Strange glances, tripping over the pavement and passing my own front door – the last few days have been fought with peril. The last few days have also been super fun and I have done more exercise than I normally would do.
The reason – my childhood has resurfaced. Pokemon Go is the product of five years work from Niantic. It is a gaming platform that is set in the real world through using our smart phones and devices.
I use an iPhone and I do not claim to be very technically knowledgeable. So if I can download it, then it must be easy.
Once installed on my phone, a trainer popped up with some simple instructions. From there you have one basic job – walk. The simple map shows you where Pokemon are hiding and if they are near to you, or a bit further away. The game uses your GPS and data as you walk to locate you on the map. Be warned, as long as you are playing, it is using your data. Be wary of a big bill at the end of the month.
I walked around Aberdeen and caught several Pokemon. Once you get near one, the camera on you phone kicks in and places the Pokemon in your real world. This is where you have to be cunning and throw Pokeballs at your soon to be caught friend.
Hint – watch behind you. Don’t stop in the middle of a busy street, or a road. The Pokemon tend to move, so hopefully you wont loose them. Get across the road or stand aside so no one accidentally bangs into you.
My first battle was sitting on a bench on Holburn Street. I wasn’t very good. People walking by must have been puzzled at why I was staring so intently at my phone. Maybe next time I will be better.
The game has become famous for several things. It has finally got gamers to go outside and do some exercise. In order to hatch an egg you have to walk a certain distance, with no cheating on the treadmill. It tracks your distance via the GPS.
The other thing it has become famous for is bringing people together. Out on my walk through town I met a group of young lads who also had their noses in their phones. We were all walking towards a Pokestop, where you can restock on Pokeballs, and sometimes eggs. Where people wouldn’t normally talk, they are being brought together by the connection of this new world.
I am going to keep playing, my army needs to grow and I need to train my Pokemon. There is much more in this game to discover, but I am going to invest in a portable charger. The game drains your battery much quicker than usual because of the constant use. In a one hour walk I went from 100% down to 3%. This was the point where I had to admit defeat and finally go home for the day.
