Pokémon GO may be available in more than 30 countries worldwide, but the augmented reality app is yet to see release in Japan.
That has come as a surprise given that the country is The Pokémon Company’s homeland. According to Niantic CEO John Hanke the reasoning behind the decision is that the server capacity “is not powerful enough,” indicating that they anticipate the app’s launch will be met with overwhelming demand.
“At present, the server capacity in Japan is not powerful enough,” Hanke admitted to Forbes. “We are working hard with our partners in Japan to enable the servers to keep up with demand once the game goes online there. We expect it to be released by the end of July.”
He added that rolling Pokémon GO out across Asia will be a particularly challenge, especially in Korea and China.
“Google’s map information system in Korea is limited due to security concerns over North Korea,” Hanke added. “In China, however, it is technically possible, but difficult to introduce due to the many hurdles, or should I say regulations we’d have to clear to get it to users.”
