iStockThinkstock(RIO DE JANEIRO) — Brazilians have long been known for imploring celebrities to visit their country — indeed, they’re famous for it.
But Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, just took the “Come to Brazil” meme to a whole new level, posting on his official Facebook page Wednesday to ask Nintendo to bring the hit Pokemon Go video game to the South American country in time for the Olympics.
“Hello, Nintendo! There are only 23 days until the Rio Olympics 2016. The whole world is coming here. You should come as well!” he wrote.
While the Olympics and Paralympics already have a pair of mascots, the mayor called for a different type of creature to hit the (virtual) streets of Rio: Pocket Monsters.
Pokemon Go has enjoyed wild success, sending Nintendo’s share value through the roof.
It has also drawn criticism with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and other sensitive venues saying that playing the game on their premises is inappropriate.
However, a report in Bloomberg suggested that many venues were embracing the game as a way to attract patrons.
Niantic, the developer behind the game, did not return a request for comment on rollout plans to Brazil.
For his part, Paes may need some screen time to relax. With the Olympics just about three weeks away, he is busy at work preparing his city for an onslaught of athletes and spectators from around the world.
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