Some Pokemon GO players take playing the game way too far, threatening a man's pet over his reluctance to drop a lure for them while out walking his dog.

When games inspire the kind of fervent devotion that has come to grip so many Pokemon GO players, there are always fans who represent their title of choice with either dignity, shame, or whatever people call accumulating $5,000 in Pokemon GO data charges. Some of the people playing Niantic's mobile smash hit have referred to Pokemon GO as something of a cultural movement that has brought millions of hardcore and casual gamers together, and while that's true, there are unfortunately those who actively work against that inspiring idea.

Take, for instance, the group of Pokemon GO players who recently threatened a redditor named Stolen_Insanity. The 33-year-old man was out walking his dog and playing Pokemon GO late at night when a group of eight teenagers noticed him playing and asked if he had any spare lures to help the group accelerate their leveling process. When Stolen_Insanity declined, saying he was simply passing through and didn't want to waste the valuable item, the group turned sinister and threatened his Husky, stating that they would kick his dog if he didn't comply with their requests.

Luckily, Stolen_Insanity was simply able to walk away from the confrontation and keep his dog safe, but his retelling of the event is a scary reminder that Pokemon GO, for all its charm, often brings out maliciousness or stupidity in some of its users. Whether it's threatening acts of violence or making a Pokemon GO fan play while his car is on autopilot, the alternate reality game has made headlines for less than ideal reasons over the past few weeks.

While things didn't turn ugly for Stolen_Insanity, however, the same cannot be said for Niantic despite all of Pokemon GO's success. Pokemon GO players recently turned against the developer for the changes that have been implemented in the mobile title, requesting refunds on the money they've already spent or criticizing Niantic for going after websites like Pokevision without fixing Pokemon GO's in-game tracking system.

Whether or not fans stick to their abstinence from the game in the wake of these poorly-received changes, stories like Stolen_Insanity's are a reminder that not everything happening in the wake of Pokemon GO is Niantic's fault. Sometimes people will use any video game, regardless of popularity, as an excuse to act poorly. Hopefully, people who think Pokemon GO is an issue because of events like this will look at the comments on Stolen_Insanity's Reddit thread, which are supportive and heart-warming, to see that most people who play video games simply want themselves and others to have fun.

Have you had a similar experience to Stolen_Insanity while dealing with people a little too caught up in the Pokemon GO craze? Would you have been able to keep your cool like he did? Let us know in the comments below.

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Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS mobile devices.

Source: Reddit