Pokémon GO
is not just a game for the youth, no, it is played as well by those who spend
hours of catching Pokémon on their Gameboys years ago when they were children themselves.
To have a
narrow idea about the game itself here are some explanations:
First of
all, there are several ways to enjoy this game. You can either catch some
Pokémon by yourself or walk around with your friends and go on a hunt together.
The game is using real-world locations, which requires you to explore your
surroundings and “find more than a hundred species of Pokémon.”[1]
Many groups
or just single players start to gather around so called Pokéstops, which are
retrieved from Google Maps. Here a player can insert a so called Lure module
that is attracting random Pokémon to the Pokéstop. Everyone in a close
proximity can see these Pokémon and of course can try to catch them. Furthermore,
there is the possibility to spin the stop to receive certain items, such as
Pokéballs, that are used to catch Pokémon. Eventually players are interacting
and start to come along, from this perspective it is to say that Pokémon Go can
bring people closer, just because of the same interest.
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When Pokémon GO players have reached a certain amount of experience points they are allowed to attack a Pokémon gym. These Pokémon gyms are a way for players to train their caught Pokémon or to take over a Pokémon gym. Taking over one of the gyms requires leaving one of your Pokémon behind, which will return after it has been defeated. Taking over gyms makes it possible to collect coins which can be used to purchase Pokéballs.
Due to a high number of incentives and possibilities
during the game, a player can get a nearly constant stream of positive
reinforcement and progress.
But behind all those adventurous Pokémon hunts lies a
significant danger for safety. Pokémon GO stands in the critic due to its
permanently distraction from a player’s surroundings. Since the introduction of
Pokémon GO several accidents happened because of incautious behaviour of
players. Additionally, also thieves got attracted by this game by trying to
lure players into dangerous areas.
Niantic has to consider whether it changes the
conditions of Pokémon GO to decrease the danger during playing.
The reason
for the declining players of Pokémon GO is that it is after all not the same as
the nostalgic Pokémon game. Whereas the Pokémon game has a storyline, the
thrill of training, fighting other players and to beat the highest league of
Pokémon trainers, Pokémon Go is lacking them. Most people were attracted to the
hype due to the nostalgic longings and the fun of walking around with other
Pokémon GO players.
A future
perspective could be combining the virtual reality (VR) glasses with Pokémon GO
so that the experience of playing Pokémon GO would feel more realistic.
However, the down side of wearing VR glasses is that it makes the user blind to
the outside world, not knowing where a simple sidewalk is and therefore being a
danger to not only yourself but to the outside world itself.
On November
15, 2012 Niantic released the “augmented-reality, massively multiplayer online
game”[2]
called “Ingress”. First available for Android devices, later on July 14, 2014
for Apple’s IOS. Ingress is like Pokémon GO a location-based virtual reality
game but which is based on a science fiction back story. Unfortunately it didn’t
receive the same attention as its successor Pokémon GO.
Before Pokémon
GO and Ingress, we lived with restrictions; smartphones
and tablets were only about the content we’re watching, playing with. Niantic
opened up new opportunities. The
creators made it possible to connect our real world with the digital one. Seeing
our surroundings in a different way, giving us the chance to go on adventures.
Pokémon GO
and Ingress are only a beginning of the upcoming future. Soon we will more and
more connect our surroundings with the digital world. But it is to ask where
those future prospects lead us to. For sure it will make our world faster,
easier and more interesting but as well incautious and vulnerable.
These games
showed us what is already possible. We people strive for new, interesting,
boundary breaking innovations. We are waiting for the moment that reality talks
to us through our screens and actually supports us throughout the day.
Perhaps, we
will soon already walk through the streets with digital glasses that show us
the right way, lead us to restaurants and desired places, and besides that give us detailed
information about the world surrounding us.
“As gaming
becomes more ubiquitous and enmeshed in day to day life, we have a chance
- and a choice – to advance what gaming
can mean for society. Let’s think outside the (Ar)boks.”[3]
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