Pokemon go.

[paulpablo]

I'm not a Pokemon fan so I'm possibly not a good person to be starting this thread off.

Anyone know what's going on with this Pokemon go thing? It sounds hilarious in a way.

People are trying to get in police stations, churches and so on for these Pokemon things.

Other people are finding dead bodies in rivers and encountering drug deals while searching for their Pokemon.

It sounds like a pretty fun game if I was 14 again and had enough time to waste.

[Seraphina]

14? More like 9. That's about the age demographic of my friends' kids on social media who are all into Pokémon Go. Apparently it's now the number one app after its release 5 days ago. I don't follow fads but I'm waiting for my child to tell me she wants to play it.

Since it uses GPS technology, it's just another way to monitor and monetize our every move - sorry to be a buzzkill

[J a c k]

I'm kind of disappointed that this thread doesn't have more response. I'm curious, too.

[BrokenQuill92]

I wasn't able to play very well, whether it's due to lack of sight or this game just sucks I can't tell

[TheRealJoeFish]

Ok, let me drop some knowledge on y'all. Comprehensive "WTF is Pokemon Go?!" post forthcoming. I already showed my coworkers today, so, why not?

[TheRealJoeFish]

1. History of Pokemon
Pokemon (a portmanteau of "pocket monsters") started in the 1990s in Japan as a video game, TV show, and trading card game. Essentially, it takes place in this world where there are these animals called Pokemon. In the first version, there were 150 different kinds. In this world, some people are "Pokemon trainers"; they go around catching wild Pokemon and training them to fight other Pokemon. It's (mostly) all in good fun; the Pokemon don't die or get seriously hurt or anything (when they lose all their HP, they've "fainted" and need to be taken to a Pokemon center - basically a little animal hospital - to be revived). So, those are the basic mechanics within the Pokemon universe: 1. Catch Pokemon, 2. Train them to make them stronger, 3. Battle other pokemon.

[Chad32]

How many nine year olds have devices with apps that you can get pokemon go on?

[TheRealJoeFish]

2. WTF is Pokemon Go?

Pokemon Go is the latest Pokemon game; it is the first one for smartphone. It is an "augmented reality" game, meaning it takes the real world and adds virtual elements. Wtf does that mean? Well:
A) when you turn on Pokemon Go, you see your little dude standing on a map of your town. Certain (usually) public buildings have special markers; basically you get bonuses for visiting them.
B) as you walk around, the game will say "hey, there's a Pokemon nearby!" You'll see it on the map, and you can go to it and try to catch it. The way this works is that your phone's camera shows you the world but this little Pokemon is added into it. That might not make sense; here's an example:

You can then catch it, and it's now your little battlepetguy

[paulpablo]

Just a guess but I imagine this game is something involving you being able to see pokemon in specific locations when your app is close enough to it, so kids have been going to places they shouldn't be, like in the middle of drug deals or police stations and stuff.

[TheRealJoeFish]

3. W(hy)TF is Pokemon Go in the news?

First and foremost, because everyone is playing it. The main demographic, believe it or not, is 20-somethings: people who "grew up with" Pokemon (as a 26-year-old, it was without a doubt the single most important toy/game/icon of my childhood). Lots and lots of younger persons are playing it; basically anyone younger than 30 who owns a smartphone.
Next, it's newsworthy because its unusual mechanics (involving walking around IRL) combined with its extreme popularity make for some... interesting results. Most basically, people who walk through the real world staring at their phones are going to a) trip, b) get lured into an armed robbery, or c) find a dead body (all of these things have happened). The mechanic that designates certain places as "PokeSpots" or "Gyms" means that the local Jewish Community Center is now going to have 15 college kids loitering outside it. If you live on the site of an old church and your house is accidentally made one of these spots, woe unto you; there will be strangers on your front porch at all hours of the night (this has happened as well).