Pokemon Go.
The game that’s sweeping the world. The first Pokemon games were released in 1996. The original Pokemon’s Red and Blue sold over 24 million copies. Selling 10 million copies in Japan, 10 million in the United States, and 4 million in the United Kingdom. Red and Blue were named the best selling RPG on the Game Boy and the best selling RPG of all time.
The Release
Fast forward 20 years later and Niantic releases Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go is a free to play augmented reality mobile game that shattered numerous gaming records and mobile records. It became the fastest app to become the top grossing and top free game on the Apple store and Google Play store.
What’s the Goal?
The goal of Pokemon is to catch all original 151 Pokemon. Just like the original TV show, when you start up Pokemon Go for the first time you get to pick your starter Pokemon. You get to choose either Bulbasaur (grass type), Charmander (fire type), or Squirtle (water type). Or you could get Pikachu if you walk away from the original three (like Ash did). Pokemon goes and forces you to get off the couch and walk around your neighborhood, town, or city because the Pokemon appear within only a certain geographic range. In order to catch them all you have to throw a Pokeball (flick your phone screen to toss a Pokeball at the Pokemon you are trying to catch). Certain Pokemon appear in certain locations. To catch a water type Pokemon you have to be around a water source if thats a ocean, river, or a lake. After you use up all your Pokeballs you have to visit a Pokestop to get more. Once you arrive at a Pokestop you have to spin the stops picture and you’ll get Pokeballs, gems, berries or eggs. You can incubate the eggs to hatch them into Pokemon. You have to walk either 3km, 5km or 10km to hatch the egg. Eggs that take 3km are common Pokemon, eggs that take 5km are not as common and eggs that take 10km are rare Pokemon.
The gym
After you reach level 5 you can enter the Pokemon Gyms located around the town. First you have to do is pick a team. There is a red team, blue team, and yellow team. Battling a rivals gym lowers their prestige level. Once their prestige level reaches zero anyone can claim it. In a fight you can only attack or dodge. If you are fighting in your teams gym you can level up your gym.
Impact
Because of Pokemon Go’s success, Nintendo’s share prices increased by 86%. Nintendo added 15 billion dollars to the companies market value. Pokemon Go has gotten gamers to leave their air conditioned homes into the summer heat trying to catch Pokemon. Many of them making friends with other Pokemon trainers. The negative impact of Pokemon Go is their has been an increase of car accidents, some people have been mugged around Pokestops and many trainers have been playing the game in cemeteries and in front of Fire stations blocking the doors and some trainers have gotten trapped in a cave 100ft deep.
But hey – you gotta catch them all and some people are going to extremes to become the ULTIMATE POKEMON MASTER.