{"id":45170,"date":"2023-10-20T15:41:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/why-pokemon-go-became-an-instant-phenomenon-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:41:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:41:37","slug":"why-pokemon-go-became-an-instant-phenomenon-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/why-pokemon-go-became-an-instant-phenomenon-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Pokemon Go became an instant phenomenon – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Katherine Isbister<\/em><\/p>\n

In the last week, Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game for mobile phones, has taken off. Daily traffic for the game exceeded Twitter and Facebook use. What is driving this intense interest and involvement? One way to understand is to take a closer look at the game\u2019s design.<\/p>\n

First, for those who haven\u2019t played or watched, a brief overview of how the game works. To play Pokemon Go, you download an app onto your phone, which allows you to search for and \u201csee\u201d virtual creatures called Pokemon that are scattered throughout the real world. You need to be physically close to a Pokemon\u2019s location to see it on your mobile screen.<\/p>\n

Pokemon Go uses augmented reality technology \u2013 the game overlays the creature image on top of video from your phone\u2019s camera, so it looks as if the creature is floating in the real world. When you find a Pokemon, you try to catch it by swiping an on-screen ball at it. The simplest aim of the game is to \u201ccatch \u2019em all.\u201d<\/p>\n

To do this, you\u2019ll have to wander outside your own real-world neighborhood, because different types of creatures are scattered throughout your town and all around the world. You can easily share snapshots of creatures you\u2019ve collected and where you found them on social media sites like Facebook, if you want.<\/p>\n

As you get better at the game, you discover that you can train the creatures in \u201cgyms,\u201d which are virtual spaces accessible by visiting real world public locations (for example, the White House is a gym). When you\u2019ve reached level 5 in the game, you get a chance to join one of three teams: Team Mystic, Team Valor or Team Instinct.<\/p>\n

These teams compete to maintain control over the gyms where Pokemon go and train. You and your friends can choose the same team, and work together if you like. You\u2019ll also have teammates from around your community (and the world) who join in.<\/p>\n

Several aspects of the game\u2019s design help to make the experience so compelling. A look at gaming research shows several of the game\u2019s elements can explain why playing Pokemon Go has been such a massive worldwide hit for players of all ages.<\/p>\n

Simple gameplay<\/h3>\n

Playing Pokemon Go is simple and accessible.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to grasp what to do \u2013 just \u201ccatch \u2019em all\u201d by walking around. In contrast to many \u201chard core\u201d games such as League of Legends that can require hours or even years of skills training and background, Pokemon Go\u2019s design draws upon the principles of folk games such as scavenger hunts.<\/p>\n

Folk games have simple rules and typically make use of everyday equipment, so that the game can spread readily from person to person. They often involve physical interaction between players \u2013 think of duck-duck-goose or red rover.<\/p>\n

These sorts of games are designed to maximize fun for a wide age range, and are typically extremely quick to grasp. Pokemon Go\u2019s designers made it very simple for everyone to learn how to play and have fun quickly.<\/p>\n

Getting moving<\/h3>\n

Pokemon Go also leverages the power of physical movement to create fun. Simply moving about in the world raises one\u2019s arousal level and energy, and can improve mood. Exercise is frequently recommended as part of a regimen to reduce depression.<\/p>\n

Pokemon Go\u2019s design gives players powerful motivation to get out of the house and move around. Not only are the creatures distributed over a wide geographic area, but also, players can collect Pokemon eggs that can be hatched only after a certain amount of movement. Players have reported radically increasing the amount of exercise that they get as they start playing the game.<\/p>\n

Connecting with others<\/h3>\n

The most powerful wellspring of fun in the game\u2019s design is how it cultivates social engagement. There are several astute design choices that make for increased collaborative fun and interaction.<\/p>\n

For one thing, everyone who shows up to collect a creature at a location can catch a copy of that creature if they want. So players have motivation to communicate with one another and share locations of creatures, engaging in deeply collaborative rather than competitive play. Not all gamers like fierce competition, so the collaborative aspects of the game broaden its appeal.<\/p>\n

For those who do love competition, the three-team structure allows for friendly rivalry and challenge. The ease of joining a team keeps it from being exclusionary, preserving the game\u2019s inclusive style. Because there are only three teams worldwide, there\u2019s a lot of friendly banter online about which team is the best, adding to the fun.<\/p>\n

Also, collecting Pokemon is a distinctive-looking thing to do with a phone. Players can tell when a stranger is collecting Pokemon at a place they happen to be, and can join in and collect for themselves.<\/p>\n

This has sparked many conversations among strangers. Finally, making it easy to take snapshots of collected creatures and share them on social media has meant that players recruit other players into the game at astonishing rates. Building collaboration and connection into the game in these ways creates a broadly accessible flavor of play, so that many people are willing to engage and share.<\/p>\n

Pokemon Go\u2019s rapid success demonstrates the potential for well-designed augmented reality games to connect people to one another and their physical environment. That forms a stark contrast to the typical stereotype of video games as socially isolating and encouraging inactivity.<\/p>\n

It bodes well for the future of augmented reality gaming.<\/p>\n

Katherine Isbister is a professor of computational media at the University of California.<\/em>This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter, <\/em>LinkedIn <\/em>and <\/em>SoundCloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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