UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you might not have known that a certain smartphone app has had people going nuts.
But for some unfathomable reason you’re still in the stone age, here’s a news flash for you: Pokemon Go is here, and I guess, it’s definitely here to stay.
Now, when I first heard about Niantic Lab’s idea of taking Nintedo’s famed video game franchise and Japanese cartoon out of the console and into the streets a year ago, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder.
And who wouldn’t?
For the Millennials, who grew up playing Pokémon for hours on end on a GameBoy or GameCube, battling on a LAN server with friends was already considered lightyears advanced.
But now, you get to experience the world of the ‘pocket monsters’ in augmented reality!
Pokémon Go is an AR game played on Android and iOS smartphones, which takes the original principles of Pokémon and applies them to the real world, making people go bananas trying to “Catch ‘em All.”
When Pokemon Go was first released, the Philippines, being the bandwagon capital of the cyberworld, wouldn’t be left out, as almost every Pinoy with a smartphone and free data jumped the wagon as quickly as they first heard about it in social media.
I was not one of those who jumped first, though.
It’s not that I lost my passion for the beloved characters. It’s just that I always prefer to let trends simmer down. Let the rabid people calm a bit before I stick my hand in the pot.
As I’ve said, I felt my inner childhood come alive when the announcement came some time back, but for a couch potato like me, catching them all sounds a little bit exhausting especially if one of the first few things you need to do in the game is hatch a Pokémon egg and walk 10 kms for that to happen.
See, this new installment of the franchise uses GPS to track your location, movement and the Pokémon near your area. Updates in the app have placed Gyms for trainers to ‘rule,’ while some have had Poké-hunting parties in select locations and bumping into another trainer isn’t so much of a surprise now. So if you’re afraid of contracting some polluted air to throw a pokéball, then you’re missing out a heap of fun.
The other great thing about the game is that hundreds of millions of individuals from 7 to 77-year-olds have played it globally, watched others play with bemusement, or read about the odd experiences as well as the amusing stories that Pokémon hunters have to share.
“Isang beses, bumaba ako bigla ng jeep para makipaglaban sa gym. Kelangan kase para masakop ko ‘yung gym na ‘yun,” said Xandrex Bucaneg, a 4th year college student from Quezon City.
“Kaso nahirapan na ako sumakay ulet tapos naglakad nalang ako pauwi,” he added with a laugh.
He currently has a total of 81 Pokémons and has captured some rare ones as well, adding that he used some 50 pokéballs just to snare a Dragonite. But more than his head-strong will to catch a pokémon in front of him, he utilizes a simple yet effective strategy.
“Kapag manghuhuli naman ako ng Pokémon nagba-bike ako. Para siyempre mas marami akong mahuli,” he added, sharing that he sometimes doesn’t notice that he had biked too far from home.
And why do people go to great lengths just to catch a Pidgey? Now, you don’t need a Phd in Astrophysics to realize why players like Xandrex are that enticed by Pokémon Go.
One obvious reason is that the game has a special place in our hearts, it is a brand that is everywhere, and if Pikachu is considered a deity in Japan, would you still question its popularity?
Another is the pervasive platform. With almost 4 billion smartphones and tablets worldwide, even a kid with a internet connection can play. It’s more accessible, you can play it wherever you go, and for now, even if you’re only on free data.
So don’t be ashamed if you find yourself shouting hurrahs, while pointing your phone at an unseeable figure in the bushes. Just be careful just to catch Pokémon and not the attention of real life Team Rockets.
Go and catch ‘em all!