A-Poké-lypse Now

New app has community hitting the city’s streets

By Tim Forsberg
Posted 7/14/16

Since the ’80s, kids (and kids at heart) during summer break have been told by parents, “Turn off that video game and go outside and play!” Now, thanks to a game that’s sweeping the country, …

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A-Poké-lypse Now

New app has community hitting the city’s streets

Posted

Since the ’80s, kids (and kids at heart) during summer break have been told by parents, “Turn off that video game and go outside and play!” Now, thanks to a game that’s sweeping the country, children may be told, “Turn off that video game and come back inside!”

Released a week ago, the game is Pokémon Go. In a Poké Ball (or nutshell for Luddites) it’s a free smartphone application where players look for characters from the longtime animated hit series that are superimposed on real-life images that are captured by their phone screens. 

“It’s very awesome, it’s very fun. You can play wherever you want!” exclaimed 11-year-old Tom Walsh, who made a special trip to Oakland Beach yesterday with his family to play the game. “It’s Halloween all over again!”

“What’s good about this game is that you can go outside when your mom or dad tells you to go outside and you can play video games and venture outside and get Pokémon and play at stops and meet new people,” added his excited 10-year-old sister, Regina.

If you haven’t yet seen Warwick kids, teens and even coy adults walking the community at all hours looking like they’re on a mission, in large groups gathering together at strange locations while staring at their phones, or looking like they’re taking weird cell pictures, you soon will. They’re everywhere.

Developed by a company called Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company, both of which are partly owned by Nintendo, the game has gone viral in a way few could have ever predicted. In just a week’s time, the app has been downloaded more than 15 million times, with no end in sight.

Once the leader in the home console gaming industry with millions of units sold, Nintendo has lost its market share in recent years. In a move that may one day be hailed as genius, however, the company has created a game that takes users outside and away from their competitions’ home-based products.

According to Forbes, the game’s initial release prompted a two-day 36 percent spike in Nintendo’s stock, adding more than $7 billion to the company’s market capitalization. It’s been that popular.

Without getting too technical, Pokémon Go accesses the GPS on a user’s phone to place players in a virtual Pokémon world that mimics our own. Gamers walk through the community, visiting businesses, parks, landmarks and playgrounds using their phones to capture and collect different Pokémon creatures, unlock new battles and join new teams. As players travel throughout the real world, they will discover that different Pokémon “live” in different areas.

“In the city, it’s mostly rats and pigeons that are found. So in most of Warwick, it’s mostly rats and pigeons, so you have to spread out more,” said 19-year-old Caitlin Rice, found playing outside Temple Am David with her brother, Scott. “It’s crazy, the closer you go to water, you get more water type creatures. If you go near electrical power plants, you can catch Pikachu. I haven’t caught him yet.”

The game has already prompted tens of thousands of news articles, warnings from police departments about user safety in strange areas, and invoked concerns about identity protection and personal information gathering. Online stories show players gaming in all types of areas, including weddings, hospitals and funerals. Museums like the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. have gone as far as asking patrons not to play in their facility.

As part of Pokémon Go’s terms of service, users are warned to be aware of their surroundings and play safely. Play of the game “is at your own risk, and it is your responsibility to maintain such health, liability, hazard, personal injury, medical, life and other insurance policies as you deem reasonably necessary for any injuries you may incur while using the services.”

In an effort to understand the effect the game has had on the community, the Beacon hit the city’s streets to see who was playing, when and where.

Holly Wiesendanger and Jenny Gruslin were the first to speak with us and took pity on our lack of understanding of the game’s intricacies. Found near the Ocean State Job Lot in Buttonwoods around 10 p.m. on Monday, they had been out for about an hour playing the game and had stopped by a “training gym” located nearby at the small historical cemetery.

“This is a Poké Stop, where you can get supplies; they give you Poké balls, potions, and things like that,” said Gruslin, who stated that the game was running slow, possibly because of the extreme demand on the game’s overloaded servers. “We’re just out having fun!”

Julie Viera was out with her 8-year-old son, Trevor, at Oakland Beach, as a Pokémon training gym is also located at the playground there. About a half-dozen players came and went as she spoke.

“I make it a rule if we go to a stop, because they’re located at monuments and such, I want him to learn about them, so it’s also a learning tool. We’ve been to Rocky Point and there had an adventure within an adventure,” said Viera. “It makes him more willing to learn more. It’s like a scavenger hunt. I’m finding there’s value if you add value. It’s cool because he’s learning more about the world around him, like what a memorial is, but it’s also about learning to be patient. He’s not allowed to play with it whenever he wants.”

Other parents agree that, while there are safety concerns, the game offers a unique opportunity to learn and have fun.

“At first I was very apprehensive about the game, because of the warnings they’re giving about the accessibility of the app. But I figure when you sign on anywhere online now, they access that information,” said Brenda Walsh. “I make him read everything, so he’s reading, and we’ve been going to historical spots so it’s exposing them to different areas. This is taking us to little obscure spots that I may not even know about, even around our town we’re finding memorials that we didn’t even know about.”

While the Pokémon craze grows, drivers are urged to take extra precautions and be aware that children are out playing and may not always pay attention to their surroundings. But it seems parents agree that the game is right for this era, with limitations. 

“In this day and age, kids need to be able to reach out to other people and feel comfortable with it, and this helps,” said Viera. 

“You have to set boundaries,” added Walsh. “It’s definitely a different generation, but you can’t just let kids go out willy-nilly.”

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  • richardcorrente

    Here's another idea; one that worked with my 2 sons; don't just order them to "turn off the damn video game and go out and play". Tell them to "turn off that damn video game and come with dad. We're going outside to play.Catch me if you can!"

    Video games have their place, but nothing will ever replace the bond you make with your kids when you join them in the backyard activities. "Wrestle-dad-to-the-ground" was our favorite. I never won. I held my own, but the outcome was inevitable, especially as they got older and stronger.

    Richard Corrente

    Endorsed Democrat for Mayor and proud father.

    Thursday, July 14, 2016 Report this