Pokémon GO has two official opinions from the mass public; Love or Hate. I can understand both sides of the coin.

Personally I’m more on the “LOVE IT” side as are most of our members and staff. Why?

It’s getting people moving and socializing more!

For those of you unfamiliar of what in the hell Pokémon is it all started back in the 90’s when Game Boy Color was the next big thing. The Pokémon Game was launched on this handheld platform as most of you 90’s kids may remember and it was the SH*T!

The objective of the game was simple; there were 150 Pokémon of various types and the goal was to catch them ALL with your Pokéballs which were tools used to literally beam them into a small capsule.

Some Pokémon were really strong and rare which made the task of catching them such an accomplishment.  

Since I heard the game was in development back in 2015 I was pretty excited. The game utilized Google maps and actually had Pokémon placed in real parts of the world where you would have to actually be there to catch it. When it launched I was planning to hold a little competition between the members since it was an awesome way to get people moving, little did I know how HUGE this was going to be.

At this past week’s San Diego Comic-Con I had a rare opportunity to sit at a panel with the CEO of Niantic, John Hanke, who was the head of this whole development. 5000+ people were at the infamous Hall H to not only listen to what else is going on with the game, but to catch a supposedly rare legendary Pokémon that would only be released during this event at this particular venue. (Later it was learned that the rumor of the legendary Pokemon was false).

The moderator was Chris Hardwick and at one point in the panel he brought up how this game is pretty much like a Fitness App.

Hanke’s response was something along the lines of,”It’s been awesome and here’s the thing. If you say it’s specifically a fitness app then people would think differently of it. If it’s something that they’d actually enjoy doing then they’ll naturally feel inclined to get moving and start playing the game.”

It’s funny to see the social interaction and response to this whole Pokémon GO craze. Here’s a few of my observations:

  • Most People who use to play this game back in the 90’s are all over it. They know the ins and outs of how, where, what, and why of the game.
  • Some people who were not into Pokémon back then will still not buy into it. They’ll try to learn it since everyone is talking about it but will feel left out in crowds who are talking about it every second.
  • Companies are trying to hop on the Pokémon craze to stay relevant. It’s too late.
  • This is one of the only games where kids and teens who can’t drive actually have a disadvantage compared to their adult counterparts in playing this game since driving to certain places can prove beneficial.
  • The people who are saying,“But what about people getting jumped, stabbed, causing accidents and being hit by cars! This game is horrible and putting people in vulnerable situations!” have every right to say that. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right.
  • People blaming a game for falling victim to their own lack of common sense should not be in charge of things.
  • Park’s are crowded for once.
  • Memorials and Landmarks are being recognized.
  • People enter parks helping each other catch fictional animals in a made up world but a few leave with new friendships in real life.
  • Some Pokémon GO players are taking it too far with the whole Team Mystic, Team Valor, and Team Instinct thing.  
  • Cops are getting annoyed of kicking people out of private properties.
  • People who consider themselves “Adults and all grown up” who are above playing this game have long forgot the simplicity of letting people enjoy things.

This craze may fade, it may not. It’s just nice to see people being active for once without even knowing it. Now go capture that GAINSACHU!