5 Things I love about Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go is taking the world by storm. After its initial launch in the US and Australia early this month, other countries are catching up bit by bit. Today, 20th July is the scheduled official launch date for Japan. What’s the craze all about? Watch this awesome, less than 2 minutes video to gain an insight into Pokemon Go. I totally love the concept, not only because I was once a Pokemon fans ten years ago, but also due to many benefits I experienced from installing the app. Here are 5 things I love about it:

1. Almost Real (AR) game play

Okay, AR is not short for ‘Almost Real’ but that pretty much sums up the technology, which is no doubt the biggest selling point of Pokemon Go. Using Augmented Reality (AR) technology, you can see pokemons through your phone’s camera as if they appear in real life, in your normal, daily situations. It certainly makes my life less boring because… look, there’s a Doduo on the table!

2.It’s free

Truth be told, I won’t be downloading the app if it’s not free simply because I wasn’t sure yet whether it would make a worthy purchase. Niantic is clever though, a free download means more people will try the game, and thus the more viral it will get. Sure, there is an option of in-app purchases to buy coins but I am happy to play as it is now.

3. It makes me really walk

If you are lazy like me, go play Pokemon Go, it will be the best decision in your fitness life. I didn’t think much of it at first but after a few rounds I was hooked. I wanted to walk more to explore more territories, catch pokemons, and more importantly, to hatch an egg! Some eggs require to be walked for 2 km while others need as far as 5 km. The rarer ones can go as high as 10 km although I am yet to experience it. Now whenever I can, I choose a walk rather than a drive. I am already expecting weekends and making plans to spend a morning in a park. Exercising? Pokemon hunting, of course. See my top 5 must bring items when poke hunting.

4. It connects with people

Despite the usual stereotype about gamers being anti-social, Pokemon Go ties people together. Although you can’t battle with your friends at the time of this writing, every player will belong to 1 of 3 teams once reaches level 5. You’ll get that sense of belonging while defending your team’s gym. Even better if your friends are playing too. I reconnected with my old colleagues through a day of pokemon hunting. We are in different teams but we can still catch pokemons together and have fun. In Jakarta where I live, we have Pokemon Go events organized by the government, mainly to encourage people visit the city’s places of interest.

5. It makes life less stressful

The world of Pokemon is a nice realm to escape to. It rekindles childhood memories. It relieves stress. I live in a city where the traffic jam is unbearable. Time wasted doing nothing in a car makes my mind wander unnecessarily and contributes to stress and anxiety. Lately I’ve been more patient about traffics since I could have fun catching pokemons and check in to Poke stops along the way, all in the comfort of a car, in the back seat or the passenger’s seat. In case you don’t know, the app picks up any movement below 20 km/hour so it works when a car is moving slowly. Just don’t play when you’re the one driving!

In my humble opinion, Pokemon Go is a revolutionary game that steps over usual boundaries of a traditional game. It’s a healthy one to play because it encourage players to walk and can be easily incorporated to daily activities instead of binge playing for hours. As long as players remind alert of their surroundings, and not neglect any personal responsibilities in sake of playing, Pokemon Go can bring a positive experience for everyone.

What are your thoughts about Pokemon Go? Do you love it or hate it? I am currently slightly obsessed and my Tumblr page is full of pokemon 😀