As a 52 year old woman, whose children watched the animated Pokemon series nearly 2 decades ago, I am surprised to admit not only do I know what this game is (these now adult children tuned me in), but I think the interaction of actual GPS and these animated characters is intriguing.
What is Pokémon Go? It’s a free download for Android and iOS devices. Similar to the 1990s video games, the goal is still to catch as many Pokemon creatures as you can. Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game — it mixes real-world elements with the game.
The big thing is Pokémon Go uses your phone’s GPS and clock to decide which Pokémon appear in the game. If you’re at the park, more bug and grass types appear. If you’re by a lake, more water types appear. If it’s night, more nocturnal ghost and fairy types do. So Pokémon won’t just come to you; players have to traverse the real world to “catch ’em all”.
So once you download the game app, as you travel, these animated Pokemon creatures appear on your real life GPS screen where you can play the game and “capture” them. Each capture results in points. The more the better.
Unfortunately, many are losing track of this just being a fun game. Many of the problems from texting and walking and texting and driving are now occuring while people are playing this game. Not looking up from the screen and putting their safety and the safety of others at risk. Some are even going as far as trespassing to make a “capture”. We have to remember this is a game. Common sense and safety have to prevail. It is no fun to get hurt or hurt others trying to catch a cartoon character.
So go “catch ‘em all” SAFELY!