When I first heard there was going to be a new Pokemon game, I was thrilled. I had never been able to play as a child, and it was something I had long felt I would have enjoyed. So, I downloaded it on the first day, and by the third day of having it on my phone, I was finally able to log on into an account, because so many people had been trying to play. Nintendo, Pokemon’s mother company, increased in value by 7.5 billion dollars in the first five days. The game is wildly popular, and for a reason: it is really good. If you remain skeptical, or love the game and want a good argument against the haters, please read this little article on at least six reasons why the game is game-changing.

1. A New Art

The beauty of art is that it always has at least two creators; the artist, and the observer. The artist comes to the painting, poem, book, or video game with an idea or message or outpouring of the soul, and through that attempts to tell some sort of story. The involvement of the observer has always varied. In old paintings and sculptures, the observer added their knowledge of the scene in order to tell the story, sometimes the same and sometimes different from the intention of the artist. Books add more nuance, where the biases of the reader are often as important as that of the author. Poetry allows for even more freedom, and then specific sub-genres within each category goes even further in granting a greater and greater importance to the observer. Why is Starry Night the greatest painting of all time? To me, it displays the great beauty of the universe and the natural world -- signifying how small our world is, even in comparison to a simple tree. But even with that in mind, the world is still important. Now, is that what Van Gogh intended? I have no idea. But the truth I am able to uncover about life because of that art is far more important.

Video games allow the observer to take an ever more active role in creation. It began as interacting with art by moving paddles up and down, but now, the gamer can create a character with his or her own interests, relationships, and life stories. The difference between those games and Pokemon Go is that this game will be long remembered as the first great game in a new sub-genre of this art form that allows the individual to blend art and reality to an even greater degree. Perhaps this game can help to teach us the importance of work as an aspect of devotion to a particular cause, or how beautiful the natural world can be beyond the game itself. Perhaps this game does not yet have a deep interpersonal meaning, but is making way for future artistic expressions that do. Only time will be able to tell.

2. Augmented Reality is the Future of Gaming

Whether it is Sony, Microsoft, Oculus Rift, or Nintendo, every major player is shifting towards games that create art by augmenting the real world. Games like Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed, or Grand Theft Auto proved that two dimensions were adequate as a medium for telling self-driven stories, but our imaginations are longing for even more freedom than those games can provide. Each one was interesting because you could explore a whole world. But augmented reality provides an even greater arena; this blending of fiction within the real world allows for a greater amount of creativity seeking to make the world in some way more beautiful. From a business perspective, this product proves that these sorts of games will be more successful, which allows this artistic sub-genre the freedom to grow.

3. The Future of Gaming is More Social

The past few generations of gaming modules have turned these systems into more and more private affairs. Whereas in my youth we would often invite our friends over to play video games, these days there are few options that provide real gameplay with people beside you in the real world. It makes sense, because the platform companies like Sony and Microsoft wanted more people to buy their platforms, rather than just bumming off of their friends like in the good ole days. But there are many subtle ways that this trend has been fought, such as my fellow nerds cramming into a small study room to play computer games together, or the many tournaments we hold on the few remaining multiplayer games. Pokemon Go is revolutionary in this aspect because it takes advantage of a system that is already widely available, meaning that you do not have to invest a large amount of additional money to play along with your friends. In addition, there are a lot of incentives to play with your friends in the real world. It is a lot of fun to share excitement over an Electrabuzz or Pikachu just down the way. And you also often meet people playing on the street. It’s pretty easy to tell, most of the time, because people hold their phones in their pockets, checking the screen often, and pretending like they are not totally obsessed with some phone game. As soon as you ask a question like, “Hey, have you caught that Charmander down the street yet?” you initiate a conversation that can lead to genuine friendships. I have personally met about twenty people that I never would have known, but now see quite often. Our conversations began with Pokemon, but venture into one another’s lives and interests in a really deep and meaningful way. Not only can you play with your friends, but you have a pretty good chance of making some too.

4. Social Gaming Crosses Boundaries

The most bizarre thing about the people who play this game is that you really can’t predict the kind of person you might run in to along your way. I sort of expected to be the only college student around, but it turns out I am one of many. There are plenty of young professionals playing, along with kids running along and married couples biking and swiping. Most of the people do not really fit into a common category; I have met people from nearly every major religion, gender, political affiliation, and ethnic background playing this game. One of my favorite examples is when I was walking by a mosque right as the afternoon prayers were getting out. I passed one girl in full hijab, and listened as she screamed in excitement about catching a Meowth. It turns out were are on the same team, and she and her brothers have held the gym at the mosque almost since the game began. At a time when so many boundaries are being reinforced to keep us from one another, something as simple as a shared game was able to bring us together, if even for just a moment.

5. Social Gaming Leads to a Decrease in Obesity

On to the practical concerns: I have walked over twenty kilometers in the last five days of playing this game. Now, because America refuses to get edumacated on how to measure things, I have no idea how far that is (about 13 miles), but it is a rather long distance more than I am used to traveling. I have found myself out walking for two hour stretches, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my back and the Pokemon underfoot. More importantly, I have begun walking with several younger friends whose parents tell me they never want to walk around or exercise. A simple shift in attitude will result in serious changes to the lack of exercise epidemic in this country. We just do not like to work out, but by making it fun and engaging, Pokemon Go has tricked our bodies into becoming addicted to the endorphins released by walking farther distances. Even if we stop playing Pokemon (which seems unlikely at this point), then it is likely that many of us will begin making the effort to walk more often.

6. Social Gaming Leads to a Decrease in Pollution

By deciding to walk, we also lessen the amount of pollution we daily release into the world and specifically the atmosphere. At this point, every little bit of change we can make will help us keeping our world a little bit healthier. In turn, by lessening the level of pollution, we also make it better for each of our bodies as well. The long-term effect of the subtle changes in our lifestyles brought about by a game like Pokemon Go could seriously help our ecosystem.

Now, is all of this a bunch of exaggeration spouted by a big fan? Possibly. But just take a second and think about a single more effective program that has inspired a new genre and market for art, brought more people together to play especially across such divisive boundaries, and gotten kids and young adults up and out to play rather than indoors using up much more electricity or gas. Even if the actual impact of each one of these parts is at its absolute minimum, the very fact that it can do so much is a testament to the good the game can provide. And if the success the game has enjoyed for the last few weeks is any indication, there is little reason to think that these impacts will be minimal at all.

Pokemon Go: 6