By Karita Harrskog~
Pokémon has blasted into the forefront of popular media once again through the introduction of the app Pokémon Go. While official numbers have yet to be released, the research firm Sensor Tower reports that the app has broken Apple iOS app store records in the first week with 7.2 million downloads. To date, the app has been downloaded more than 40 million times from the Apple iOS and Google Play store.
Pokémon, Japanese for “pocket monster,” has been around since a Nintendo Game Boy game and a TV show introduced in the mid-90’s that is still running. The franchise quickly took the world by storm through trading cards, video games, mangas, television shows and movies.
Now, Pokémon Go has proved once more that the franchise is a force to be reckoned with.
The game is fairly simple and intuitive to play, which makes it easy for anyone interested to get started. Previous knowledge about the extensive franchise is not needed. After downloading the free app, players are immediately able to start wandering their local neighborhoods and cities in search of monsters. The app bases itself off of GPS and Google Maps, making it accurate to players’ surroundings. Notably, even hiking trails are mapped out for those who want to go into the wild to catch monsters.
“I play because I have been a longtime Pokémon fan,” said Thomas Valenzvel, a 16-year-old who first started playing “Pokémon Red” on the Nintendo Gameboy Advance when he was an even younger youngster. “The augmented reality of it is the most exciting. We have been playing the portable games for so long. The fact that we get to go out into the real world and actually catch some ourselves as actual avatars of people we want to become is really fun.”
While other games are played sitting down, Pokémon Go requires players to travel to find Pokémon. The game encourages fitness not only by making players roam their neighborhoods and cities, but also by giving incentives to walk certain distances. If a player stumbles upon an Pokémon egg, for example, they have to walk a specified number of kilometers to hatch the egg. Eggs can range from two, five to 10-kilometers. The further a player needs to walk to hatch the egg, the stronger and rare the monster inside.
The most crucial aspect of the game is the aforementioned augmented reality; meaning that when a player runs into a Pokémon, it shows up on their screen embedded in the surrounding area of the player. One could augmented-literally find a Pikachu in their frying pan or a Ponyta at their favorite bar. This creates a much more realistic user experience than Pokémon players have experienced before.
While game play is easy, other draws include catching all 147 available Pokémon and taking over local gyms, where players are able to battle other trainers’ Pokémon.
“I have gyms that I strive to keep as my own,” said Joe McRae, a 25 year old retail manager from San Luis Obispo. “I check up on them daily and feel incredibly competitive about it. There is a water tour by my home and I keep making sure it is always in team Mystics power.”
Even though the game is relatively new, social science research is already being done to understand the craze. The mobile research firm MFour conducted a survey of more than 1000 players. The results indicate that the game is appealing overwhelmingly to Millennials who grew up with original Pokémon, is motivating people to exercise, and that it is attracting a vast array of demographics.
One of the most interesting things mentioned in the study is how Pokémon Go promotes connectedness – 74% of individuals stated that they preferred playing the game with others rather than alone even though 70% consider themselves introverts; 52% of those surveyed state that they have made new friends and acquaintances; and 54% said they started playing because of their friends.
“I was really surprised by how many people play Pokémon Go,” says Jessica Agar, a 19 year old from San Luis Obispo who has played Pokémon since her childhood. “People will come up and start talking to me once they realized I am playing. The sense of community is insane.”
While the game has come under much criticism for being a fad, many people stated they will continue to play the game – 71% stated that they believe Pokémon Go will be a “long-term success” and 69% stated that they expect to play for, “a long time.”
Although, many downloads were recorded as individuals tried out the game for the first few weeks of the release and data was not available on how many continued to actively retain or open the app.
Long-term success will depend on how well Pokémon Go is updated, expanded and monetized.
