A journalist playing "Pokémon Go" during a State Department briefing was called out by Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby. The reporter, however, seemed unperturbed with the fact that he interrupted Kirby's speech.
No-Shame Attitude
Kirby was giving a speech on Thursday, July 21, about the terrorist organization ISIS to journalists when he suddenly stopped and turned his attention to the unnamed reporter, CNN reported. Kirby directly asked the journalist whether he's playing "Pokémon Go" and the reporter confessed without shame, saying "I'm just keeping an eye on it."
Kirby then went on with his briefing but addressed the journalist once more after a few moments. "Did you get one?" he asked the reporter.
The journalist, once again not showing any shame about the fact that he interrupted a briefing about the world's most infamous terrorist group, answered Kirby with, "No, the signal's not very good."
Kirby, who at this point was probably restraining his anger in front of the cameras, told the journalist (probably sarcastically), "I'm sorry about that." Watch Kirby's run-in with the journalist playing "Pokémon Go" below.
'Pokémon Go' Craze Goes Global
"Pokémon Go," an augmented reality mobile developed by The Pokémon Company and Niantic, Inc., allows players to catch virtual Pokémons using their phone's GPS location. The game is steadily gaining popularity since it was released earlier this month.
In Britain, 26-year-old Sophie Pedraza has quit her teaching job to become the country's first full-time "Pokémon Go" player. She roams the streets to capture the virtual Pokémons and then sells her accounts via eBay, The Sun reported.
As of now, eBay has "Pokémon Go" bidding wars that range between £50 ($65) and £7,300 ($9,500). The priciest biddings usually involve accounts at high levels and with rare Pokémons and great combat power points.
Businesses in the United Kingdom are also hoping to cash in on the "Pokémon Go" fame. Pubs and restaurants are reportedly paying £100 ($131) a day so they can be Pokémon Go destinations and attract customers to visit their establishments, according to the Daily Mail.
Their efforts aren't futile. Maxwell's, a burger restaurant in London, said its profits increased 26 percent since it paid to be a "Pokémon Go" destination, while the Oakford Social Club in Reading, England saw their revenues rise by five to 10 percent thanks to players on the hunt for the virtual creatures. "Pokémon Go" currently has 21 million users globally.
