Emma Witmer
Greene Publishing, Inc.
For years, parents have been telling their kids to get off of their video game and get outside. Now, it looks like families can have the best of both worlds. Making its debut on July 5, a new interactive IOS and android application called “Pokemon Go,” promises just that. As we all know, however, looks can be deceiving. Pokemon Go is a revitalization of the Pokemon franchise that was extremely popular in the 1990's with Nintendo games, trading cards, toys and a cartoon television series. In the original game, players were known as “trainers,” whose goal was to find digital creatures (called Pokemon) hidden in the game and catch as many as they could. Trainers would then use these creatures to battle one another to raise their level. The tag-line of the Pokemon franchise is, “gotta catch 'em all!”(sic)
While it was wildly popular in its time, the relevance of Pokemon games and products had largely fizzled out by the early 2000's. That was true, until July 5. With Pokemon Go, the old amateur graphics have been replaced by a modernized gaming interface that is synced with mapping information. This way, your game avatar is able to travel as you do, down real roads, to real parks and into real buildings. The app uses your phone's ability to track time and location to allow your virtual character to travel to these real life locations in the game, as you do in person. Confused? Stay with me. The idea of the game is to move the fun of video games outside of the house. By traveling to other real world locations, you and your avatar are able to hunt for and catch Pokemon that are virtually hidden all over the country. The game's use of cell phone mapping services, location services and time tracking allow the makers to hide Pokemon in creative locations. When you are near a waterway, you are most likely to catch water type Pokemon. If you are in a public park, you may catch Pokemon that resemble insects, plants and birds. In the evening, you may even locate ghost-like Pokemon.
Since its release, Pokemon Go has received and overwhelmingly positive response from the teen and young adult population, garnering millions of downloads in less than two weeks. Additionally, the social media response has been inescapable. Videos of groups of friends searching for Pokemon in public places, as well as tweets and statuses about Pokemon Go have flooded the internet. This cult-like response can likely be attributed to the popularity of the franchise years ago. Kids who loved Pokemon when it was first introduced now have the opportunity to relive a favorite childhood activity in a new and exciting way.
Despite all of the positive customer reviews and the immediate success of the game, not all of the hype has been positive. Though it was released only 10 days ago, reckless activity connected to the game has led to actual physical harm. While driving down the road, one New York man received a mobile notification that there was a Pokemon nearby. When he looked at his phone and attempted to “catch” the Pokemon, he stopped paying attention to the road and plowed into a tree. While the driver escaped with minor injuries, the vehicle did not survive the wreck. Another player was alone in a secluded park and was distracted playing the game when he was stabbed. When he eventually reached a hospital, the young man required eight stitches. Other distracted users have been preyed on by robbers who use the games location service to find Pokemon hot-spots where they know players will be.
This elaborate lure may seem far fetched, but it is already happening. If you choose to play the game, make sure that you are completely aware of your surroundings, and if at all possible, play in groups to reduce your chances of being targeted.
Unfortunately, these precautions may not protect you from other attacks. Because the game accesses phone location services, players may be at risk of a cyber-attack. Some are concerned that hackers may be able to find back doors in the game that allow access to other players' locations and potentially all of the data on their device. This may include your contacts, social media access, photos and mobile banking. Another breach risk is through email, since the game requires an email when you sign up. Many, however, are advising users to create an account strictly for Pokemon Go in order to protect their private information from hackers.
Play safe; bring a friend when you go out, inform others where you plan on going and when you plan to return, refrain from playing video games while driving and do your research before downloading it to your device.