bigger the game becomes, it seems the more it’s perceived as a threat to national security and sanity. Iran has enforced an outright ban citing “security concerns“.

Understanding your audience

If global domination is the objective then Pokémon Go’s first job will be to assuage these growing feelings of negativity relating to the above. Know your audience, address their concerns. Hubris never bodes well for any conqueror, and so Pokémon Go will have to evolve to placate its growing number of enemies. This is probably partly the reason Niantic is now looking to hire a Global Community Manager – this and the fact the game has dropped to a rating of 1.5 stars in the App Store due to recent changes.

Peggy Chen, CMO of SDL, a global content management and language solutions company, explained to SiliconANGLE  what steps Pokémon Go will need to take as it goes global: “As companies and organizations grow and expand, change is inevitable. The ability to clearly and effectively communicate these changes to both a company’s existing and potential audiences – across language, cultural and locational barriers – is pivotal for a company seeking to expand or establish a global presence.”

Is Pokémon Go aware, for instance, of various cultural traits in some Asian countries? That in Thailand people don’t generally walk in the street because of the heat, traffic, and in some part due to the fact the dreaded tan might be inflicted on their skin? Bipedal movement – getting off your ass –  in some countries, or what John Hanke, CEO of  Niantic, said is the game’s added incentive to exercise, in some countries will be exactly why it’s not popular. What makes it unique could also render it unwanted in some parts of the world.

Pokémon banned

Chen went on to explain that, “Global companies and even games or apps like Pokémon Go must have the ability to craft content that will resonate with local audiences, while staying true to the overarching global message. From the start, it must reach and impact people as individuals, with full attention paid to differences in languages, significances in cultures and sensitivities of locations.”

This will be of great importance for Pokémon Go in Asia where cultures could be highly sensitive towards the appearance of Pokémon. A mentally ill man was beaten to death in Thailand after he destroyed a Buddhist statue at a religious site a few years ago. If Pikachu starts popping up at temples, undermining the many grave televised speeches Thais are subjected to, or posing on stage with tetchy officials, what could follow is a blanket ban, or public sentiment leaning against the use of the game. Only last weekend the game was banned at polling stations, as Thailand voted on a new referendum. In Malaysia religious leaders just condemned the game, asking for a ban.

Pokémon Go could also prove to be a tool of rebellion in this sense, a modern piece of technology mostly used by the young, used to undermine oppressive rules imposed mostly by the older generation.

What this reflects is that Pokémon Go is not just a game, it’s an augmented reality experience that encroaches on real life. This is entirely unique, and the repercussions will be enumerable. In the U.S. and U.K. this may have caused some small problems, but as the game’s many monsters invade the rest of the world it will have to be very careful not to turn itself into some kind of interloping outlaw. Cultural strictures that exist in some countries, especially Asia, as well as the climate, and perhaps enshrouding all of this the growing anti-Pokémon sentiment, will likely mean we will not see the game take off anything like it did in the beginning. Pokémon Go is about to hit a lot of brick walls.

Photo credit: Pawel Kuczynski via Facebook, MIKI Yoshihito via Flickr