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Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm, and different people seem to view the phenomenon in a variety of ways, both positive and negative. On the one hand, video gamers are coming out from behind their screens, getting up off the couch, and breathing some fresh air and feeling the sunshine while interacting with their community. On the other hand, they’re still staring at their screens and sometimes engaging in unsafe behavior while trying to capture those elusive Pokemon.
But before we get into both sides of the issue, let me describe for those of you who are unfamiliar with the game what Pokemon Go players are doing. Basically, you are a Pokemon trainer, and your job is to collect as many creatures, each of which has its own set of skills, and make them stronger and mightier so that they can win in a battle against other Pokemon. Pretty straightforward, right? You might have a Charmander who uses its Blaze skill to burn through its enemies, or you might choose Pikachu who uses electricity to shock its foes into submission. Different players have different favorites, and they feed their Pokemon to make them stronger, higher level, and evolved from cute creature to fearsome beast.
Mostly, though, the Pokemon Go players you see wandering around out there are trying to expand their collection — fill in the gaps in their Pokedex and find the more elusive, rare creatures. Since the game is based on the player’s GPS positioning, there are specific locations on a real map of their local town or city where they can hunt, recharge, or do battle. Many of these locations are local landmarks, monuments, parks, churches, and places of business, but Pokemon can be found just about anywhere, you just have to walk around and wait for your phone to alert you that one is near.
The game uses your camera to show you the Pokemon sitting in the actual environment you’re in using a technology called augmented reality, and with a flick of your finger, you can throw a pokeball at the creature to capture it. Some critters will try to evade confinement, but that’s all part of the fun. But without getting into too much detail, that’s pretty much it. Hunt, capture, and collect and occasionally do battle while you’re out and about rather than in your home.
So I’ve never played Pokemon. Ever. Didn’t see the appeal, never enjoyed turn-based battle-style gaming even though I was an avid gamer, typically in the role-playing game arena. Pokemon, from my point of view, was for kids, and perhaps for many of you and other adults out there, it still is. So why are so many people playing this game?
I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about and downloaded the game to my phone. I quickly discovered some creatures in the park near my house, which was also a Pokestop, where I could collect more balls and other supplies. My collection grew, and I thought huh – this is pretty neat because I’m taking a walk and getting some exercise I would not have otherwise gotten.
In the succeeding days, I collected other Pokemon during my bike rides around the park, relishing the motivation to get some fresh air and some much needed physical activity at the same time. “Perfect!” I thought. It’s like pedometer incentives but with something much more enjoyable for a gamer like me. I saw no down side.
Well, then I went out for my anniversary dinner in the local historic district. This is an area with fancy shops and expensive restaurants, the place you’d usually only find retired folks antiquing and families with children in strollers getting ice cream. After my wife and I had our delicious meal and celebrated the occasion, we went for our traditional romantic walk through the town to enjoy the ambience.
Imagine our surprise when we saw the sidewalks LINED with people of all ages staring at their phones. The street lamps were on, and the normally quiet town was abuzz with chatter about Vaporeons and Slowbros. My wife was agog. Had this popular game really gotten this far out of control? But was it out of control, I thought? What was really happening here?
So when we got back to the parking lot to leave, with my wife’s permission — because, hello? Anniversary? — I checked my phone. There on my screen were three Pokestops with lure modules dropped on them. These were special items that players could buy with real money to draw in Pokemon from the surrounding area to the supply depots for everyone to capture. It was a community event! Maybe even the local storefronts purchased the lure modules to draw in business to their normally sleepy town! What a cool idea!
Of course, my wife didn’t see it that way. She lamented the people staring at their screens and reminded me of the news report of people robbing players who used the lure module to bring their victims to a Pokestop at night and the story of the child who was hunting Pokemon and discovered a dead body in the brush. I had read the reports and dismissed them as aberrations. But was she right? Had this phenomenon gotten out of hand?
Here’s what I learned.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe my years of Everquest and World of Warcraft have made me blind to the disconnectedness some people see when there are so many kids in restaurants being managed by an iPad rather than by engagement with their family. I get it.
But even with online games, I saw the community. Podcasting for me is about building the community of people who might never meet in real life, so why should gaming as a hobby be any different? At least Pokemon was getting people out into the world, getting them to those local landmarks, and maybe interacting with others who shared their enthusiasm. Before Pokemon, I never knew that the highest point in our county is the Pokestop also known as the Centre Park water tower – now I do. And I desperately needed a better incentive than earning steps on my pedometer to take walks and get some exercise.
Are there people that are staring into their screens too much? Sure. I’ve learned to walk with my phone at my side waiting for the vibration to tell me a Pokemon was near. People definitely should be cognizant of being disconnected from the world around them and actually enjoy the outdoors as a video gamer for once! But on the flip side of that, non-gamers should not be too judgmental about those people who flocked to Central Park when a rare Pokemon showed up. They’re just having fun!
Those people were already playing games. Others just weren’t aware of them because they were on their couch out of public view. Well, guess what? Geeks are out in the world now, and their numbers are growing. Get used to it! Embrace it! Look at the positive side of the fad and enjoy the ridiculousness. Oop — just spotted an Eevee. Gotta go!
I’m Michael Ahr, and this has been stuff I learned yesterday.
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