Korean startup clones Pokemon Go – but for little kids

If Pokemon Go hasn’t gotten us all killed by then, we’ll soon see a clone of the smash-hit Nintendo game from a Korean startup. It’ll feature a cartoony penguin character called Pororo that’s pretty popular in the country – this is him:

The augmented reality (AR) game, Pororo Go, will be launched next month, the startup said this week. Pokemon Go is not yet available in South Korea – or in any Asian nation.

“While Pokemon Go is an AR game aimed at entertaining adults, Pororo Go will become an educational AR game meant for children,” said Park Soo-wang, CEO of SocialNetwork, reports the Korea Herald.

“As the game is meant for children under elementary school age, we will stay mindful of the potential concerns and side effects that may emerge from the game,” he added.

Mind your Pokemanners

Pokemon Go has raised safety and privacy concerns. Some players have failed to look where they’re going or trespassed on private property as they hot-footed in pursuit of Pokeman characters. Two men playing the game last week had to be rescued after falling off a 90-foot cliff in California, says local media.

The Korean gaming company has already licensed the Pororo character, which first appeared on Korean TV in 2003, and used it in its Sketchpop app, which is free on iOS and Android.

After the success of Pokemon Go, which has doubled Nintendo’s market value since its launch earlier this month, many more companies are likely to produce games and apps that feature AR.

See more on Pokemon Go:

• Why China is probably never getting Pokemon Go
• The top game in China right now is a Pokemon Go clone
• Pokemon Go still isn’t out in Japan – and it’s driving people crazy
• From skeptic to addict: my first 24 hours of Pokemon Go
• 5 things I don’t get about Pokemon Go