I get out of class and suddenly, I spot it. My heart starts racing. I had never seen one like it and before I knew it, the chase was on. Going to school on an island has its advantages, but the heat is not one of them. In a heat index that can only be described as face melting, I race towards the fort. My backpack is weighing on my shoulders, but there was no time to put it down in the dorm. I trudge along, my eyes laser focused on my goal. It runs to the fort, then to the beach, then back to the fort, all the while I’m hot on its trail. I can’t let it get away. Who knows when I’ll see another one like it? I finally have it cornered, sweat dripping from my face. Then, right before I’m about to claim my prize…it vanishes. I frantically check the surrounding area, but nothing. I walk back to the dorm, drenched in sweat and defeated. The sweet solace of air conditioning comforts me, but I sulk in my room contemplating the disappointing turn of events. Suddenly, I here shouting. Something else was spotted! Something I had never seen before. I grab my things, and join the group. We are off into the 95% humidity with smiles on our faces. Nothing will stop us from catching them all.
I know what you’re thinking right? My friends and I are really into bird spotting or something. While you would be wrong in that assumption, you’re not too far off. We have all joined the cultural phenomenon that is Pokémon Go. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have no doubt heard of this little game on everyone’s phone that’s taking the world by storm. It takes a lot to have a story about a video game on the evening news, but Pokémon Go was the first story of the night. It is an insane hit to people my age and younger, but the older generation seems to be confused by it. Well no worries. I’m here to dissect this mass cultural event and explain it to people who can’t tell a Jigglypuff from a Clefairy (or that don’t even know what those are).
Pokémon Go is an app for cell phones. It is a facet of the Pokémon franchise, one that started in Japan in 1998 with the release of the first Pokémon video game for the Game Boy. Since then, it has produced 25 separate video game titles, with another two coming out later this year. Along with the games, the franchise has developed an anime series that has 14 seasons and is still running, 15 feature length movies in the US and even more in Japan, a trading card game, and much more. The whole franchise is centered on a fictional world where these creatures called Pokémon live. In this world, people can capture and train these creatures to do battle, or befriend them and have them as a companion (often times both happen). There are many different types of these Pokémon, with varying abundance.
In each game, the player is challenged to explore his or her region, battle against other Pokémon trainers to become the Pokémon champion, and to catch all the Pokémon they can. Throw in a battle system that is extremely easy to pick up on, but very complex beneath the surface, and you have an award winning formula for a video game series that has followed and grown up with this generation. Pokémon Go is a continuation of this formula, but with an added twist. Instead of you playing as a character in another world, they have brought the Pokémon to your world. You are the trainer. You now have to catch them all. They have accomplished this by using the GPS and cameras in cell phones to produce augmented reality. Your cell phone produces a map of the world, and gives you a rough idea of what Pokémon are nearby. Your job is to walk/run/bike/drive around and find them. Once you find one, your phone vibrates, you tap the Pokémon, and suddenly your camera turns on. You hold your phone up, and on your screen there is a Pokémon front of you. Once you can see the Pokémon, you throw devices called Pokeballs at it to try and capture it. Flicking the phone screen just right will throw the ball in the perfect angle and voila, you have captured a Pokémon!
Now the game has other aspects as well. You walk around to Pokestops and Gyms (which correspond to actual landmarks in our world). You can join one of three teams and battle for control of your area. As you walk around, your steps incubate eggs that you pick up. I just hatched an egg that required me to walk 10 km. When it finally hatched, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. This is where Nintendo has struck gold. In order to catch these Pokémon, you have to get up, get out, and GO! When you finally chase down a Snorlax and catch them, there’s no better feeling. When you see a random Pokémon appear right off your path, you have to go and get them. Nintendo has tapped into that sense of nostalgia in most people my age. When we were kids, we dreamed about being a Pokémon trainer, traveling the world, and catching them all! Now with this game, we can live a small portion of this fantasy. It’s addicting and it’s spreading to everyone, even people who have never played Pokémon.
When I got the game the night of release, some people were joking about it and said they would never play it. Three days later, they are running around the island with me until 2 AM chasing Pokémon. It’s now become cool to do such things. I’ve seen entire families walking down the sidewalk, all playing Pokémon Go. At night, we have at least 40 people who don’t even live on the island come here and catch Pokémon with us. It is establishing a whole community, getting people out of their homes, and actually having them explore the world around them. People are exercising, exploring, and actually talking to people around them. It has become an amazing social motivator. I read a wonderful article where this girl talked about how this game was helping here get over social anxiety and helping her to get out of the house. It has even helped me combat my depression. Something about seeing a Blastoise nearby motivates me to get out of bed. Never have I seen a video game that actually motivates you (effectively) to get up and walk around. It’s the first of its kind. However, I have a feeling it won’t be the last.
As we progress in the next 10 years and as technology becomes more advanced, games like these are going to become more and more common. We are at the advent of augmented reality. Who knows where we will be in ten years, but it is thrilling to think about. Here’s the thing, though, Pokémon Go is by no means perfect. It’s clunky at times, the servers are a nightmare, and it glitches a lot. None of this matters though. Nintendo found a way to tap into the motivation of millions of people. It has already had more downloads than Tinder and is closing in on Twitter’s record. An estimated 21 million people play every day, and it’s not even available everywhere in the world yet. This is the future of gaming, and it’s in its infancy. Soon, we will be throwing holographic Pokeballs at projected Pokémon. Until that time though, we have Pokémon Go to fulfill our juvenile fantasy. So if you haven’t downloaded the app, give it a try. You may find that you yourself has what it takes to be a Pokémon trainer and catch them all.
