Going ga-ga over Pokemon GO
STRESS RELIEVER: While it’s good to have some thrill in life, we should control the game and not let it control us
WHILE many are engrossed in political feuds, brutal gunmen cases and gloomy affairs, there’s another issue that has been causing quite a ruckus all over the world. And, if you have not heard of a bunch of cute fictional characters that once took the gaming world by storm, you certainly would have by now, with Pokémon making a comeback with the recent release of Pokémon GO.
Pokémon GO, in a nutshell, is a free location-based augmented reality mobile game.
Created and launched by Niantic earlier this month, the game has entwined the virtual world with our real world, like no other game has ever done. More than 40 million people have downloaded this game as recorded by Niantic.
What is it about Pokémon GO that fascinates everyone? Are we all so bored with our lives that we crave constant newbies and excitement?
In the game, a player has to find and catch Pokémon monsters to train them for battle with others.
To catch these cute critters, the game uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to stage the Pokémon in unpredictable locations.
The hunt begins as soon as one downloads it. I guess I can see the fascination here. The synchronisation between the borders of reality and virtual is but a thin line.
The thrill of the hunt ignites something deep inside every one of us. Just like how Candy Crush overtook
our world, there is something so addictive about Pokémon GO that we cannot help but go bonkers over the game.
News flash sprouted up all over the world within days after it was launched. Hilarious sightings of gamers walking into things were first deemed amusing.
But when things took a different turn, where these gamers incurred risks to their lives through dangerous acts while trying to capture a Pokémon, every one panicked.
But, instead of turning people off, the game became even more famous because every one was curious. Like many others, the hype piqued my curiosity, too. I needed to know and I want to know. Is Pokémon GO a friend or a foe?
This is my take on why the game is
creating a storm across the globe.
We always want something we cannot have. We also like to think we can win in many situations. Pokémon GO has all these fictional characters, the cutest and most popular one being Pikachu, that thrills us to catch them.
By seeking out special and unique Pokémons, we have something that others don’t or may not yet have, that is. When we catch one, we gleam with joy that we somehow won something “precious”.
We get sidetracked, at least for a little while, from the real world. These Pokémons become our focus instead.
We become so fixated and engrossed in the game, seeking out every moment to find a Pokémon.
With so many negative reports, many have started calling for a ban on Pokémon GO, in hopes that the game doesn’t reach their shores.
Articles suppressing Pokémon GO started going viral, with many expressing fear that the game will cause mayhem. Seriously, when has a game ever garnered that much attention? Are we really fussing about nothing on Pokémon GO?
Instead of bashing or injecting negativity into the game, should we not create awareness in the public to remind us that we should be more aware about how to control the game, instead of letting it control us?
Has Niantic created such a powerful product that has overturned our world without us even realising it?
A bit of thrill in life does have its good. It makes us feel alive and relieve us of our stress. There have been times when gaming does take my mind of many things, and to have me come back only clearer afterwards. In the end, we have to come back to the real world, whether we like it or not.
The game apparently has gamers losing interest after a while as it does get too hard to continue, as reported by some players. Just like Candy Crush, it may and will slowly fizzle out.
Instead of getting worked up by all these news about Pokémon GO, surely there is something more important that we can focus on. When Pokémon GO arrives in our nation, I, for one, will not lose sleep over it.
kushairi@nst.com.my
Instead of getting worked up by all these news about Pokémon GO, surely there is something else more important that we can focus on. When Pokémon GO arrives in our nation, I, for one, will not lose sleep over it.