In Basel, it’s the Pokémon that are on the hunt

Basel Tourism, the tourism agency of the northwestern Swiss city, has pulled off a publicity stunt inspired by the popular Pokémon Go game. A short video clip featuring “people-hunting Pokémon” garnered around 20 million views overnight. The GPS-aided game – created through a collaboration between Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and former Google subsidiary Niantic Labs – has been available for download in Switzerland for just three weeks. It has been a success in the country with servers crashing and thousands playing, especially in the cities. No official download figures are available for Switzerland, but worldwide, the figure has reached over 75 million.  Part of the game’s allure lies in its scavenger-hunt-like reward system, as well as the blending of virtual and real worlds. It also brings with it a dose of nostalgia, with the goal being the “capture” of the cute Japanese characters.  However, Basel Tourism has turned the Pokémon Go game on its head by ...