By Abhijit Asad
When Japanese video game guru Satoshi Tajiri first came up with the concept of the Pokémon games for the Nintendo Game Boy handheld console in the mid-’90s, he probably had no idea what he was setting in motion. The games were rather simplistic affairs: as a young trainer, you must explore a land of fantasy in search of exotic creatures known as Pokémon (a portmanteau of the words ‘pocket’ and ‘monsters’) in the wild. Upon encountering one, you must defeat them in battle to capture them, train them in various ways, then pit your own Pokémon against those of other trainers in turn-based duels.
Although the above description makes the whole process sound like some macabre blood sport, the franchise doesn’t feature any death (which has been conveniently replaced with ‘fainting’). That, along with its cute visuals and simple premise (along with the innocent tagline of “Gotta catch ‘em all!”) managed to gain such a massive stranglehold on pop culture, that the initial pair of Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, went on to make way for an immensely popular franchise of staggering magnitudes. The gamut of this sensation ran from merchandises to several animation series and films; currently, the franchise is valued at well over $40 billion. The Pokémon universe now features over 700 different types of Pokémon.
Now, over twenty years later, Pokémon’s presence in the public mind has spiked once again with the advent of the augmented reality Pokémon Go on our smartphones, and this time, as the popular Internet meme goes, its popularity has gone ‘over nine thousand’.
Pokémon Go, developed by Niantic Labs (if that name doesn’t sound familiar, don’t worry, it’s one of Google’s endless legion of startup ventures), uses the power of the mighty Google Maps and the trusty GPS module of your phone to ‘place’ virtual Pokémon in the real world. It effectively turns your phone into a Pokémon detector – move to a location where a Pokémon is lurking (by walking over to the location marker shown on your map) peer at the place through the in-game camera (basically, your smartphone’s camera), and voila! There’s the Pokémon, standing there in front of you, looking quite real, on the screen of your phone.
The most interesting part of Pokémon Go, which sets it apart from almost every other game, is that it actively requires the player to explore the real world to find new Pokémon so that you can level up and expand your collection. It’s not too hard to come across them, given the fact that the virtual creatures are scattered all over the place, literally. They are everywhere (this writer has been informed by certain avid players that certain types of Pokémon are known to hang out in the vicinity of the Banani branch of Star Kabab). More interesting dynamics come into play here, given that the availability of many types of Pokémon realistically vary depending on the real-life terrain of a particular location, and some are entirely nocturnal, so they cannot be found during the day. They also move about quite a bit in the process of patrolling their territories, so don’t just expect them to stand around waiting for you.
After hunting down the location of a Pokémon, it’s a matter of casting a virtual Pokéball (a sort of Pokémon container) at them with an onscreen flick of your finger. This may or may not work depending on various factors, such as the player’s level, the Pokémon’s level, or sheer dumb luck.
While the core elements of the game have not strayed at all from its humble Game Boy origins, the technology behind the game is pretty fantastic. The movement patterns of the Pokémon, for example, are defined by an interesting set of algorithms that factor in, among other things, location data of nearby players as well as the Pokémon’s rarity levels. Also, now and then, you are bound to come across a site in the real world that is a Pokéstop (a store selling useful items for Pokémon trainers) in the Pokémon virtuality, where you can replenish your hunting supplies.
The dueling mechanism has also been implemented in the form of Pokémon gyms (more virtual locations, of course), where aspiring Pokémon Trainers can duel each other with their Pokémon on behalf of their house of choice.
The augmented reality feature of the game has made it hugely appealing to players from all age demographics, and the fact that there is no ‘endgame’ means that each player is free to play the game according to his/her own goals. Whether it involves battling other players, invading gyms, grinding up to high levels or only collecting Pokémon; it is entirely up to the discretion of the individual player.
The financial impact of Pokémon Go has been nothing less than stunning, adding over $7.5 billion to Nintendo’s market value within only a few days of being launched. However, the servers of the game are being tremendously taxed by the immense load imposed by the ridiculous number of players, and the game often crashes/disconnects as a result, an issue that is still in the process of being resolved. It has also had mixed impacts on the social behavior of people, ranging from people trespassing into restricted areas in search of Pokémon to people robbing careless players at gunpoint when they stumble into secluded locations where Pokémon can be found. However, it has also enabled some great things, such as making it easier for children afflicted by autism or similar conditions to socialize and bond, not to mention forging friendships between many a fan.
The best part of Pokémon Go is that it is entirely free to play. One can download the game and play it for as long as they want without having to pay a single penny. However, there is also the option to spend real money for microtransactions to buy in-game items and perks for those who want to have a less grueling time. However, what you don’t pay in money, be prepared to pay it in terms of your smartphone’s battery life, not to mention countless hours of your life, because this is one addiction that won’t leave easily. You have been warned.
