by JD Le Roy
Within 24 hours of its release, Pokémon Go dominated the App Store, setting records that easily topped Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds. Around the world, people playing the game kept their eyes glued to their phones, fingers vigorously swiping in desperate attempts to catch all the avatars. They spent more time catching the pocket monsters than checking their Facebook feed or Instagram pages. Since its mid-July launch, Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm.
Pokémon Go is the newest installment of the iconic video game franchise, Pokémon, and is the company’s first title to be released on mobile devices. Publisher Nintendo, the company that is also responsible for series such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, was dedicated to release its games only on its consoles in the past. However, in 2016, the public saw the gaming giant take a pledge to expand its franchises onto phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Nintendo first attempted releasing mobile games with, Miitomo, a social app released in March 2016 based on the customizable Mii characters first introduced on the Wii. Miitomo was moderately successful, with over 1.2 million downloads and a brief stint at the #1 spot on both the iOS and Android stores. However, it quickly disappeared from the spotlight due to complaints of repetitiveness and shallow gameplay. Unlike Miitomo, Pokémon Go has sustained a steady rate of success.
“Since its mid-July launch, Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm.”
When playing Pokémon Go, players are introduced to a character named Professor Willow, who serves as the game’s main advisor. After naming and customizing an avatar, the player is able to begin catching Pokémon. After gaining enough points through experience, completing certain tasks like catching Pokémon or visiting Pokéstops, players can reach Level Five and choose a team to join — Team Valor, Mystic, or Instinct. A player can subsequently begin battling other players in gyms owned by the three teams at designated locations. Players can also replenish their items by visiting nearby Pokéstops. Pokéstops are often located at famous landmarks such as San Francisco’s Ocean Beach and Pier 39, which often contain lure modules, tools players can set up that attract Pokémon to a certain stop.
The game’s developer, Niantic, has released several updates to the app since its release to improve the core gameplay experience, addressing server overloads and the Pokémon tracker, amongst other issues. Other changes address the ease of catching Pokémon, which is now tougher, thus leading to people spending money on in-game items to reach higher levels Niantic has addressed complaints regarding the game, including long loading times and frequent internet crashing. Often these problems are trivial at best, but they are nevertheless bothersome in situations in the game that call for immediate responses, including trying to catch a particularly rare Pokémon or battling other players in a gym.
by JD Le Roy
Despite its many flaws, Pokémon Go is still the most popular game available. Over 500 million people have downloaded Pokémon Go, with roughly 25 million active users daily.
Interestingly, it isn’t just Nintendo or Niantic benefitting financially from its success; businesses, especially local ones, have seen jumps in sales as a result of players hunting for Pokémon. A once-struggling ice cream shop in Anacortes, Washington has Pokémon Go to thank for reviving business, all because the shop’s location turned out to be one of the game’s Pokéstops and customers have been attracted to the ice cream while hunting for Pokémon.
Pokémon Go has seemingly been integrated into society as the ultimate game for just about anybody. Pokémon Go’s promotion of physical and social activity has encouraged more people to increasingly go outside with friends and family. Businesses have benefitted and even been saved by exposure through the game.
Pokémon Go also has a seemingly fair share of negative social impacts. Criminals have been using lure modules to draw users to remote areas. There have also been numerous car accidents as a result of people playing Pokémon Go while driving, sparking the update for a pop-up message, “Don’t play Pokémon Go and drive.” Players have also been accused of trespassing; for example, Jeffrey Marder of New Jersey attempted to sue the makers of the app because his property was made a Pokéstop, causing people to hunt for Pokémon in his backyard without his permission. Although Pokémon Go has recieved harsh press due to the the countless incidents related to the game, it is still a fan favorite amongst players of all ages.
Even months into its release, the future still looks bright for Pokémon Go. Although player usage has dropped by about 12 million since the release, it’s still one of the most popular apps. According to critics and casual players alike, Pokémon Go is simply a fun, Pokémon-filled dream come true, often described as “addictive” and a cultural phenomenon. With several new features coming to the game, such as trading and a new generation of Pokémon to hunt, Niantic is doing its best to ensure that people will be catching Pokémon long into the future.
