Chinese gamers despair as Pokemon Go launched in Hong Kong

Have you ever been so close to something that you could almost taste it, yet you weren’t allowed to enjoy it? China’s mobile gamers are feeling like that – like they’ve got their noses pressed against the window of the candy shop – after Pokemon Go’s recent release on Hong Kong. Now two of the mainland’s closest neighbors are enjoying the world’s hottest mobile game, while there’s still no word on a release date for China.

See: Why China is probably never getting Pokemon Go

Unsurprisingly, the news of the Hong Kong launch has been widely covered in China, and internet users have greeted it with mostly with a sort of enthusiastic jealously. “Come on,” wrote one Sina Tech commenter who followed his comment with two crying emojis. “I’m dying waiting,” wrote a Tencent commenter. Numerous commenters suggested they were now planning trips to Shanghai to get some Pokemon catching in.

Some see it as a hopeful sign. “If Hong Kong has been launched, can a mainland China launch be far off?” wondered a Sina commenter. But numerous others have pointed out that the answer is probably yes. “Well, the game requires Google maps, so…” wrote another commenter, suggesting that the game will never be available since Google Maps is blocked in China.

“I strongly recommend banning this game; it will leak military secrets”

The Chinese internet being what it is, there’s also plenty of sarcastic humor. “This is great news!” wrote a Sina commenter. “Ten years from now when Google comes back, then we’ll be able to play it.” “I’m looking forward to its launch in the Great Celestial Kingdom,” wrote another commenter who followed his words with crying emoji. (“Celestial Kingdom” is a term for China that Chinese internet users invoke when they want to mock or sarcastically complain about China’s restrictive internet environment.)

See: Why Chinese gamers are ‘ruining’ Pokemon Go in Japan

Of course, there are also a few commenters who have exactly the opposite opinion, and are hoping that mainland China bans the game outright. “I strongly recommend banning this game; it will leak military secrets,” wrote a Tencent commenter. Other commenters called him an idiot, but several other commenters also agreed.

Overall, though, the mood seems to be eagerness mixed with sadness. That’s a familiar feeling for Chinese fans of international games; they have plenty of experience waiting for cool-looking games that will never make it to China.