2016 Aug 1
By Vandana Hiranand
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you have definitely heard of Pokémon Go. In fact, if you’re an avid social media user, you have come across pictures, articles, memes and a million references to Pokémon Go each time you pick up your phone. Fan or not, there is no escaping this new app.
For Pokémon fans worldwide, this invention is a dream turned into reality. As kids, many of us Sri Lankans have been faithfully tuning in the show which aired every weekday evening at 5:30 pm. We have envisioned becoming the ultimate Pokémon masters by training to be the very best (yes, that reference was intentional). Many of us spent our childhoods playing this game on the classic Gameboy, attempting to evade the countless Zubats and capture rare Pokémon.
For those of you still unfamiliar with this app, here’s a quick run through: Pokémon Go is a location-based virtual game you can download for free on your Android or IOS phone. You can create your personalized avatar and navigate using the real map of your surrounding area displayed on your phone. The primary goal is to capture Pokémon who appear on your screen as though in real life, using an accurate aim with your Pokéballs. You can battle and compete for gyms, train and evolve Pokémon, and collect items from Pokéstops, which are actual locations in your area.
In short, the developers have fulfilled every young Pokémon fan’s dream with this creation. It has instantly taken over the world, and fans everywhere (including us Sri Lankans) found ways to download it through the APKMirror site, even though it was not officially available within the country yet.
Unfortunately, for us Lankans, the excitement was short-lived. Although the game instantly took over the country, it has now been disabled, and use of the APKMirror version has been banned. Pokémon Go players island-wide opened the app to encounter empty neighborhoods, with no Pokémon, gyms or Pokéstops. The frustration of all fans within Asia is unbelievable, with millions criticizing the developers for not enabling the app within Asia yet, especially in Japan, where the series originated.
Worldwide, however, the Pokémon Go statistics are unbelievable. Within the first 48 hours of its release on July 6th, it was installed on 5.16% of all android phones in the US. In terms of download and usage statistics, the app immediately surpassed other popular apps such as Tinder, Twitter, Candy Crush Saga and every other social media app, even including Facebook! Users around the world have blown up the APKMirror site, which has received 600,000 visits on July 5th, increasing to over 4 million visits on July 6th, simply to download this version of the game.
And as with every other global phenomenon, it has had many negative, positive and some downright hilarious impacts all over the world.
In serious news, many users have irresponsibly caused accidents – particularly while driving – and, while still available, it happened here in Sri Lanka too. While stuck in traffic, people were whipping out their phones to capture the nearest Pokémon. Elsewhere in the world, drivers have crashed into trees and other vehicles while trying to catch Pokémon. In fact, many players have trespassed onto private property, disrupting the authorities and homeowners. Two incidents were reported of teenagers being shot at by mistake while trespassing on private property, under the assumption that they were burglars. In the US, 2 men actually fell off a cliff while playing, and had to be rescued by firefighters.
On a lighter note, amidst the madness, Pokémon Go has taken over the world in a wonderful way. Due to its active nature, it has helped individuals to be healthier, both mentally and physically. Users all over the world are now walking, jogging and running more than they ever did. Pokémon Go is helping them to leave the house, interact with others and lose weight! It is also doing wonders for those fighting mental illness. Many users have spoken of how this game has helped them combat depression and anxiety. The positive impact is remarkable.
In case you don’t know, the game has a feature called Lures, which will actively lure wild Pokémon to your area for thirty minutes once activated. Based on this feature, the positivity is growing even more. Many individuals have activated lures near children’s hospitals, to spread the joy of the game with those who can’t leave their beds. In fact, many events have cropped up where Pokémon trainers gather in public venues such as parks, to release lures, capture Pokémon, and battle for gyms. Within Sri Lanka itself, events were organized at Viharamahadevi Park and the Independence Square as well! More events which were organized have now been cancelled following the ban.
Oh and guess what? This game can even get you into your good books with your parents! Because of Pokémon Go, more people were visiting temples daily, if even to simply stand outside. This is because many religious locations in Sri Lanka became Pokéstops, where you can pause to fuel up on Pokéballs, eggs, and other bonus objects. The advantages to enabling the game again really do seem endless.
While the app was initially downloaded by diehard Pokémon fans, nostalgic for their childhoods, it now seems that everyone is under its spell. Unfortunately, Niantic has given no official release date for Asia. Fans have been speculating regarding a possible release within August. However, even if this were true, Sri Lanka may not be included in the initial Asia release. Fans can only wait for the original game to be released hopefully sometime this year, to continue their journeys as Pokémon trainers.
In the meanwhile, let’s hope to encounter much less Doduos and Pidgeys when the original version is finally released here in Sri Lanka!
