At its launch, Pokemon Go was a booming success. Especially at Georgia Tech, a school full of gaming enthusiasts and young adults who remembered playing Pokemon games in their childhood, with even teachers joining the hunt. The many gyms throughout campus were always under attack, changing teams at least once every few hours. It was 'cool'.

However, as the novelty of the game wore out and people neared completion in their PokeDex, the number of people actively playing dwindled rapidly. A large aspect of the game was getting together with fellow players and searching for Pokemon together or attacking gyms with your teammates. It was fun to meet others sitting on the benches at Tech Tower, obvious Pokemon players who were furiously tapping their screens.

Pokemon Go was a good way to make friends. People planned frequent outings to hotspots such as Centennial and Piedmont Park, home to rare creatures such as the elusive 'Dragonite', and also formed groups tearing and erecting gyms across campus. Unfortunately the player density at Georgia Tech is no longer high enough to support the kind of social interaction that Pokemon Go once allowed.

I still remember running from Smith to the Campanile to catch my first 'Snorlax' with a total stranger who I alerted as I passed him at Tech Tower taking down the gym. Seeing people zooming in on rare spawns on campus on their longboards and bicycles at 11 PM. Taking gyms with my roommate, who has long since uninstalled.

Nowadays, only hardcore players remain. Gyms have stagnated to the point where anything not in the middle of campus is undisturbed for days. Even ones in the middle of campus last for up to a day. People only open up the app between classes to pick up what's on the way and track distance for their eggs and buddies. I haven't heard a single mention of the game in conversation for months. It's not really socially acceptable anymore to discuss Pokemon. People don't want to be seen playing the game alone for fear of being judged. People don't take gyms as much because no one is there to help them, so gyms stagnate. As people quit the game slowly dies for the rest of the players, leaving them feeling like they are playing a singleplayer game alone.

There are still lure events, but the most recent lure event for Halloween was a total disaster because the event changed spawns to Halloween specials, replacing everything with Gastly, Cubone, Meowth, Drowzee, and their evolutions. The residence hall lure event was by far the best one I've seen, actually pulling people out of their dorms to wander around in groups and socialize.

I still play myself, partially because it gives me an excuse to move around campus and actually get some exercise, and also motivation to wake up early in the mornings and grab gyms when no one's up.

If you are still playing and want to find other people to play, here are some good resources:

GT Pokemon Go Facebook Group

www.reddit.com/r/PKGOAtlanta/

Atlanta Pokemon Go Facebook Group