It started innocently enough. A gaggle of school girls gathered near a cluster of pink roses at the San Diego Botanical Garden. Carrying on about one thing or another. I didn’t know what it was. Nor did I care. I just wanted them to go away so that I could go back to instagramming my latest masterpiece.
When I later saw those same girls at the Science Center running from exhibit to exhibit I surmised that they were doing a scavenger hunt. One that would have them running around one of Balboa Park’s fifteen museums throughout the day. A fun way to see a little bit of everything in one day. And to be honest I was a little bit jealous of them. After all, who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt?
It wasn’t until later in the day when I was on the San Diego waterfront that I began to figure out what was going on. Those girls and about a thousand other people were playing Pokemon Go, the newest addictive iPhone game from Nintendo that has been exploding in popularity minute by minute over the last four days. In fact, according to TechCrunch more than 7.5 million Americans have downloaded the game already. And that was as of yesterday. I can’t even imagine what the number is today.
This isn’t just a game though. It’s not like Farmville or Clash of Clans. Rather, this is an experience. An Augmented Reality experience that uses your phone’s camera and GPS to overlay Pokemon (aka “Pocket Monster”) characters onto reality. If we’re both sitting in a room and you have the app but I don’t you’ll be able to see the character sitting next to me on the coach and I won’t. You could then walk over to that spot and “collect” that Pokemon if you don’t already have it. Users can then “battle” each other as an added source of entertainment but it seems as though that the act of collecting Pokemon is the biggest draw to the game.
I can almost understand the appeal. Pokemon has a massive built in fan base, scavenger hunts are inherently fun, and most of the people playing were teens who are already addicted to their phones. But here’s the thing. It wasn’t just teens who were playing. Literally everyone was playing. Every. Single. Person. To the point where two random strangers started talking to each other on the street after converging on the same collection point. An instant friendship was born. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. And here’s the best part. They were talking in front of a guy who was on the pier collecting tickets for tours at the Maritime Museum and that guy was into it too! Literally every single person. By the time Monday rolled around it was inescapable. The revolution was in full force. People were playing up and down the boardwalk at Mission Beach. It was incredible.
A point driven home by my friend Marc who posted the following on Facebook:
“Today at the park there must have been HUNDREDS of people playing Pokemon… all ages… all genders and sizes. Smiling. Laughing. Having a great time.
In a world that has seemingly been going to shit, “Nature has an order. A power to restore balance. I believe Godzilla is that power.”
In this case… it’s Pokemon……..”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. With so much hatred going on in the world right now, with racial tensions at an all time high, with the country teetering on the brink of self destruction, what was needed, now more than ever, was some light to shine into the darkness. A fun, lighthearted, spirit raising shared experience that could help to bring us closer together. Never in a million years would I have thought that Pokemon would be that unifying force. And yet, there I was, standing on the pier in San Diego witnessing two random strangers from different ethnic backgrounds becoming fast friends as they raced to the nearest collection point. At this rate it wouldn’t surprise me if Pokemon Go wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, my motivation for writing this blog isn’t to say that Pokemon Go is the Greatest Idea Ever. It could very well become a passing fad that eventually reaches a saturation point. Kind of like the original Pokemon. Rather, the point is to say that this feels like the start of a new era. An era in which Augmented Reality becomes at the forefront of everything that we do.
In the not too distant future walking directions will be overlayed onto streets. Advertisements will pop up as we walk by store fronts. Children looking out the window during a long car ride will see their imaginations come to life. AR will be everywhere. It’ll become ubiquitous. A part of our everyday lives. A part of our culture. A part of us. When all is said and done Augmented Reality, possibly lead by Pokemon Go, will be a real game changer. A game that literally changes The Game. So, sit back and enjoy the ride. Actually, don’t do that. Don’t sit at all. Get out there and find those Pokemon!
Is Pokemon Go the Greatest Idea Ever?
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