Recently, tiny monsters with magical powers have begun lurking in the corners of homes and outside office buildings, and parks and landmarks are infested with these miniature monsters people are calling Pokemon, if privacy existed before it sure as hell doesn’t now.
After a year of anticipation, Pokemon Go has finally arrived. The mobile platform game was announced summer of 2015. Gaming company, Niantic and the Pokemon Company have been executing a limited release to countries around the world. Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. were the first to receive Pokemon Go in early July 2016.
The game landed in the U.K. July 13 for Android and July 14 for iOS, almost two weeks after the first launch. Over the July 16 weekend, Pokemon Go became available to 26 countries in Europe and Canada. Pokemon and Niantic will continue to expand the game to more countries.
Nick Eastman-Pratt | Argonaut
Citizens of Moscow, who are players of the app Pokemon Go, gather around a corner in order to visit Pokestops.
“Its very innovative game technology,” Brynna Soth, a student of the University of Idaho, said. “It feels like it’s a precursor for more virtual reality stuff to come out.”
Soth has been a Pokemon fan since she was a child. The games, characters, and television shows captured her heart and made her feel like she wasn’t alone Soth said.
“When I was a kid the first pokemon game came out and it was all imaginary now its something you can play with your friends.”
With Pokemon Go, fans can now do what they have always dreamed of, catch pokemon in their backyards and the streets of their cities, Soth said.
“This game brings people together,” Soth said. “People from all walks of life are playing this game together and meeting each other.”
Social media has boosted the game’s popularity and enhanced the comraderie the game offers its players. Pokemon Go groups have been popping up all over Facebook, from groups for the entire city to groups specific to the red, blue, or yellow teams available in the game.
“People who normally wouldn’t talk to each other are excited to talk to each other and social media is expediting that.”
New Pokemon Go “trainers,” are even sharing tips on pokemon locations, game mechanics, and Pokemon Go hidden secrets over Facebook.
“It very much captures the spirit of Pokemon,” Soth said. “‘You teach me and I’ll teach you.’ It’s a lesson and culture we can all experience and it’s real this time.”
The influx of this video game has students, children and adults running around town catching Pokemon — it is brilliant. Business owners have been taking advantage of the opportunity. Frontier Pizza in downtown Moscow painted on a chalk sign a picture of a Pikachu eating a pizza inviting “trainers” into their restaurant.
“I’ve noticed an influx in business at certain times when we are usually dead,” said Nikolaos Lagos, owner and manager of Last Frontier Pizza.
“I like video games, but I had no idea this would be this big, I thought it would be more for kids, but I might see more adults playing,” Lagos said.
When he noticed the game was drawing people to Moscow landmark, Friendship Square, outside his restaurant, Lagos decided to take the opportunity to further his business. One of his employees showed him the app and taught him to use lures to attract “trainers” to the area outside the restaurant.
Despite the fun, moderation and common sense are important in the equation.
“Things concerning me are people walking around blindly on their phone,” said Corporal Paul Green of the Moscow Police. “Most people who stare at their phones bump into stuff.”
Nothing overtly terrible has happened in Moscow yet, Green said. However, that doesn’t mean something won’t happen. There have been odd happenings across the world as a result of Pokemon Go.
“I’m afraid of people playing the game trespassing on peoples property or being hit by car,” Green said. “You can’t walk on to peoples property without permission.”
Green said he didn’t know people were playing the game until recently and it hasn’t become a problem yet, but they are keeping an eye out to make sure people are remaining safe.
Kevin Neighbors
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