What is it?
Pokemon GO is a mobile gaming app for smartphones released on July 5th, 2016. It’s based on the 1990s Japanese videogame Pokemon, played on Nintendo with the addition of trading cards and a tv show in the later part of the decade. The premise of the original game was simple: the world was inhabited by fantasy creatures - from animal-like to anthropomorphic to complete fantasy, like the easily recognized Pikachu - and the ‘trainers’ had to do their best to catch 'em all! and then train these creatures to battle with them. Pokemon GO is founded on the same principle - catching fantasy creatures and training them to battle.
If that’s the case, what makes Pokemon GO so different from the original game, and so wildly popular? Well, Pokemon GO no longer requires a Nintendo handheld player; this game is an augmented reality mobile game, meaning it’s played on smartphones that use a player’s GPS location and camera to mix Pokemon elements with real-world, real-time scenery. Players walk around searching for Pokemon, of which specific types appear based on the surroundings and time (water Pokemon when near a body of water, like a lake or ocean; ghost-like Pokemon appear at night, etc.). ‘Pokestops’ are places where users can find both Pokemon and free supplies, encouraging users to get out and walk around to play the game.
Given all of the press as Pokemon GO has become the biggest mobile game in history for Android users and similar usage for iOS users, what else are people saying about it, both good and bad?
Mental Health Benefits
Some of the most positive outcomes of this mobile gaming app have been the mental health benefits for many users. Pokemon GO encourages people to get out, walk around, and potentially interact with others - all of which are healthy, yet difficult, things for individuals with social anxiety and depression. Plenty of studies have shown the benefits of exercise on depression but engaging in exercise is generally a challenge for those experiencing depression; instead, Pokemon GO encourages users to get out and engage with their surroundings, as that’s how to play the game, in a way that feels fun, rewarding, and non-threatening. Whether or not the benefits last will depend most on whether or not users continue to play at the rates they have been, all of which remains to be seen as the game is released in more nations worldwide.
More Inclusive Choices?
Some users have remarked on the increased inclusivity of choosing a player when initially setting up the game. Rather than selecting a gender for the in-app persona, Pokemon GO lets users choose a ‘style’, allowing folks to better represent gender-fluidity and diversity through their persona in a move many are calling an advancement in LGBTQ inclusion in mobile gaming.
Boom for Small Businesses
Small business owners are taking full advantage of the game’s ability to encourage users to visit certain places: not only are business owners welcoming players into their stores with Pokemon inspired signs and marketing, but some are even downloading the game and purchasing (yes, with real money) ‘lures’, which attract Pokemon to a specific site for 30 minutes at a time. Many small business owners report that the game has increased daily traffic and sales, and in a recent update Niantic (the developer) has allowed businesses to request to become a Pokestop/Gym.
Criticisms
As any wildly popular product, there are criticisms of Pokemon GO, and yet these criticisms deal more with the way in which the game is played than the game itself. From users getting accidental injuries from walking around playing, to the news anchor who walked through an on-air broadcast of the weather, the exploring nature of the game is not always a positive feature. Additionally, users who get into the game may be tempted to play in less-appropriate places, such as the US Holocaust Museum or on another’s private property. However, as long as users are conscious and careful and the game’s producers take concerns seriously, many only expect the game’s popularity to grow as more and more get in on the fun.
