TrendsPokemon Go mania: catch’ em all!

Giulia Baroni8 years ago9 min

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Pokémon, gotta catch ’em all, I know, this is now our destiny. At least what it seems to be.

It was 1995 when Satoshi Tajiri created this world, this Game Boy game developed by Nintendo and it became the second most successful and lucrative video game ever. Now 21 million daily active users are playing Pokémon GO, the new phenomenon launched by Nintendo in collaboration with Niantic (ex-Google subsidiary that has a past in the Augmented Reality field).

Pokémon GO, released July 6 for Apple iOS and Google Android, is not just a game anymore, is a mania.

The double side of a Pokéball

It actually took the gamers out of their caves, luring them out in the open air, walking around like crazy to battle and find the rarest Pokémon of all. And since it has been proven by many experts that getting moving can actually help people fight depression and anxiety, teens and players are saying that Pokémon Go is an anti-depressive. Could it be real? Well, we’ll see with time…

But the outside world can be a dangerous place. Especially if you are used to see the daylight from a curtain covered window. The incidents happened in the past days are numerous, people finding dead bodies, thieves performing armed robberies upon gamers at a Pokéstop and the Police seems to have real concerns, giving out advices like “Do not run into trees, meters, and things that are attached to the sidewalk; they hurt” or “Do not drive or ride your bike / skateboard / hipster techie device while interacting with the app”.

PokemonGO
Foto di http://bit.ly/29X7ZKI

And if the America PD has been very concerned, the UK police took the leap and is now using this app to catch criminals! New Hampshire police use Pokémon Go to lure fugitives to headquarters, since apparently there is the chance to capture a rare Charizard in the police HQ area. Well, let’s hope they catch’ em!

The perks of having a Pokestop nearby

But in 2016, it’s ok for gamers to dream and live in a AR reality, as long as companies are making money. So what’s the challenge for businesses here?

Infinite possibilities. Lewis Ward, IDC’s research director for gaming, said “This is by far the most successful AR game ever. It’s spawning changes in behavior and opening up new possibilities for revenue that have never been tangible before”.

The challenge is for local businesses, such as restaurants and bars, all wondering about how to take advantage of a phenomenon that is able to bring together hundreds of people at the same time. There’s of course, the option of becoming a Pokéstop, but also the chance of taking advantage of Pokéstop nearby. It’s the case of L’inizio Pizza Bar in Queens, New York, that increased its walk – in business by 75% just by buying a “lure module”. Each of it lasts 30 minutes, attracting wild Pokémon and of course, players.

Pokemon Go
Immagine di Tgcom 24 http://bit.ly/29RU9qs

The Pop Shop in Medford, New Jersey, decided to offer a free cone to Pokémon players purchasing an entrée. The result? They ran out of ice cream! And in Burlington, Vermont, My Little Cupcake bakery makes themed Pokémon cookies and it is next to a Pokéstop…do I have to say more?

More than a game, especially for business. And this is just the beginning, because the app has been out for just a couple of weeks. We he plenty of time to see what companies will come up with…

For now, give the game a go, get out and catch’ em all, whether they are potential customers, criminals or Pokémon!

Giulia Baroni

Vivo in una nube, non solo come scelta digitale ma anche come scelta di vita. A volte torno sulla terra e adoro realizzare che viviamo in un mondo globalizzato, ecco perché sono sempre curiosa e pronta ad imparare da culture differenti. Vivi per imparare ed impara per vivere.

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