No fad: Niantic CEO insists Pokemon Go is still going strong

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Remember all those crazed Pokemon Go seekers that roamed our city streets, crowded our public parks or ventured into rural areas in search of virtual-reality pocket monsters popping up on their smartphones?

Look at the top grossing apps on Google Play and Apple and check the charts, then form your own opinion, Hanke told The Associated Press Tuesday after his keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Most people associate augmented-reality smartphone apps with Pokemon Go, which allows players to feel like they're catching monsters in the real world when they appear on their phones.

Reports also ranged from annoyed storeowners to reproaches of littering by the sudden influx of players leaving trash behind in parks, resulting sometimes in new ordinances requiring gaming companies to pay a fee to help with upkeep.