As a casual hardcore fan of the “Pokemon” franchise, “Pokemon GO” immediately caught my attention.The concept itself was so intriguing, and developer Niantic's overall silence about the project made it even more so. I scoured internet threads for any bits of information up until the game’s release. My friends and I engaged in daily conversation of "This is going to be so cool!" envisioning hypothetical scenarios and narratives of an unreleased game. And the moment the game’s APK file was released in America, I was determined to become "the very best (ideally like no one ever was)." I stepped foot outside to the nearby park: an unclaimed gym that would be mine for the taking.
It was then that I realized that I was far from alone on this journey. A small crowd of equally determined trainers greeted me to this new and unclaimed land. Perhaps a new group of friends to take on the world of Pokemon? The park was crowded and unified. Surely a new stone was to be turned?
But two weeks later, I can barely bring myself back to the same park. And my former rivals and fellow trainers are also nowhere to be seen. Harvey Park has been picked clean of rare Pokemon, it isn't worth the effort to catch that extra Nidoran. One can't help but question, "Where did 'Pokemon GO?'"
The introduction of "Pokemon GO" created an interesting cultural phenomenon, but with minimal engagement and new content, as well as the underwhelming attention span of mainstream audiences, many wonder if the app if can keep the attention its receiving
As many people are aware, “Pokemon GO” is the Augmented Reality game created by the Pokemon Company and Niantic, Inc. Players are encouraged to explore their surroundings to find their favorite creatures, which spawn based on GPS location. Extra incentive is strategically placed at local art or landmarks, known in-game as Pokestops, which, without a doubt, have increased foot traffic to said locations.
Personally, I love the game and everything it stands for. The novelty of exploring the world to search for Pokemon is quite honestly a dream come true, and combined with its overall accessibility, “Pokemon GO” creates one of the most rewarding experiences created by a single app. It’s been such an adventure learning the ins and outs of the game. I, alongside many others, have been a fairly casual Pokemon fan, never delving into the competitive mechanics, but always coming along for the ride when the mainline games hit.
“Pokemon GO” reignited a cultural phenomenon. With little advertising (only one trailer and a few spotlights at key gaming presentations such as E3), the game managed to be one of the most active apps, matching the amount of active “Twitter” users in just one week.
And that week was probably the most surreal week of my life. Overhearing conversations about how "Vaporeons are overpowered” or how “there’s a Raichu down that corner I swear!” filled my inner nerd with joy. It finally became cool to wear my Ash Ketchum hat (which I have personally been rocking since the ninth grade). Pokemon was never really a niche franchise so to speak, but to have it become this level of mainstream is unheard of. Just four months ago, bringing out my 3DS to play “Pokemon: Alpha Sapphire” in public was unheard of. But 50 million downloads later, “Pokemon GO” is the most normal thing to take out during idle time.
And that leads into one of “Pokemon GO’s” strengths: its ability to bring people together. Having a cell phone out while walking isn’t an uncommon thing, but having it be the unifying part of a community creates an interesting environment to just exist in. Meeting people who give tips on the nearest Eevee nest and creating friendly rivalries with the local Team Valor members brought people together. Not a demographic, or even a generation--just plain people.
And interestingly enough, a key factor of the “Pokemon GO” phenomenon is its effect on social perception and identity. At Level 5, players make the weighted decision of choosing between three distinct teams: Mystic, Instinct and Valor. Internet cliques formed immediately, as Teams Mystic, Instinct and Valor became the next “Hogwarts” houses. Despite minimal in-game lore, the “Pokemon GO” fandom created associated traits and memes with each of the corresponding teams. Whether you’re on the cold and calculated Team Mystic, the overzealous Team Valor, or the carefree Team Instinct, one's “Pokemon GO” team quickly became a key trait for every user to display with pride. These traits were reinforced by the introduction of “Candela,” “Spark,” and “Blanche,” who personify the very characteristics of each team.
And with that, “Pokemon GO” takes seemingly nerdy culture into the mainstream, reforming society for the better, right?
While I applaud their ambition and innovation, what I’m scared of is having "Pokemon GO," and by extension, generally "nerdy" entertainment, merely be a fad within the mainstream eye. Because after hype and nostalgia are put aside, it is very clear that the “Catch-em-all” app is dropping the ball. Truth be told, the game itself is very bare bones. What is essentially a glorified collect-a-thon will without a doubt lose the hardcore interest quickly.
Despite sharing the name with the franchise, “Pokemon GO” lacks many of the features that make the namesake iconic. The game lacks traditional PvP environments, trading, and five generations of “Pokemon” that hardcore fans have grown to adore. And while it is to be understood that the app itself is free, one can’t help but wonder when more content will be accessible.
In fact, Niantic seems to be removing features all together. Upon the game’s release, players were able to track specific “Pokemon” locations. The feature was taken out, leading to rumors that the feature put too much strain on the server, and had to be taken out to stabilize the rest of the gameplay.
Reddit user goonswarmz criticized Niantic’s decision, rightfully proclaiming that “You can’t grow a player base by removing features from a game that has so few.”
"Pokemon GO" in its current state is in a strange limbo between casual and hardcore players. Having the game solely be about collecting Pokemon would be criminally under-utilizing the property, but yet it seems to be the only thing the majority of the audience cares about. The game isn't particularly engaging, but the sheer novelty of the game have caused players to overlook the shallow gameplay.
Many players don’t even interact with the various “gyms:” the competitive aspect of the game which encourages players to use their Pokemon to fight. And with good reason, too: only a handful of Pokemon are even competitively viable in the gym environment. If such a large emphasis of the game is placed on an environment where only the truly dedicated can succeed, it is no surprise that the casual crowd ignores it. When key development time is spent on something as esoteric as moveset balancing, Niantic is faced with a difficult choice.
And perhaps having to make that choice at all will eventually lead to its downfall.
But if there is one thing the “Pokemon” franchise succeeds in, it is persistence. The franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with “Pokemon GO” being merely a side attraction. The main event of this year is the release of “Pokemon Sun” and its counterpart “Pokemon Moon,” which release November 18th on the Nintendo 3DS system. While the 3DS is a much more niche platform than the smartphone, both The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have faith in the next true installment in the "Pokemon" series.
But when all is said and done, both the Pokemon Company and Niantic are treading entirely new ground. While "Pokemon GO" is without a doubt one of this year's most innovative apps, it will take more than nostalgia and a brand to keep this game afloat. Communication and updates are key to longevity.
Only time will tell if “Pokemon GO” will be the best that it can be.
