By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
If you’ve been in a public area sometime over the past few weeks, you may have noticed groups of people with their phones out seemingly walking around randomly. Most likely, these people are playing the popular Pokémon Go mobile app game that has become a sensation. But what exactly is this game?
Pokémon is a popular franchise owned by the Pokémon Company, a Japanese consortium between the Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures companies. It focuses on the fictional world of creatures called Pokémon, where trainers must catch, train and battle them against each other. The franchise began as a concept for a Game Boy game in the 1996 and grew to include games on other consoles, trading cards, TV shows, movies and print publications.
Pokémon Go is a game for smartphones that was released on July 6 in the United States and has since been released in 26 countries and counting. It uses a combination of global positioning tracking (GPS) tracking, augmented reality and a player’s mobile device camera to allow users to go out into the world in the role of a trainer and catch Pokémon creatures, collect items at Pokéstops and battle Pokémon at training centers all over the area. Augmented reality is a technology which superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, which is done through the use of a user’s smartphone camera.
According to similarweb.com, the game is so popular that by July 8, there were more Android installs of Pokémon Go than of the popular dating app Tinder, and that the usage time of Pokémon Go players was approaching the usage time of users of Twitter.
“It was a game I played when I was younger so when it came out, I really wanted to check it out,” said Migel Ruiz, of Mattydale. “You meet tons of people while doing it and it’s really fun.”
“I’ve never played Pokémon before, but I really like this game so far. I like that we can go places and walk around to catch Pokémon,” said Nick Tresco, of Manlius.
According to the Pokémon Go website, Pokéstops and training centers are typically found at local landmarks throughout a community. These include local areas such as Lakeland Park in Cazenovia, Mill Run Park, the Manlius Swan Pond, the Erie Canal Towpath Trail, Armory Square, Onondaga Lake Parkway and Destiny USA to name a few. Pokéstops give players items that will help them play the game, such as Pokéballs, potions, berries and eggs. Training centers are used to train and battle Pokémon to gain higher levels.
One of the positive aspects of the game is that players are encouraged to walk around their community and to hatch Pokémon eggs, players must walk a certain distance, which has resulted in many users increasing their daily physical activity.
“I think anything that gets people out and moving and really being in their community is a great thing,” said Megan Ball, recreation supervisor for the town of DeWitt. Ball said she’s noticed an increase in the people using the trails in DeWitt, particularly the Erie Canal Towpath Trail. “I saw so many players on that trail; it’s a great sight to see … I think we can definitely see more electronics being used in recreation programming.”
Ball does caution players to always be aware of their surroundings, to stay on trails, use basic courtesy of a trail system, only using the game while on foot and to never put themselves in harm’s way just to catch a Pokémon. “We love to see people getting out, but we don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she said.
Some players believe that this game helps bring people together through a similar interest and can be a great activity for a group of family or friends.
“There’s a bit of camaraderie, like you might start talking to someone else you see playing the game … I’m a bit of an introvert but this game has me out meeting people who I probably wouldn’t have talked to otherwise,” said Nicole Carvell, of Lebanon. Carvell is a player who has never played Pokémon before but has been traveling with her husband and two children, ages six and three, to different locations in the area. “My kids just love it. It’s a great activity for us to do as a family.”
Carvell said another piece of community that Pokémon Go brings can be seen in social media groups relating to the game where players trade tips and content relating to the game, including the Facebook groups “Syracuse Pokémon Go Club” and “Upstate NY Pokémon Go.”
Although there are many positive outcomes of this augmented reality game, one concern about this game nationally has been related to safety. Newspapers across the country are reporting on incidents involving users of Pokémon Go, many having to do with users being distracted and not paying attention to their surroundings, trespassing on private property or being taken advantage of due to the use of common GPS locations set in the game. Recently, the Auburn Police Department reported a man being involved in a vehicular accident because he was driving while playing the game.
“From what I understand, it’s distracting and people are walking right into traffic,” said Cazenovia Police Chief Michael Hayes. So far, Hayes said there have not been any incidents in Cazenovia reported that are related to Pokémon Go, but he is concerned of the potential for accidents to happen. “People need to be aware. Don’t go on private property, you run the risk of being arrested … No game is worth putting yourself in danger.”
As a result, law enforcement agencies are issuing tips on how to play Pokémon Go and stay safe, including the DeWitt Police Department.
“I don’t think playing this game is any more dangerous than doing any other activity,” said Beth Smithson, of Mattydale. “As long as you pay attention and aren’t distracted, you can have a fun time … For me, playing this game has become a family affair. How often can a parent say they got their 19-year-old to go on a walk with them? This game helps bring people together.”
Sometime in the near future, the Pokémon Company plans to release a bluetooth wearable device called Pokémon Go Plus that notifies users of events in the game through vibration and LED lights.
For more information about Pokémon Go, go to pokemongo.com.
