Chances are, you have heard about Pokémon GO, a new game app available for Android and iOS. It was instantly insanely popular and the number of downloads just keeps growing. I imagine it to be like geocaching, but with video game elements. I have never been geocaching and I am not a big fan of video games, but I do like Pokémon, so I gave it a whirl. I'll admit that I love it – possibly even more than my kids do – and here is why:
1. It is something we can all do together. Sharing a common interest is a beautiful thing. Pokémon has been around for a long time – 20 years and counting – it has spanned generations. My whole family is into Pokémon in one form or another – the trading cards, the cartoons, the video games – there is something for everyone. Since we each like Pokémon, we all took an interest in the new Pokémon GO game app. We can go for walks together, hunting for Pokémon and taking turns catching them. My kids are still young; they do not have their own phones, but I imagine this could be even more fun to do together, separately, if each member of the family had their own device, because – taking turns. Still, we have had so much fun together.
2. It is free. We love free. Sure there are in app purchases that could be made, but we all know that spending money on games is not in our budget and I have taken steps to avoid a surprise charge of $99.99 for PokéCoins. We can play the free version and enjoy all that it has to offer. We can even chose to play only over WiFi if our data allowance is running low. It does not have to cost a thing.
3. It encourages getting outside, walking, and exploring new places. We already do these things pretty well, but Pokémon GO adds a fun twist. I am excited that we all want to take a few extra walks and check out a few new parks. One aspect of the game is to hatch eggs, which can only be done by walking a certain distance – the developers set it so that it can't be cheated by driving in a car, only low-speed travel will count – so now we have walking goals to work towards. Who doesn't love exercise in disguise?!
I have fallen for this game, even through its new release glitches, and it is clear I am not the only one. It has been quite an amazing experience to be strolling though a park and recognize dozens of other people – of all ages, in groups large and small – are also catching Pokémon. You may have seen us, too, and wondered what in the world we were doing – walking through the park, stopping frequently, swiveling around and staring at our phone screens, swiping and flicking until we give a high five or fist pump of success, maybe passing others with a nod and a little smile – we were enjoying a beautiful walk in the park and we were at a PokéStop, playing Pokémon GO and having a great time together.
