While the US loses its collective marbles over a virtual kingdom of imaginary creatures called “Pokemon GO,” most other parts of the world have been left to sit by and passively consume the spectacle. To date, Nintendo’s augmented reality phenomenon has only been made fully available the US and some parts of Europe, leaving cell phone enthusiasts all over Latin America and Asia in the lurch until the gaming giant finishes its global roll out.
So far the international response has been forceful, and even the mayor of Rio de Janeiro has weighed in on the uproar. Using his Facebook account, Eduardo Paes called out Nintendo and requested that the game be made available before the Olympics opening ceremony on August 5th. Of course, anyone who’s actually seen the mayhem “Pokemon GO” can cause knows that’s a terrible idea.
But Brazil’s outcry didn’t stop there, and recently a Facebooker named Joel Vieira lent his voice to the struggle when he published an impassioned and teary-eyed plea for “Pokemon GO.” With his status set at “Feeling Hopeful,” Vieira looks directly into the camera as he recites headline after headline of international Pokémon-related insanity, then laments: “I can’t know what is the real feeling of looking at a little animal on my phone, on top of the washing machine.” To boot, Vieira accuses Nintendo of “going against globalization,” which may be the only way to truly hurt a multinational corporation’s feelings.
Imagine the pain. But unfortunately for those of us who were so deeply moved by this pathetic display of global Poké-mania, it turns out Vieira was just interpreting an eccentric teenage character from his web series aNellysando. Luckily for Vieira, most Facebookers haven’t picked up on this small detail and his video has racked up 2.5 million views and over 11,000 abusive comments exhorting him to seek psychological help.
Be that as it may, it’s clear that Vieira has tapped into something deep and true with those crocodile tears. Let’s just hope Brazilians realize what they’re getting themselves into.