Pokémon Go Takes The World By Storm

Pokémon Go has been out in the UK since the 6th July – so nearly a month into the craze, we take a look at where we’re at.

If you don’t know what Pokémon Go is – where have you been for the past month!?  Pokémon Go has literally taken the world by storm – with everyone of all ages out to ‘catch ’em all’.

Pokémon Go is an Augmented Reality app – free to download, free to play but with the usual options for in-app purchases to help propel you forward in the game.  This is really the first AR app that’s taken off to such a degree.  Well to be fair, on the world-beating scale of all apps, it’s up there with the best.  But the easiest way to think about it is it’s mixing the reality we live in, with the in game world.

Landmarks have now become Pokéstops – places where you can top up on much needed supplies, and gyms – where, rather than getting fit, you can battle other Pokémon and their trainers and try to capture as many gyms as possible.

Along with the new craze, has come new opportunities for thieves, as many people are now walking around with their expensive trendy smartphones in their hands and on full view (please be careful Trainers!).  Additionally,  as landmarks and places of interest in the real world are used in the game, that means unfortunately there’s been some unwanted attention at places including memorials and hospitals.

As with every new craze, there’s some controversy.  Only recently has developer Niantic managed to get the game in a broadly stable state where people can log in to it however the app is still unfortunately suffering from more-than-you-average amount of crashes.  However, we’re sure that after the initial ‘shock’ phase these problems should hopefully be ironed out, dealt with or avoided – it just takes time.

Just yesterday, a UK player who’s been playing non-stop since release has claimed to have caught them all (well, as many as are currently in the UK at least).

If you’ve not tried it yet, go on – you know you want to!  The extra exercise is proving a hit with health professionals worried about the UK’s growing obesity crisis and there has been some research to suggest that playing Pokémon Go improves people’s mood and helps with relieving depression.  For all of the current Trainers, keep on enjoying the game and remember to stay safe!