Pokémon GO is not simply another mobile game that people are playing.
This game is shaping up to be a revolution in terms of the mobile game world. Using augmented reality, Pokémon GO has turned the entire world into an in-game environment. No other game has been of this scale, or close to this monumental. This could potentially be the most literal "open world game" that's ever been made, but it will most likely not be the only game that plays the way that Pokémon GO does. Pokémon GO is only the first game that we've seen use augmented reality. It will not be the last. While it will dominate the market for the foreseeable future, there will be more games to come that implement augmented reality.
Since millions of people all over the world are playing the game, there are both positives and negatives that have rose up since the game has been released. Let's go over some of the positives:
1.) Pokémon GO is bringing people together
It's hard to go anywhere and not see someone that's playing Pokémon GO. While some people would find this annoying and possibly even describe it as anti-social, the game itself is CAUSING socialization instead of stopping it. With the features of Pokestops and Gyms there are always groups of people going to where the Pokestops and Gyms are. This is especially true for when a lure is placed at a Pokestop. Since a lure lures Pokémon to that area for 30 minutes, this causes multiple groups of people to go there until it ends. Inevitably, these Pokémon GO players are interacting with each other, starting conversations with people they've never met, and becoming more social because of it. People that usually keep to themselves and avoid interaction are opening up. People are building relationships and making new friends that they wouldn't normally make, thanks to Pokémon GO.
2.) Pokémon GO is getting people up and moving
When you think of people playing games what do you think of? People sitting on the couch moving their thumbs on a controller and eating Doritos? People sitting at their computer playing games and talking to their friends in a headset? That is not the case with Pokémon GO. This game is what the Wii, Xbox Kinect, and PlayStation Eye could never be. While those systems do have people active instead of sitting down, they are still tied to their house, one area. Pokémon GO is entirely different. It has people out of the house, walking, or even running. People that usually only leave the house when the have to are leaving their house all the time now. People are exploring their environment and are going out of their way to adventure into places that they have not been to before. Adventure leads to fulfillment.
3.) Local businesses have a new opportunity to attract customers
Small, local businesses are not always rolling in money. With that said, when there is an opportunity to attract customers to their establishment, they will take it. Pokémon GO has opened up the door to a room of opportunities for local businesses to take advantage of. Pokestops are an integral part of the game, as are the lures that can be placed on them. Businesses that already have a Pokestop on or near them can easily use this to their advantage by placing a lure their. For the next 30 minutes after the lure has been placed, there is bound to be a spike in customer activity and sales as people swarm to that location. The benefits of this are immediately recognizable. For those businesses that do not have a Pokestop around, they can still leverage the game by advertising something along the lines of "Even a Pokémon master needs a refreshment! Come on in and relax so you can get back to catching them all."
In the next post I will discuss a few of the negatives associated with Pokémon GO.