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“It’s here…” a Wildfire employee whispered on the morning of the 14th July – the day that will be forever remembered in history as the day we set out on our Pokémon journeys and our lives were changed forever.
It’s not the first time an app took the world by storm – and it probably won’t be the last – but today the UK got Pokémon Go. It’s been downloaded more times in the first week of its release than the successful dating app, Tinder, in its entire lifetime. But unlike Tinder, Pokémon Go has not left us with an awkward feeling and a strange need to shower, instead, it’s given us a sense of community. In the first 24 hours of Pokémon Go, we’ve discovered how to make friends, help each other and have fun in an augmented, virtual reality.
Pokémon Go will prove to be a great app to meet people. Gatherings of people with the same agenda will nurture the community aspect that Pokémon brings and will open up lines of communication with strangers on the same mission as you. Assumptions that video games are not good for social development are not true with Pokémon- we’re out there and all on the same team!
The main playing aspect of Pokémon Go is walking – just keep walking. You can’t play the game to its full potential just sat there at home, or in an office (hint hint) but getting out there and exploring this new augmented reality against the setting of the real world is key to enjoying the game. The health benefits from this are clear. No longer will gamers be glued to the sofa! Imagine the calories spent while discovering new Pokémon!
It has taken the world by storm and forced us all into being healthier, more active and social beings. We’re just wondering when it’ll all die down and if the whole world will follow suit. Will football stickers be collectable like the beasts in Pokémon Go? Will firing virtual birds at real pigs be a thing? Or perhaps we’ll start crushing candy in augmented reality – the possibilities are endless.
Whatever happens, it seems like the virtual world is starting to become as tangible as reality itself. Pokémon Go may have started something that will define our technological future.