Ways the Pokémon Go Game Can Affect You

 Recently, game lovers around the globe had their first taste of Augmented Reality with the Pokémon Go game. But it is interesting to know that this isn’t the first of Pokémon game.

Nintendo had first launched the Pokémon game in the 1990s which allowed players catch Pokémon in the fictional world but they have gone several steps further to enable players catch Pokémon in the real world by leveraging available technology such as augmented reality, GPS and dorky-cute graphics in collaboration with the Niantic Labs.

Pokémon is an augmented reality (AR) game not a virtual reality (VR) game. Many people tend to apply both words interchangeably.

Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data while Virtual reality is an artificial, computer-generated simulation or recreation of a real life environment or situation.It immerses the user by making them feel like they are experiencing the simulated reality first-hand, primarily by stimulating their vision and hearing.

This year, Houzz won the overall best app in the Google Android Apps awards for the best game and apps in Google Play Store.  Other categories in the Google Android Apps awards includes; Best Game: Clash Royale, Best Early Adopter: World Around Me, Best Innovative: NYT VR, Best Go Global: Pokemon Shuffle Mobile amongst others.

The Augmented Reality technology still holds a lot of promises and I encourage brands to take advantage of it like Nintendo has done with the Pokémon Go App and what Houzz is doing with their App.

The ability to effectively combine technology and creativity to create an excellent solution is an art and for me, I would say that is what Niantic Labs did with the Pokémon Go App.

I love the creativity behind the Pokémon game but much more, I love the outdoor experience it gives. Walking or running outside to catch Pokémon comes with a lot of health benefits.  It makes the player healthier, happier and it reduces stress, depression and obesity.

I have been concerned recently that children and adults hardly play outside these days, instead they are all stuck up with their mobile devices.

As more people are becoming aware of the health benefits in exercising, running, walking and eating healthy foods, the game allows phone users to indulge will staying healthy.

Similar Apps that allow you engage in physical activities are: The Walk, Ingress, Temple Treasure Hunt, Geocaching, Clandestine Anomaly, SpecTrek, SuperHero Workout and a host of others.

The Future is now! Start to tap within and around. Together let’s creatively employ technology to solve the problems in our environment and even if we don’t get a world recognition, at least we would get to have impacted our society.

Think of it, that should be the real goal. What do you think?

Patience Etsesimokhai is a digital analyst and marketing consultant.

She writes from Lagos, Nigeria

Contact via: patesimo@gmail.com or follow: @Patetsesi