Candis R. McLean
There are game releases and then there are public obsessions. Last week, when Niantic – a San Francisco based software development company – unleashed Pokémon Go on the world, nobody could’ve anticipated the frenzied craze that followed. Whether you’re a devout fan of the beloved animated franchise, just happen to be in the social orbit of someone who is, or you simply had a pulse this weekend, the intense buzz and chatter about the game was inescapable.
Pokémon Go is a mobile game that perfectly merges digital animation with real world displays. It’s an augmented reality game that uses computer generated sensory elements such as live views, audio, & GPS to contruct a real world environment. The ultimate goal of the game is to collect Pokémon using an intriguing capture system in which gamers must throw a Pokéball with precise timing and force. Users create an avatar and adjust things like its appearance and individual style, and, once the avatar is created, it appears at the player’s current location. A map also pops up displaying adjacent or close features like, Pokémon gyms and Pokéstops. Players move their avatars by walking in the real world and begin their search for Pokémon in various locations. Different types of Pokémon may be found in their corresponding areas. For instance, a water-type Pokémon will appear when a player is physically near a body of water.
This real world navigation quest has led to some shocking revelations and results over the past few days. In O’Fallon, Missouri, criminals used the game to target victims in armed robberies.
A woman also shockingly found a dead body while engaging in her Pokémon search.
https://youtu.be/33pkssO37AY
However the game for the most part has produced few instances of severe consequences. Many fans have celebrated its engaging platform and it has been used as a primary tool of amusement, fun, and excitement.
I told him we were going to put pennies on the tracks @PokemonGoApp pic.twitter.com/RdW1AKMsAJ
— nick mastodon (@nickmastodon) July 10, 2016
Pokemon GO is just insane right now. This is in Central Park. It's basically been HQ for Pokemon GO. pic.twitter.com/3v2VfEHzNA
— Jon (@IGIhosT) July 11, 2016
Reports have surfaced that Pokémon Go has added more than 7 billion dollars to Nintendo’s value just two days after its release. There are also plans to add a Bluetooth headset device called Pokémon Go Plus to the game in the future. The device will serve to alert users when a Pokémon is in their vicinity via LED and vibration. The game is free to download in the Apple IOS store and on Android devices. It features in-app purchases as well.
The previous causes of a person walking aimlessly pinned to their phone’s screen have been energetic texts or binging an episode of one of their favorite television shows. Now you may encounter a person coming to the gym simply to collect a coveted animated creature. And if we’re honest, that person is most likely you.