Pokemon Go Effectively Banned in Milwaukee Parks

Pokemon Go just got updated with 80 new Pokemon from the second generation, and while you’d be hard-pressed to say that Niantic has recaptured the original craze that swept over the world, they’ve certainly reignited a few dead flames, and folks are back to patrolling the streets looking for Pokemon.

However, there were some who certainly didn’t miss the popularity of Pokemon Go: in this case, the operators of a public park in Milwaukee, which was unprepared for the massive influx of people that came when it was turned into a Pokestop (how dare these people come and ENJOY OUR PARK?!), and a bill they proposed earlier last year which would require AR game developers to obtain permission before “introducing VR elements” into state owned parks was just passed into law.

The ordinance requires that any VR game companies, such as Niantic, would need to get a permit like any other business or group who wants to use the park to host events. These will require the company pay a fee, anywhere from $100 to $1000, depending on how much of the park is used, and how many people are expected to show up. Which can be hard to gauge for a VR developer.

For what it’s worth, all this bill does is effectively remove the VR elements entirely from the parks. I can’t imagine a developer would be willing to pay a couple thousand bucks to make sure every park in a big city will spawn Pokemon and items, and they certainly aren’t wanting for other places to put their stuff.

Still, this is only the latest in a number of laws passed around the world in response to the release of Pokemon Go. It seemed no one was prepared for a VR game like this, but with luck, they’ll be ready for the next big one.