Obsession is good, no?
To really delve into this curious phenomenon that is slowing engulfing the world with its influence, I would say some backstory is in order to truly comprehend this worldwide fascination and even distaste at the game, Pokemon Go.
To the people who has lived under a rock throughout the year 2016, Pokemon Go is a free to play app on the app stores of Android and Apple smartphones. This particular app is unique in such a way that it is a location-based augmented reality game. Now, those are fancy words that you don't hear often as usage of such a feature is rare in video games, never mind mobile games.
To put it into simpler terms, this is where reality and fantasy collides. Now, Pokemon Go is basically a game where a player is required to catch as many creatures (which are called Pokemon) as possible and to defeat Gyms that are owned by one of three factions. Now, these Pokemons appear in real time on your smartphones, hence the term - augmented reality. Different Pokemons appear in different places and different times. The game has slightly more depth to it than that but that's pretty much the gist of it.
This game landed on the shores of Malaysia about a month ago and it has captured the attention of nearly every Malaysian, young or old. The evidence of this is clear as day, with thousands of people can be seen daily in parks and lakes all over Malaysia, frantically swiping in an upwards manner to catch that virtual Pokemon to be added into the Pokedex. Which is also virtual by the way. Pokemon Go as popular as it is, presents a huge untapped opportunity to be abused and exploited with many renowned companies using the app as a drawing power to buy their products. From the fast food chain giant McDonalds to the local mamak 10 minutes away from where I'm typing this, there are constant promotions, discounts, toys and most importantly, lures in Pokestops near their area of business.
Because nothing draws a crowd more than a lure.
Nothing.
People has called this game a fad. Just like Angry Birds. Just like Candy Crush. Just like Clash Of Clans. Just like Flappy Bird. Just like Temple Run. A popular game that would have milked their audience dry before eventually flying to mobile game heaven. Quickly replaced by another fad. Disappearing from the minds of people. Repeat.
It is a justifiable opinion as we have seen this kind of thing happen before. Or we just assume that this is a dejavu moment. But in reality, the world has not seen a game quite like this. Not even close.
The real reason why this game has caught everyone's attention is it's worldwide appeal to everyone of all ages. With smartphone apps, it is expected to be only geared towards the 12 to 34 year olds demographic. Anyone younger would be too young to understand the app and anyone older would be clueless on how to fully utilize a smartphone.
Yet, we can see that a 60 year old grandfather can be seen trading tips about sightings of rare Pokemons with his 10 year old grandson in a public park. I can testify to the vailidity of that statement as my very own father plays and I'll shamelessly admit, has surpassed me in terms of trainer level in Pokemon Go by more than double the number of levels. And this is the very same
father who asked me on how to add photos on Facebook. Mind-boggling indeed. This is not a small sample size test either. Many fathers all around the world has woken up from their slumber to embrace the upcoming new technology........by playing Pokemon Go.
Not even Nostradamus or the Mayan gods would have predicted this come 2016.
The ultimate question right now is, why?
Now the first thought that would come to mind to someone who has not played the game before is that the game is simply great fun and has a nice setting. Which is true but not entirely true. Pokemon games had existed decades ago on Nintendo consoles with far more depth and dare I say, top to bottom a better game. Yet, it didn't received this much traction from this many people. And there is a simple reason to this.
The rise of casual gamers. A simple fact is playing Pokemon in the 90s was not cool. Playing Pokemon as a teenager led to being called a nerd. For some ever reason, playing video games led to the stereotyping of gamers being anti-social and stuck in their parents' basement all day. But now, along with the rise of popular gaming Youtube channels, playing video games is now starting to be acceptable, even cool. But people are yet to be really invested into video games to buy themselves a gaming console, yet they want to be in the cool crowd. Thus, they looked into the next best thing. The smartphone.
Nearly everyone that can afford it has in their possession a smartphone of some sort. It has become a necessity in this world where if you don't move with change, you'll be left behind in the dust. This means there are a huge population of casual gamers ready to be fed in app stores on smartphones. Casual gamers are those who's only gaming experience is from their 5 inch screen. Regular gamers have mocked casual gamers, calling them 'fake gamers' and brand them as a cancer of the gaming community. Yet there is no doubt the force that casual games will soon grow to be. Companies like Konami have changed their direction to be some way the same road as casual games will be on.
Thus, there was no surprise to see casual gamers basking in delight when Pokemon Go was released on the Play Store/ Apple Store. A game backed by a historic and giant company with probably the biggest market in history of gaming. And guess how many downloads of the game has it been?
2 million? Nah, a bit higher.
10 million? Nearly there.
50 million?!?! Close.
Just multiply by another 10.
500 MILLION. YES.
And this is up to September 6, 2016. Which means the figure could be so much higher now. Mind-boggling.
So concluded from above, the platform at which Pokemon Go is on helped its popularity reach a global scale. Yet, it is only a small raindrop in a puddle of reasons why this game succeeded the way it did.
Mobile games come and go like cars on the Kuala Lumpur freeway. The staying power of mobile app seems to be a troubling enigma that troubles the mind of content creators everywhere.
How do you make a game relevant for a long period of time?
Although smartphone is an amazing piece of technology, it is forever limited to simple touch screen movements and gyroscope rotations. Thus, nearly every game on the app store is the same in terms of controls. The novelty of touch screen which was something amazing as a child has been quickly lost to the sands of time and its biggest enemy, familiarization. So, when a wonder game is released to the masses, the impact of it will never quite reach the heights of its ancestors for the sole reason that it was not the first one.
It is a troubling problem, yet has a straightforward and logical solution. Make a new, never before seen feature. And guess what ?
Pokemon Go did just that by answering the problem with two words.
Augmented reality.
Frankly speaking, I didn't even hear about this term prior to the release of Pokemon Go. By definition, Augmented reality (AR) is a live, indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented ( or supplemented ) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.
In simpler terms. we get an illusion of reality by stuff that makes it seem really real when it is not.
In the case of Pokemon Go, it is through GPS data and graphics. Now, the true aim of every Pokemon Go player is to catch every Pokemon possible in the game. And then maybe conquer a few gyms for a couple of minutes of glory. Hence the iconic catchphrase, ' Gotta catch'em all! '
Now here comes the interesting and juicy parts that makes this game really special. These Pokemons that you are supposed to catch? Their locations are not fixed. Yes. You heard me. This game isn't some fixed story mode with one and only one way to complete it. You wanna catch that Charizard? You better start travelling throughout Malaysia with one powerbank in hand and do as much research as humanely possible to find it. Each Pokemon has a 12 minute or so of spawn time in a certain area. Once that time is up, I'm afraid you have missed that window of opportunity to fill up that Pokedex of yours. A Pokemon could show up in the forests of Pahang in one second and then rear its head in the beaches of Terengganu in the next. A simple yet fascinating concept that uses GPS which is a feature in most, if not all smartphones out today.
This concept of an ever changing spawn sites of Pokemons keep the game fresh and players invested as no amount of money can truly overcome this new and refreshing challenge in the game. Instead, true dedication and a LOT of free time will go a long way in completing the holy bible of Pokemon, the Pokedex.
A lot of mobility is needed from the user to catch all the Pokemons in a huge area radius. This gives the illusion that you have no longer playing as a Pokemon trainer in a game but instead you truly feel that you ARE a Pokemon trainer walking all over the place for the sole purpose of catching THAT Pokemon that you really want. As said before, this game really crosses the border of reality and its virtual counterpart.
This Pokemon catching malarkey has provided the world with yet another new concept in mobile games, adventure. Because catching Pokemon has transformed in such a way that through the simple aim of catching these little monsters have become some sort of adventure for users worldwide. It gives kids and teenagers that urge to explore their surroundings instead of being stuck behind a television, nearly motionless most of the time. Places such as parks and fields which are breeding grounds for Pokemon have seen their attendance rate increase by one hundred fold. I can relate, believe me.
Even adults are embracing this adventure concept. After a long week of working, the dullness and mundane cycle will infect one even during the work-free days of the weekend. The routine of watching television will probably get boring pretty quick for the average adult as the feeling of unproductiveness kicks in a gear. They crave for an activity that is fun, not stressful in any way but something that requires effort to produce that feel-good, pat yourself in the back dopamine feeling in the system. Yes, you guessed it. Pokemon Go was that solution.
Now adults can be seen flocking in the masses to multiple well known Pokemon hotspots in their area during the weekends. They too want that piece of adventure to colour up their day by exploring more and more new areas for the sake of hunting virtual monsters. Hell, they can even get more enthusiastic than the average teenager on the street playing the same game. They may not have a profound knowledge on the storied history of Pokemon but they have that glint in their eye that suggest they really do love and enjoy the mobile game on its own. And who can really blame them?
Lastly, the main point that pushed this app to popularity in the first place isn't so unique after all. In fact, it happens to nearly every app that hits the benchmark of 100 or so million. It is a society issue which plagues most of us vain people out there. The obsession to keep in touch with whatever trend that is happening around the world. The need to follow every fad in order to not be classified as an outsider to the mainstream people. Because it is hard going against the norm which is the majority in this part of the story. Values and personal preferences will be sacrificed to accommodate something clearly against your want. But yet, there is that lingering and inevitable feeling of giving in to the voices of the many. This is not limited to Pokemon Go or even smartphone apps in general. It applies to the influence of trends however fucking stupid they are.
However, trying something new is a great thing too. It opens new doors and widens one's perception of a particular subject matter. Yet, in following trends, rarely does it come to fruition as most trends die off with good reason.
I have seen people slating of Pokemon Go as losers with no lives of their own and bragging about catching a Dragonite - all on the same day. It is clear and blatant hypocrisy but yet very harmless. This is not a necessarily a bad thing though. I mean don't get me wrong, it is disgusting at times but I have some sort of affinity towards Pokemon Go. It is a rather charming game and the community within my circle of mutual acquaintances is great.
Unlike most people, I will not say that this game is going to change your life by making you walk so many miles that you'll be as fit as an Olympian runner. That's bullshit. But, this is probably the first trending app that encourages interaction and peppers in a bit of exercise into it. It is different and a refreshing look for smartphone apps in a long time.
The lifespan of this kind of apps are never ever long but Pokemon Go has outlasted many people's paper-thin expectations. Yet, it is clear the app is dying. The mushrooming of people in parks have dropped right here in Malaysia and it is clear to see that is unlikely to pick up anytime soon. It will die an honorable death eventually as it cannot escape the clutches of society short term memory but it has certainly impacted the world with its influence.
Final thoughts, it is still a far cry from being an actual Pokemon Go trainer but the future is indefinitely bright. Who knows, really?
Let me dream at night.
This game landed on the shores of Malaysia about a month ago and it has captured the attention of nearly every Malaysian, young or old. The evidence of this is clear as day, with thousands of people can be seen daily in parks and lakes all over Malaysia, frantically swiping in an upwards manner to catch that virtual Pokemon to be added into the Pokedex. Which is also virtual by the way. Pokemon Go as popular as it is, presents a huge untapped opportunity to be abused and exploited with many renowned companies using the app as a drawing power to buy their products. From the fast food chain giant McDonalds to the local mamak 10 minutes away from where I'm typing this, there are constant promotions, discounts, toys and most importantly, lures in Pokestops near their area of business.
Because nothing draws a crowd more than a lure.
Nothing.
Yes, I don't have a Snorlax.
People has called this game a fad. Just like Angry Birds. Just like Candy Crush. Just like Clash Of Clans. Just like Flappy Bird. Just like Temple Run. A popular game that would have milked their audience dry before eventually flying to mobile game heaven. Quickly replaced by another fad. Disappearing from the minds of people. Repeat.
It is a justifiable opinion as we have seen this kind of thing happen before. Or we just assume that this is a dejavu moment. But in reality, the world has not seen a game quite like this. Not even close.
The real reason why this game has caught everyone's attention is it's worldwide appeal to everyone of all ages. With smartphone apps, it is expected to be only geared towards the 12 to 34 year olds demographic. Anyone younger would be too young to understand the app and anyone older would be clueless on how to fully utilize a smartphone.
Yet, we can see that a 60 year old grandfather can be seen trading tips about sightings of rare Pokemons with his 10 year old grandson in a public park. I can testify to the vailidity of that statement as my very own father plays and I'll shamelessly admit, has surpassed me in terms of trainer level in Pokemon Go by more than double the number of levels. And this is the very same
father who asked me on how to add photos on Facebook. Mind-boggling indeed. This is not a small sample size test either. Many fathers all around the world has woken up from their slumber to embrace the upcoming new technology........by playing Pokemon Go.
Not even Nostradamus or the Mayan gods would have predicted this come 2016.
The ultimate question right now is, why?
Now the first thought that would come to mind to someone who has not played the game before is that the game is simply great fun and has a nice setting. Which is true but not entirely true. Pokemon games had existed decades ago on Nintendo consoles with far more depth and dare I say, top to bottom a better game. Yet, it didn't received this much traction from this many people. And there is a simple reason to this.
The rise of casual gamers. A simple fact is playing Pokemon in the 90s was not cool. Playing Pokemon as a teenager led to being called a nerd. For some ever reason, playing video games led to the stereotyping of gamers being anti-social and stuck in their parents' basement all day. But now, along with the rise of popular gaming Youtube channels, playing video games is now starting to be acceptable, even cool. But people are yet to be really invested into video games to buy themselves a gaming console, yet they want to be in the cool crowd. Thus, they looked into the next best thing. The smartphone.
Nearly everyone that can afford it has in their possession a smartphone of some sort. It has become a necessity in this world where if you don't move with change, you'll be left behind in the dust. This means there are a huge population of casual gamers ready to be fed in app stores on smartphones. Casual gamers are those who's only gaming experience is from their 5 inch screen. Regular gamers have mocked casual gamers, calling them 'fake gamers' and brand them as a cancer of the gaming community. Yet there is no doubt the force that casual games will soon grow to be. Companies like Konami have changed their direction to be some way the same road as casual games will be on.
Thus, there was no surprise to see casual gamers basking in delight when Pokemon Go was released on the Play Store/ Apple Store. A game backed by a historic and giant company with probably the biggest market in history of gaming. And guess how many downloads of the game has it been?
2 million? Nah, a bit higher.
10 million? Nearly there.
50 million?!?! Close.
Just multiply by another 10.
500 MILLION. YES.
And this is up to September 6, 2016. Which means the figure could be so much higher now. Mind-boggling.
I guess quality really trumps quantity.
So concluded from above, the platform at which Pokemon Go is on helped its popularity reach a global scale. Yet, it is only a small raindrop in a puddle of reasons why this game succeeded the way it did.
Mobile games come and go like cars on the Kuala Lumpur freeway. The staying power of mobile app seems to be a troubling enigma that troubles the mind of content creators everywhere.
How do you make a game relevant for a long period of time?
Although smartphone is an amazing piece of technology, it is forever limited to simple touch screen movements and gyroscope rotations. Thus, nearly every game on the app store is the same in terms of controls. The novelty of touch screen which was something amazing as a child has been quickly lost to the sands of time and its biggest enemy, familiarization. So, when a wonder game is released to the masses, the impact of it will never quite reach the heights of its ancestors for the sole reason that it was not the first one.
It is a troubling problem, yet has a straightforward and logical solution. Make a new, never before seen feature. And guess what ?
Pokemon Go did just that by answering the problem with two words.
Augmented reality.
Frankly speaking, I didn't even hear about this term prior to the release of Pokemon Go. By definition, Augmented reality (AR) is a live, indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented ( or supplemented ) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.
In simpler terms. we get an illusion of reality by stuff that makes it seem really real when it is not.
In the case of Pokemon Go, it is through GPS data and graphics. Now, the true aim of every Pokemon Go player is to catch every Pokemon possible in the game. And then maybe conquer a few gyms for a couple of minutes of glory. Hence the iconic catchphrase, ' Gotta catch'em all! '
Now here comes the interesting and juicy parts that makes this game really special. These Pokemons that you are supposed to catch? Their locations are not fixed. Yes. You heard me. This game isn't some fixed story mode with one and only one way to complete it. You wanna catch that Charizard? You better start travelling throughout Malaysia with one powerbank in hand and do as much research as humanely possible to find it. Each Pokemon has a 12 minute or so of spawn time in a certain area. Once that time is up, I'm afraid you have missed that window of opportunity to fill up that Pokedex of yours. A Pokemon could show up in the forests of Pahang in one second and then rear its head in the beaches of Terengganu in the next. A simple yet fascinating concept that uses GPS which is a feature in most, if not all smartphones out today.
This concept of an ever changing spawn sites of Pokemons keep the game fresh and players invested as no amount of money can truly overcome this new and refreshing challenge in the game. Instead, true dedication and a LOT of free time will go a long way in completing the holy bible of Pokemon, the Pokedex.
A lot of mobility is needed from the user to catch all the Pokemons in a huge area radius. This gives the illusion that you have no longer playing as a Pokemon trainer in a game but instead you truly feel that you ARE a Pokemon trainer walking all over the place for the sole purpose of catching THAT Pokemon that you really want. As said before, this game really crosses the border of reality and its virtual counterpart.
Fucking Pokemons teasing my incompetency to find them.
This Pokemon catching malarkey has provided the world with yet another new concept in mobile games, adventure. Because catching Pokemon has transformed in such a way that through the simple aim of catching these little monsters have become some sort of adventure for users worldwide. It gives kids and teenagers that urge to explore their surroundings instead of being stuck behind a television, nearly motionless most of the time. Places such as parks and fields which are breeding grounds for Pokemon have seen their attendance rate increase by one hundred fold. I can relate, believe me.
Even adults are embracing this adventure concept. After a long week of working, the dullness and mundane cycle will infect one even during the work-free days of the weekend. The routine of watching television will probably get boring pretty quick for the average adult as the feeling of unproductiveness kicks in a gear. They crave for an activity that is fun, not stressful in any way but something that requires effort to produce that feel-good, pat yourself in the back dopamine feeling in the system. Yes, you guessed it. Pokemon Go was that solution.
Now adults can be seen flocking in the masses to multiple well known Pokemon hotspots in their area during the weekends. They too want that piece of adventure to colour up their day by exploring more and more new areas for the sake of hunting virtual monsters. Hell, they can even get more enthusiastic than the average teenager on the street playing the same game. They may not have a profound knowledge on the storied history of Pokemon but they have that glint in their eye that suggest they really do love and enjoy the mobile game on its own. And who can really blame them?
Lastly, the main point that pushed this app to popularity in the first place isn't so unique after all. In fact, it happens to nearly every app that hits the benchmark of 100 or so million. It is a society issue which plagues most of us vain people out there. The obsession to keep in touch with whatever trend that is happening around the world. The need to follow every fad in order to not be classified as an outsider to the mainstream people. Because it is hard going against the norm which is the majority in this part of the story. Values and personal preferences will be sacrificed to accommodate something clearly against your want. But yet, there is that lingering and inevitable feeling of giving in to the voices of the many. This is not limited to Pokemon Go or even smartphone apps in general. It applies to the influence of trends however fucking stupid they are.
However, trying something new is a great thing too. It opens new doors and widens one's perception of a particular subject matter. Yet, in following trends, rarely does it come to fruition as most trends die off with good reason.
I have seen people slating of Pokemon Go as losers with no lives of their own and bragging about catching a Dragonite - all on the same day. It is clear and blatant hypocrisy but yet very harmless. This is not a necessarily a bad thing though. I mean don't get me wrong, it is disgusting at times but I have some sort of affinity towards Pokemon Go. It is a rather charming game and the community within my circle of mutual acquaintances is great.
Unlike most people, I will not say that this game is going to change your life by making you walk so many miles that you'll be as fit as an Olympian runner. That's bullshit. But, this is probably the first trending app that encourages interaction and peppers in a bit of exercise into it. It is different and a refreshing look for smartphone apps in a long time.
The lifespan of this kind of apps are never ever long but Pokemon Go has outlasted many people's paper-thin expectations. Yet, it is clear the app is dying. The mushrooming of people in parks have dropped right here in Malaysia and it is clear to see that is unlikely to pick up anytime soon. It will die an honorable death eventually as it cannot escape the clutches of society short term memory but it has certainly impacted the world with its influence.
Final thoughts, it is still a far cry from being an actual Pokemon Go trainer but the future is indefinitely bright. Who knows, really?
Let me dream at night.
Comments
Post a Comment