Tag: Phone App

Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — How Can This Game Evolve? (Part Two)

Pokémon GO CardBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The big talk lately about Pokémon GO is in the millions no longer playing the game faster than me catching another Drowzee. I’m also slowing down since the gameplay is mostly about grinding for candies to power up my best fighting force. I’m close to giving up on trying to catch them all since nobody can (to do so means travelling around the world). Unless a truly interactive element is added to this game, this product will fade fast. The biggest item everyone wants is a proper tracking mechanism. If it does not turn into another type of recreational activity, like geocaching to help find the legendary pocket monsters like they are valued treasures, then I do not think this game will go far.

Augmented reality does not mean these pocket monsters simply appear at random. I’d love to see an added science element where if you study where a Pokémon appears and reappears (in theory, some die-hard players say biomes exist, but I see no rhyme or reason behind when Snorax or Onyx appears) then predicting where they might walk to next can be fun. Chasing a moving target like hide and go seek can potentially be interesting when breadcrumbs are being left behind.

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — How Can This Game Evolve? (Part One)

maxresdefaultBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

As fun as this game is to catch a new Pokémon for the first time, the quest to catch them all is not easy. There’s a handful which requires travelling far and wide for, and others where the nests have not been identified yet. The latter requires exploring the entire town or city for. To be dedicated, the player has to start keeping a physical or mental journal, recording times when these pocket monsters have been spotted and hopefully returning to catch them on a regular basis. Over time, these critters can be raised and trained to fight other Pokémon.

Each Pokéstop is a landmark to admire. If this game is to evolve, I propose that the company work with museums and national parks to create new gyms and stops truly worth exploring. I do not like the fact it’s tailored for urban centres. The more mobile data being sent is indicative of which Pokémon can appear. I ask what happened to the thrill of the hunt at out-of-the-way places? The promo trailer made going out of urban centres and to large parks exciting!

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[Victoria, BC] Pokémon Go “3rd Saturday” Event To Expand Next Month

pokemon

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Approximately 130 people attended Fev Games‘ and Vancouver Island Pokémon Go Syndicate‘s “Third Saturday” event at Beacon Hill Park in the City of Victoria, British Columbia, on August 20th. This city was one of six selected to test the waters for a regular event for enthusiasts of this mobile game to engage in and players of various experience levels arrived to test their mettle. This product swept parts of the world by storm, and in who showed up, the hardcore was here trying to catch them all. Another hotspot had its casual players mulling about but for those who want to see their hometown shine, they were at this nesting zone for waterfowl and Pokémon alike.

Other cities included Chicago, Illinois; Melbourne, Australia; Ottawa, Ontario; Riverside, California and Townsville, Australia. The Press Enterprise reported online that “more than 1,200 players took to the streets near City Hall” in Riverside and numbers will no doubt vary, depending on the size of a city’s population.

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — Don’t Poké Park and Drive

pokemonBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

One of the many purposes of Pokémon Go is to get players out of the house, enjoy the weather and make new friends. The release of this game could not be any better. It arrived in the dog days of summer and for the most part, fans of this game have come out of their shelters to enjoy this product. One issue that bugs me are those who behave like Kakunas — they lock themselves in their vehicle and play the game there during the evening hours. I think there’s something wrong with those folks. Chances are hit and miss to chat with those walking around (I’ve seen some wearing headphones, indicating they want to tune out the real world), but for the most part, everyone has been friendly — even during Poké Gym battles.

In the past two weeks, I’ve literally knocked at the window of those players’ vehicles (thankfully they were parked safely on the side of the street) and said hi. A few are surprised by my move — especially when they are playing beside my home next to a park, where a Poké Gym is — and at other places, it’s all about fellow gamers chillin’ and having a good time. Up on Mt. Tolmie, we tried to figure out where that Charizard appeared for one player. Either he had an incense going or that was pure luck. That group also set up the lure there, so I went to do the friendly thing and thanked them.

I’m just a player who wants to socialize and not hide behind a screen. Some gamers do enough of that at home with certain video games, and this habit should not be repeated outdoors.

Continue reading “Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — Don’t Poké Park and Drive”

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