It’s been just over a year since Pokémon Go was released, are you still playing? I am. A lot of people were excited about the game for the first few months I’d say, which is actually quite long in my opinion. In today’s society we’re so quick to pick up the next toy or work out the next fad. I think Pokémon Go has been a real success not just short term but long term for players like myself.
I bring up this topic today because we’re in the midst of Legendary Raids. Basically, you’re battling the legendary bird in a gym. The catch is that (1) at the moment the birds are only hanging around for a week and (2) depending on which bird it is you are battling you’ll need about 7 people to defeat it. This has made the game fulfill its initial purpose of a communal game. The first year of the game you could get away with not talking to anyone else playing the game (especially after two months in) there was no need to talk and coordinate because you were simply – catching Pokémon and battling gyms. Now gyms have been reworked and a new element of -raids- has been added. This has forced players to play together, the main aim of the app from the start.
Even though I have been playing since the game was released it has only been in the last month and a half that I’ve actually put the faces to names, met and talked to the people in my area that I always see in gyms. I’ve made friends with 3 people in my area, so much so that we have our own group chat and message each other our about our epic finds, or if there’s raid going on to see who’s free to meet up. Along the way we’ve met some other people too, they’re less intense about the game but we’ve seen them a few times. I’ve heard from two different people that this game has helped them get out and walking, leading them to lose an incredible amount of weight. I think this is the key take away of the game, Niantic has managed to put together an app that is nostalgic, communal, sociable and good for your health. Regardless of whether or not your still playing the game it’s still helping others.
Do you still play? How many Pokémon do you have left to catch?
– ME
“I wanna be the very best like no one ever was”
– Pokémon
Poppie Paradise 