Introduction
Earlier this year, I learned that Pokemon Go celebrated a landmark anniversary this year. That moved me to write an article about Pokemon Go at 10. In case you never encountered the game before, it was one of the first augmented reality games to actually make a splash in the mobile market. The premise? You go outside in the real world armed with your phone and capture Pokemon. Simple? Yes. Popular? You bet. Almost a billion downloads in those 10 years and over 9 billion in revenue proved that Niantic made the right choice.
At the time, I remember thinking that the game would wither on the vine like so many other promised augmented reality projects. But, curious, I downloaded the game and it hooked me instantly. Over the years, my friends list grew as others discovered the game. My kids, former students, complete strangers. We all bonded over this ridiculous and ridiculously fun premise of capturing and battling with virtual monsters.
Pokemon Go at 10 Events
You can’t let a birthday like this go by without having a party. Pokemon Go at 10 actually celebrates twice this month. One already happened during the fourth of July weekend. The debuted a Gimmighoul holding a 10th anniversary coin. They also offered Pikachu, Wurmple, and more wearing various hats. On a personal note, be careful with your special Pokemon. More than once I’ve transferred a hat wearing Pokemon and regretted it after!
The second party is this next weekend and coincides with Pokemon Go Fest: Global. They made the event free for everyone to join for the first time ever. Mega MewTwo X&Y will be appearing in raids. Zeraora appears for the first time. Massive play times (9 hours) both days and all 18 Pokemon types will be available on a rotating basis. Follow the link to learn more before the big days.
Pokemon Go at 10: The Big Picture
Last year, the game got sold for $3.5 billion. At the time, people again brought up the point that the game collects a massive amount of data and stores it in servers overseas. This particular complaint always felt slightly racist to me. Every single app on your phone collects a massive amount of data. Yet, people only seem to complain about the ones that are owned by foreign companies. Look, I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what anyone does with all of this data they collect.
However, I play the game to have fun with my kids and see what the others on my friends list are up to in game. And, honestly, that’s the hook of the game. Honestly, as long as it doesn’t land me in a concentration camp in El Salvador, they can have all the data they want on me. That’s the true payoff for this cost. The personal connection that you make with other players. Earlier today, I opened the game and one of the students said, ‘Is that Pokemon GO?”
Pokemon GO at 10: My Experience “Catching Them All”
I started playing the game shortly after launch. The first Pokemon on my list was a Crobat that I caught in town on 15 July 2016. I have pictures of my kids using my phone to catch Pokemon during long car rides. I remember the first time I opened the app in Boston and realized just what an advantage that city players have over those of us in rural areas. 10 years later, I have Pokemon from all over the world, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, England, and Belgium. Next year, we hope to make another trip overseas and I will grab some from the Iberian peninsula.
I have not played every day since that debut, however. I took some long breaks, including one of a few years where I logged in maybe once or twice a year. But, I rediscovered the game recently and love all of the new things they added. Eggs simply for logging in and group quests that I can complete with my boys are probably my two favorite recent additions. If nothing changes, I probably will continue to play the game for the foreseeable future. Though, I do need to get better about walking in the summer.
Pokemon GO at 10: Here’s to 10 more
I won’t pretend to understand game design. It completely blew me away that games offered experience passes and gave away free gifts simply for playing the game. Now, they’re in just about every game imaginable. So, I won’t try to make any predictions about where the game will go. The one thing I think that can benefit all players is the ability to connect with players more easily.
Because I play in a smaller area, I haven’t added to my friend list in several years. Granted, I haven’t made much of an effort to meet new players, but I wish there was a place in game to see other players that play in your area. Maybe that’s what will change over the next 10 years. Maybe I will try to put together a regular raid group that meets weekly or monthly. If you have any ideas, let me know by email or in the comments. Also, sound off on your best or favorite parts of the last 10 years.