Pokemon GO Impressions

Pokemon GO, the mobile Pokemon app licensed by Nintendo and developed by Niantic Inc, has taken the world by storm. It's been over a few days (which is almost years in mobile app terms) and there are just too many stories to count of how the game has affected people's lives. 

The surge of the game's popularity has helped Nintendo rise up from the ashes . Their stock shot up 25% overnight after the game's release.  After the disaster that was the Wii U, this only brings good fortune for the Japanese company.

I'm sure most people who are reading this already know what Pokemon GO is, but let me try to summarize. It's a location based game where you walk around in real life in search of Pokemon. The game uses your GPS to track your location and every so often Pokemon will pop up in certain areas of the map. The player just has to walk up (in real life) to the spot on the map and a Pokemon will appear. The player is then able to capture the Pokemon by tossing Pokeballs at the creature. The game sprinkles in stations (called Pokestops) where players can get a few items to help them out on their journey to catch even more Pokemon! And then lastly, there are Gyms which usually have some real-life landmark associated with them. I assume (since I haven't done it yet) you battle the gym leader to win ownership of that specific landmark along with earning some goodies as well. 

This is mainly what you'll be seeing when you load the game up on your phone. 

There is no real gameplay in the "game." It's more like a walking app that just so happens to have Pokemon in it. The only thing that resembles gameplay are the gym battles and even those are just tapping until your Pokemon or the gym leader's Pokemon faints. So as a gamer, I found it astonishing to see it do so well with relatively little fanfare. Most of the popularity must have come from word of mouth. It's also amazing how strong the Pokemon brand name is 20 years later.

You'll be seeing a lot of this for a while

I initially didn't want to try it out, but after the surge in popularity and the news stories about it changing people's lives, I had to try it out. The game seems to have some bugs that are dependent to your phone model. Some of it has to do with the platform (I've heard the iOS has more struggles than Android) but also older phones may not run it well either (like my lowly Nexus 5). The game has server issues and can freeze up from time to time which just another testament of how strong  of an IP Pokemon is. 

Because honestly, I don't like this. It's not my cup of tea. The game is buggy and nothing feels rewarding. Despite the idea of getting people out and about, it doesn't really work well with me. I feel like Pokemon GO has shown me how lazy and old I am. And honestly, most of my experience of seeing other people playing still fills me with anxiety. In my experience, most people were almost slightly embarrassed that they were walking around with their cell phones in the air. It's honestly kinda funny watching people trying to catch Pokemon by sliding their finger over their phone like they were aggressively Tindering...

But that's my opinion for now. I'll keep on using it whenever I can. The funny part is that I don't see any kids playing. Everyone I see out on the street are most likely above the age of eighteen. I mean seriously, shouldn't they be working?(...shouldn't I be working?) I assume that's why it's still embarrassing for some. I read stories online about people actually socializing with each other while out on their hunts for new Pokemon and gyms. But sadly my first hand experience has only been nods, waves, and those nervous laughs. Maybe it's because of my beard or the fact that I smile like creeper that drives people away. But all I'm doing is trying to catch Pokemon....*sniff*

Also, apps have a tendency to get better over time. Maybe they will add some new mechanics that will make it fun to actually catch Pokemon. Maybe they'll fix all the bugs and server issues. I always root for Nintendo when I can but I honestly don't see how this will hold my attention for very long. Thankfully there are millions of other people who see the benefit in it and will keep using it.

Try not to get robbed everybody...

Pokemon (Gotta catch 'em all)
Hey, my data ain't free
But there's a gym right across the street
Oh you're my best friend, as long as you're on team red

Pokemon (Gotta catch 'em all)
Hey look, a Pikachu...
Throw Pokeballs 'til I turn blue
My screen froze, now I need to reboot

Po-key-moooon....Gotta catch 'em all!