Pokemon Go gives us hope for the Future of Technology-Enabled Social Interaction.
Pokemon Go, the much-anticipated augmented reality app launched globally yesterday.
Pokemon Go geotags ‘Pokemons’ on a map so players can physically travel to certain locations and use their GPS and smartphone cameras to ‘capture’ them.
It’s an early Augmented reality app — i.e. superimposing a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. It’s been wildly popular since release, trending across the globe and ramping up to hundreds of thousands of users.
I truly believe augmented reality apps like Pokemon Go are the social change evolution in technology we desperately need as humanity.
No one can argue the fact that people are glued to their mobile devices. The social degradation of this addiction is evident in the street. People are more fascinated by their phones than the environment and people around them.
Pokemon Go and Augmented Reality will change this for the better.
I personally met literally 10 people in the space of 10minutes while walking around discovering Pokemon in the Sydney streets. I also discovered a number of awesome Sydney landmarks that the app displays when you walk past. It’s almost like taking an interactive tour of Sydney while simultaneously gamifying the world around you with Pokemon!
This is something truly amazing.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Seriously.
It was such an awesome change to see people using their smartphones and also interacting with the urban environment , and, most importantly, interacting with other people in the street! Strangers playing games together.. Everyone I met seemed so happy and excited.
I hear there is some super rare Pokemon at the Sydney Opera House…and an even more rare phenomenon; random humans interacting and sharing experiences together.
Today gives me a much brighter look into the future of a technology and the evolution of social interaction.
Eddie Cranswick is the Creative Founder of Now VR, Co-creator of Relaxation VR and an Innovation Consultant.
