$3,000,000,000 worth Pokemon GO once became the reason for over 150,000 traffic accidents in the United States

Nintendo and Niantic's Pokemon GO is one of the most renowned smartphone games in the history of the medium. In fact, its unparalleled popularity has made it one of the highest-grossing mobile titles of all time. This is, in no small part, thanks to its user-friendly gameplay that combines the beloved monster-taming IP with innovative augmented reality (AR) design.

However, this has also come at a real-world cost. At this point in time, the three billion dollars worth video game has been, indirectly or otherwise, responsible for numerous accidents, injuries, and even deaths around the world.

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Just how much damage has Pokemon GO caused?

In terms of numbers, the game has been incredibly profitable in the US, accounting for over 300 million dollars in revenue for publisher The Pokemon Company. However, it also accounted for accidents that incurred millions of dollars, if not more, in nationwide costs

This is actually not surprising, as Pokemon GO was many players' first foray into AR gaming. In a nutshell, the game utilizes the smartphone's GPS and camera to simulate finding Pokemon in the real world. So you must explore the real world's outdoors to find varied critters which can be exclusive to different regions. This has caused fanatics to go to great lengths to catch elusive monsters.

So it can be easy to guess how many users could have fallen prey to the simple yet devilish nature of being engrossed in their phone screens. So much so that it has led many users, ranging from young to older adults, to injure themselves - often gravely so.

In fact, Pokemon GO is also said to have contributed to over 150,000 accidents and 250 deaths in the US during the first five months of launch alone. This also resulted in collateral damage ranging in costs from two to seven billion dollars. A tragedy, especially for the lives lost.

This has caused developer Niantic to update the game with periodic reminders. For example, you will receive a speed warning notification if the game detects you are in a car. There are also warnings if the weather is bad, urging players not to step out. The ultimatum, however, is really on the players themselves.

You should always be wary of their surroundings, especially if they are alone or late at night. Furthermore, they should also take care not to engage with Pokemon GO, which could get them into sticky situations, like driving. Common sense should always prevail above all, even when that shiny Pokemon players have been wanting for so long appears when exploring the wild outdoors.

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When was Pokemon GO released and what do players do in it?

Pokemon GO was created by Niantic of "Ingress" fame and was the franchise's first major smartphone spin-off to truly dive into the mainstream spotlight. It was released in 2016 for iOS and Android platforms and became a smash hit overnight. Its free-to-play nature meant the barrier of entry was non-existent. Seeing how this is a nostalgic franchise for many, the casual gameplay helped it climb to the top.

The game features a GPS-aided map where the player avatar moves in real-time with the user's position. Random Pokemon pop up on the overworld, and you can catch them using various Pokeballs and berries. The goal to complete the Pokedex is similar to traditional series entries with new and familiar characters nudging the simple story along.

With seasonal events, PvE raids, PvP trainer battles, and more, Pokemon GO is still a popular game today.