By Ally Tobler
Once a place for peaceful sitting or strolling, the Morristown Green now is crawling with hoards of people avidly playing Pokémon Go.
What is this new app? And how has it transformed people everywhere into zombies with death-grips on their phones?
Released this month by the Niantic Company, Pokémon Go is an “augmented reality” game that challenges you to catch more than 130 different types of Pokémon located in real places.
The app connects with your phone’s location services to see where you are in real time. As you play, your avatar moves with you along the roads that you walk.
Like magic, Pokémon appear. You try to catch ‘em. Poké Stops are at historical or popular locations.
If you are in close enough range to them, you can collect special bonuses — Poké balls, Pokémon candy, eggs, egg incubators.
You incubate the eggs (if you possess an incubator) by walking a few kilometers with the app open on your phone. You can battle other players by visiting gyms. Winning these battles gives you “ownership” of the gym.
These Pokémon, Pokéstops, and gyms all are generated by Niantic Labs; everything shows up for everyone playing the game, adding an element of realism. One even can ask Niantic Labs to establish a Pokéstop or gym in their area if none are present.
HUNTING FOR SNORLAX
People cite many reasons for their obsession with this app. For Robert Weidemann, a retired competitive Pokémon player, it brings back childhood memories. Pokémon first aired on TV in 1997, and was extremely popular along with Pokémon playing cards.
“Everyone [who watched Pokémon] is older now and has a smartphone and they can play with the original Pokémon they grew up with… it’s a throwback,” said Weidemann, 18.
The Morristown resident credits Pokémon Go with creating new Pokémon to keep older and younger generations interested.
Jeremy “Gibby” Gibson, a 17-year-old Morris Plains resident, also is a devoted Pokémon player. Although he is experienced with the card game, he said such knowledge is not necessary to enjoy the phone app.
“It’s cool because it’s a really social game,” said Gibson. “You hang out with people you don’t normally hang out with when you walk around on the Green.”
“And everyone is doing the same thing so you can talk to anyone about it and have a conversation with them,” added Weidemann.
Another positive side effect of this new game is the exercise it requires. “I average about 15,000- to 20,000 steps a day,” Weidemann said.
Video primer:
It may not be conducive to a full night’s sleep, however.
Weidemann related a late-night encounter he and Gibson had with strangers.
“It was 1 o’clock in the morning and some guy and his friend came up to us and asked us if we were playing Pokémon Go… it’s a very social app so people are always asking around. So, he says to us, ‘Have you seen any interesting Pokémon?’ and we say, ‘No, not really.’ He then says, ‘Oh, I’m trying to find a Snorlax.’”
“Which is a really rare Pokémon,” Gibson explained. “You might get one if you’re lucky but you’ll never get one just by searching around.”
The guy told them: “Let us know if you find one,” and walked away.
“We come back to the same spot at two in the morning, and right in the spot that we were all standing in an hour before was a Snorlax,” Weidemann said. “But the guy was gone and we were cracking up because he really wanted it and we didn’t really care.”
WATCH YOUR STEP!
Carson Nellins, 16, said the game made her extremely active–maybe too active.
“I was going to school to tutor and I didn’t want to ride my bike. So, I was walking and I went to this Pokéstop by my house on my way there, where I got an egg,” Nellins said.
“I had to walk five kilometers, and that’s pretty far so I took the long way to school just so I could hatch my egg. But then, when I got to school, it still wasn’t enough so I took an even longer way home. I hatched it, but it was one I already had. I ended up having to ice my knees for two days.”
There are other hazards.
“I have almost walked into the street,” Weidemann divulged.
The media are full of crazy Pokémon Go stories: People trespassing to capture Pokémon, motorists playing while driving, and even a man who caught a Pokémon while his wife was giving birth, according to The Telegraph.
Two players tumbled off a bluff in North San Diego County, reported the Los Angeles Times, while another was stabbed by a group of men while playing the game in Anaheim, CA.
A designated Pokémon Go stop in San Luis Obispo County actually was a halfway house for recently released sex offenders, according to other reports.
Police in Morris Township have advised players to avoid traffic, trespassing and isolated situations.
“This game attracts people of all ages so please use extreme caution with strangers playing the game at these public locations. If you ever feel unsafe about any situation that arises do not hesitate to call the police,” police said on their Facebook page.
Does Pokémon Go have legs?
“People have told me that they play Pokémon Go because celebrities are playing it,” noted Nellins. “I think it’s a trend, but I think it’s going to last for awhile. I don’t think it’s going to fade out that quickly.”
Weidemann thinks the app needs tweaking for a long shelf life. He wants features such as one-on-one fights, and the ability to trade Pokémon with friends.
“You can only do so much with the 130 Pokémon they give you,” he said. “If they don’t update it within the next month or so, it’s done.”
“There is a lot of stuff they could do with it,” Gibson said. “But historically, they’ve done stupid stuff” at the Pokémon Company, marketer of the original Pokémon.
Ally Tobler (Morristown High School ’16) will study journalism at the University of Maryland this fall.
Pokémon Go Vocabulary
Pokémon: A collection of cartoon characters that players seek to capture
Pokéballs: The items thrown at Pokémon to capture them
Pokéstops: Real locations where one can earn virtual Pokéballs, Pokémon eggs, egg incubators, potions, and other things to enhance the Pokémon Go playing experience. One must be in close proximity to the Pokéstop to gain all these bonuses from it
Pokédex: A record of all the Pokémon you have captured, in addition to the ones you have not yet captured
Gym: A place where you can battle other players using the Pokémon you’ve captured
Journal: A log where all of your activity in the game is stored
