by Benjamin Nunnally
O
ver the last few weeks,
roving gangs of kids, college
students and young adults
have taken to the streets with their
cellphones. They’re not plotting
the end of the free world, though:
they’re catching Pokémon.
Thanks to the release of "Pokémon Go,” the
20-year-old video game series has had a
major mainstream resurgence, with new
players and old fans downloading the app
and heading outside to catch Pokémon.
Take a quick look on social media and it’s
clear that there are plenty of people who
don’t understand exactly what’s going on.
A few folks are even worried that the game
is malicious (or are convinced it’s stupid,
but we tend to ignore the fun police). It’s
actually simple, fun and mostly harmless.
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What is it?
It’s an augmented-reality pet-collecting
game that uses GPS to encourage players to
exercise.
Gone crosseyed? Here’s a better
explanation: it’s an app for iPhones and
Android phones where players collect
virtual animals — Pokémon — that can
be spotted in the real world by using the
phone’s camera. If you’ve ever heard of
an insect collection, it’s the same basic
concept.
Local historical sites and landmarks are also
pulled into the game, where they’re turned
into Pokéstops, a kind of refueling station
for supplies to catch and use Pokémon.
Once players catch Pokémon, they can
train them to become stronger, and then
August 2016
INSIGHT