Pokemon Go has taken over the world by storm and chances are, you’ve seen countless posts about it on social media. For better or worse, it the current fad. There are already a ton of gameplay articles written, so I will focus on my personal experience with this game and the cultural implications it has.
What is Pokemon Go?
Put simply, it is an app that utilizes GPS technology and allows players to experience catching Pokemon (shorthand for Pocket Monsters). As someone who loved Pokemon growing up, this is a dream come true. However, even for people who have never been a big fan of Pokemon, this game is appealing. There is a certain type of satisfaction when you capture a new Pokemon and add it to your collection.
Specific locations and attractions are marked as Pokestops and players can venture to these locations to get goodies. Moreover, it is necessary to travel around in order to capture lots of Pokemon. This unique aspect is part of why I find this game so fascinating and I would go as far as to say that it’s revolutionizing the role of games in our society.
A Social Game
Games can sometimes have the negative connotation of being a time-waster or it’s distracting people from more important things in life. However, I will argue that games can be beneficial when approached from the right perspective. At its essence, Pokemon Go promotes going out and socializing. If you wander around downtown, it doesn’t take long to notice the Pokemon Go players gathered in herds. It’s an easy icebreaker. Strangers have the common interest of Pokemon to discuss – where they found certain Pokemon, showing off each other’s collections and so on.
My first experience with Pokemon Go was going Pokemon hunting at 1:30 am (yes, am, not pm). It was the night of my birthday and after playing many board games, my cousins were planning to head downtown to hunt for Pokemon. I hadn’t started playing yet, despite all the hype, but I decided to tag along to see what it was like (never tell my parents I went out in the middle of the night to hunt virtual monsters, they would never understand haha).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzxaHE4rWgY
(Footage of Central Park, NY, with crowds of people rushing to capture Vaporeon, a rare Pokemon)
Surprisingly, there was a ton of people out walking around just like us. I couldn’t stop mumbling the phrase “this is so weird“, because honestly, it does take some getting used to. We headed over to Prince’s Island Park where people had set up some lures – these are purchasable items that can be attached to a Pokestop to attract Pokemon. Lo and behold, there were actually a few dozen people milling around a bridge. Some even brought lawn chairs to sit down and catch Pokemon leisurely.
This all goes to show that Pokemon Go is permeating into our day to day lives and it’s both strange and exciting. Through the Pokestop system, it encourages people to explore parts of their own city that they might have never bothered to look at before. The hype for this game might die down over time, but right now, it’s on an upwards trend with more and more players joining each day. You can tangibly see the sheer amount of players everywhere you go and I feel like it’s a building a close-knit community.
A Way to Exercise
While most gamers are criticized for staying cooped inside too much and not getting enough fresh air, Pokemon Go is the exact opposite. Gamers are actively choosing to venture out instead of staying at home, with some players even willing to brave bad weather in order to capture rare Pokemon. Another aspect of the game that is encouraging an active lifestyle is the Pokemon egg system.
Throughout a player’s journey to becoming a Pokemon master, they will receive Pokemon eggs. These can be hatched by walking a distance (separated into 2km, 5km and 10km) and you will be rewarded with a Pokemon. This is again, done through the use of GPS tracking your movement. And for those who want to cheat the system by driving around in a car, the game will stop counting your movement after you exceed a certain speed (around 20 km/h). This means that you have to walk around if you want to hatch your eggs. Alternatively, players can bike or roller blade to cover more distance without exceeding the speed limit.
I think this provides a wonderful incentive for people to stay active and it’s all thanks to a game. The game is not perfect, with the danger of people getting distracted while crossing the street or the potential of players going too far to get a Pokemon. I would advise players to play responsibly. With this being said, I feel like the benefits of this game far outweigh the cons. In fact, I’ve been Pokemon hunting almost everyday this week and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
