Enter, Pokemon Go

Kudrat Kahlon

NEVER has a video game dominated the broad cultural conversation like Pokémon Go has. The intense fandom (or distaste) is symptomatic of the pulse of the society it reflects. From claims of eradicating social anxiety to making people more active, it is evident that a video game isn't good or bad based solely on complexity and richness of graphics but on how responsive it is to social desire.

A friend, a sober Supreme Court lawyer stepped out of the court to “catch a Pokémon” and  sent a picture of a cartoon, or rather a pink "jigglypuff." One cannot dismiss the raging popularity of Pokémon Go as just another video game because it is tapping into a completely different, transformative space that is indicative of how we will interact and the integrative role technology will play in our lives.

Pokémon Go is different from any other entertainment option in 21st century. A game that was launched in July 2016 has garnered a lot of attention and capital in just a few weeks. So popular is it that regional launches in new countries are on hold for fears of anticipated server failure. It was last being used by an estimated 65 million people, in a short span of less than a month.

Pokémon Go prompts you to actually move to other locations to catch a Pokémon — a seismic change in video games, since it is controlling where players go at a predestined time and predestined locations to catch a Pokémon or build teams.

In a normal video game or a virtual reality game, you would never know if your opponent or team member is a 10-year-old boy in San Francisco playing way past his bedtime, or an old lady in Romania playing her children's videogame.  Since players descend at the same location at the same time, it becomes a new form of social interaction. To old-fashioned conversationalists this might seem an odd way to interact but in a highly “connected” society, we remain alone and this is a new way to be sociable.

Pokémon Go provides satisfaction in the key human drivers, according to behavioural studies due to a sense of achievement and mastery, when trying to catch a rare Pokémon. 

It might be free at the basic level, cleverly timed purchase options that work when the game is at its climax prompts gamers to invest. This investment might be small but adds up to a lot for avid gamers. May not seem a seismic change but because Pokémon Go is blending our real world via augmented reality, in terms of creating cultural acceptance it  heralds a new era of greater acceptance of technology in our daily lives. Pokémon Go for instance could intimidate local restaurants in your area about your score and you could capitalise on free food or a discount at another store. So while you are driving to Starbucks for morning coffee, there is a chance of a detour to McDonalds, because that's where the Pokémon Go App nudged you to get a free coffee instead. 

Why would brands be keen on offering discounts? Because for the first time a video game is prompting people to move to predestined locations, so the possibility of capitalising, controlling is immense as is maneouverability. Coffee shops in New York already found out the possible benefits of Pokémon Go when their sales went up because a popular Pokémon was close by and people were waiting to catch it, in the process ordering a coffee or two.

Privacy, safety & manipulation

Unlike virtual reality, where you can climb mountains while sitting on your couch, Pokémon Go prompts you to move and physically, to actually go to the location where Pokémon is located in real time. Hence, there is a chance of running into your competitors and team players.

This obviously raises privacy and safety issues. From teenagers wandering in unsafe neighborhoods to robbers waiting where a rare Pokémon is rumoured to be.

In an economy where customization and democratization of information is key, people are making more independent decisions on where to spend their time and money, this game has a unique advantage of not only capturing people's undivided attention but also dictating where people should go in real time.  

People are gathering around Pokéstops for social interaction and conversation with complete strangers. Judging from the success of Pokémon Go, people are seeking achievement, social interaction and novelty in their lives and landscapes. By introducing a fresh perspective to your usual evening walk a spark of possibility and discovery of a new Pokémon, a sense of achievement to catch a Pokémon in an otherwise monotonous landscape. Pokémon Go's creators seem to have tapped into the entrepreneurial wisdom that dictates: Don't start a business to make money but to fix a problem in the society. Money will come. 

Since its launch on July 6, in two weeks Nintendo doubled its value, without a worldwide launch and without utilising  other revenue options that can be generated. Despite being an all-time popular brand, Pokémon abstained from making a smartphone app. Its creators realised intuitively that first movers are hardly winners.  While everyone was jumping on creating a smartphone app to stay ahead of the curve. Pokémon Go waited, observed the pitfalls of other companies. They did not launch a virtual reality game but an augmented reality game. While the difference to a non-gamer might not seem immense, from a psychological perspective the latter has been a winning success. 

Human nature prefers novelty cushioned in familiarity. We are curious but only to the extent that we can make sense out of the novelty. Virtual reality in this sense is an overdose on the senses with new landscape, processes and experience. Augmented reality, however, as adopted by Pokémon Go, induces novelty but maintains the familiarity you have with your usual landscape, your commute to work, with the devices you use. If you are a technology-averse person, it might be time to revise your outlook because your real world, will blend with your virtual worlds sooner than you thought.

The writer is an avid Gamer.