Gotta catch ’em all!

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, you may have heard of a little game called Pokémon Go that was just released in the US a few days ago. People of all ages have been obsessed with the game since its launch and have helped propel it to the top of the App Store charts in record time. I expected hard-core fans from its 20-year history to be fanatical about latest release. I did not expect so many non-gamers and new fans to become equally as enthralled by this game.

One of the most surprisingly engaging aspects of the game is its geolocation mechanic. In order to capture a wide variety of Pokémon, you must physically travel to various locations in your neighborhood and city. Of course, you can pay to “lure” Pokémon to your present location (an obvious way to monetize a free-to-play game), but you are limited by the types of characters you can collect. By simply walking around a local park or downtown, you can pass by Pokéstops to collect Pokéballs and other prizes, and you can encounter “wild” Pokémon and attempt to capture them. Not much to it.

An interesting side-effect of forcing players to walk around outside is the inevitable gathering of players in city parks. Players will camp out near a Pokéstop, and a few generous players will trigger lures to bring Pokémon into the area. As people are huddled over their phones waiting for their catch, they will socialize with other players, give advice to new players, and welcome strangers to hang out. For a game that forces players to constantly stare at their phones, it has created an amazingly engaging social layer.

During one of my regular photo strolls around Seattle, I happened upon several groups of people wandering around Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill playing Pokémon Go. There were some we were walking to every Pokéstop in the area. There were others who camped out at Pokéstops, triggering lures, and sharing the wealth of Pokémon coming into the area. In both cases, everyone was being incredibly social. As strangers passed by, also on their phones, there were nods of acknowledgment and cheers of “Gotta catch ’em all!”

I must admit that I, too, am addicted to the game. I like the exploration element, and I love games where I get to collect things. Walking around the city and capturing Pokémon is guaranteed to keep my attention.

I hung out at Cal Anderson Park for nearly an hour. I walked to both ends of the park several times to collect Pokémon. I paused at various Pokéstops with lures to see what I could capture. I chatted with players. I explained to confused passers-by what the hell was going on (the scene at Cal Anderson Park resembled M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening).

As is my nature, I took pictures the entire time (I was technically there for an afternoon photo stroll). No one seemed to mind. In fact, several people were amused at the entire situation. How often do you get dozens of strangers gathering in a park to play a video game about collecting digital creatures on their phones? It’s a strange world we live in, and I love it.