37 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

 

Pokemon Go officially launches in Canada, crashes app's servers

 

Wildly popular mobile game sends players into the real world to search for the mythical monsters

 

 

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...anada-1.3683087

 

[Wayne]

 

 

 

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...anada-1.3683087

 

Edited by Wayne, 17 July 2016 - 05:54 PM.

[Wayne]

A further decline of civivlations. I am totally unclear at its attraction.

[todd]

A further decline of civivlations. I am totally unclear at its attraction.

Never liked Pokémon after I invested in a large amount of Pokémon cards trying to identify it's attraction only to find out the Pokémon cards I had purchased from the convenience store down the street were all counterfeits.

[AllseeingEye]

A further decline of civivlations. I am totally unclear at its attraction.

Yup this, kinda. I certainly don't understand the attraction of this at all, although admittedly I am no kind of "gamer" in any shape or form; I'm sure being on the other side of 50 I'm exactly the wrong demographic, lol.

 

OTOH I have to think any regular person especially one with a mortgage, career, kid(s), never ending 'weekend projects' - as assigned by the Mrs.....naturally! -, etc etc ad infinitum, has a 1001 other far more pressing priorities than to engage in some on-line activity devoted as far as I can tell to 'capturing' some oddball cyberspace character that doesn't actually exist. Especially if, as I am, that person is already on a computer 40-50 hours a week in the office. The_last thing I personally want is more *&@^@%%@-ing face time on a 'device' of any kind. Hell in whatever spare time I do have give me a back woods fishing trip any day, with the boys, some damn good cigars and great booze for around-the-campfire drinks. Above all MINUS the technology thank you very much.

 

People today IMO, and especially the millennials one of which co-habits in our house, desperately need to figure out a way to unplug from the machine not to mention the Great All Seeing Cloud. Get off your fat bum and go for a walk, or interact with the other humans using face to face voice communication - at least do something that doesn't involve getting fatter and even more out of shape. I am now stepping off my soapbox....

[Rob Randall]

People today IMO, and especially the millennials one of which co-habits in our house, desperately need to figure out a way to unplug from the machine not to mention the Great All Seeing Cloud. Get off your fat bum and go for a walk, or interact with the other humans using face to face voice communication - at least do something that doesn't involve getting fatter and even more out of shape. I am now stepping off my soapbox....

But I know a couple of sedentary lard butts that are actually getting some exercise thanks to this game. And I've heard of complete strangers meeting up and making friends during quests.

Shannon was telling me today about how she was driving down Braefoot Road and a 12 year old kid on a bike (no helmet) was weaving all over the road, back and forth, waving his phone in the air. She slowed down because he was blocking the road, oblivious to the traffic behind him. He stopped his bike in the centre of the road, brandishing the phone like a compass and Shannon had to stop the car: "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He saw the car and moved off to the side, while keeping his eyes on the phone.

Edited by Rob Randall, 17 July 2016 - 07:25 PM.

[Jables]

A further decline of civivlations. I am totally unclear at its attraction.

 

It's not a further decline of 'civivlations'.  Here's a background.

 

Pokemon is an RPG (Role Playing Game) that was first released on the Game Boy in the late 90's.  You all probably remember the original craze from back then. In the game, your character travels around the world catching these Pokemon (short for 'Pocket Monster') and uses them to battle other Pokemon caught by Trainers like yourself.  Battling causes the Pokemon to gain experience, learn new moves, and even 'evolve' (grow up) into more a powerful Pokemon.

 

The strategy comes from each Pokemon having a defined type (Fire/Water/Grass, etc..), leading to a 'rock/paper/scissors' type system in which Pokemon are strong against some types and weak against others.  The goal of the game is to defeat 8 'Gym Leaders' (powerful trainers who run their own themed Pokemon Gym) around the game world to earn the right to challenge the 'Elite Four', the most powerful trainers in the game world.  You will not be able to progress in the game without having a diverse team of trained Pokemon.

 

Many sequels have been released since the original games - all on Nintendo's own handheld devices (not counting spinoffs released on Nintendo's traditional home consoles).  They all follow the same mold as the first game, but with added Pokemon, new worlds, and new game mechanics.  The franchise never went away and the fanbase is still large and going strong. Think of it as the gaming equivalent of AC/DC; consistent quality, few changes to the core formula and a dedicated fanbase that has kept them alive for years after their major commercial successes.  P.S. - If you buy that analogy and are a fan of the band, think of Pokemon Go as the franchises' "Thunderstruck".

 

There are a few major things that I believe are causing this particular game to explode in popularity:

 

1. This is the first time that Nintendo has ever released a game, let alone one of its major franchises, on a platform that it did not develop in-house; i.e. if you didn't own a Nintendo console or Nintendo handheld gaming device, you could not play a Nintendo game (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, etc....).  People who had 'fallen off the wagon' so-to-speak are now finally getting back into something they loved as a kid.

 

2. The demand for a more immersive Pokemon experience has been present since the original game's release.  Fans have been salivating for a full 3D, traditional Pokemon RPG since the release of the Nintendo 64, but the idea has been constantly stymied by Nintendo.  You can't get much more immersive than running around your own town catching Pokemon, so obviously fans of the game are going nuts for it.

 

3. Smartphones are everywhere and the game is free. It's incredibly easy to obtain and get up and running.

 

Some points about this particular game:

 

- You do not have to have your head buried in your smartphone to play it properly; you can clearly see where the 'Pokestops' (item shops) are on the map and a picture of each stop is available.  A sound cue plays when a wild Pokemon appears while you're walking, and you do not have to hold your phone out like a compass to play it properly - you just have to have the app open.  The game does not encourage people to ignore their surroundings (it even provides a warning to players every time it boots up, telling them to pay attention).  If you see people running out into traffic, call them out for not paying attention - don't blame the game for it.

 

- There are microtransactions (i.e. pay $1 for x amount of coins to unlock certain items) but you can make rewarding progress in the game without spending a single cent.

 

- You cannot play the game at home, sitting on the couch like a 'sedentary lard butt'.  You have to be up, outside, and moving from place to place.

 

- The game will soon be updated to include the ability to have Pokemon battles with nearby players, encouraging even more interaction between people playing the game.

 

- The game does not require a serious time commitment.  You can play it for 5 minutes or 5 hours and still get the same level of enjoyment out of it.

 

- It uses far less mobile data than you would think; 2-8mb/hour is one of the numbers i've heard being thrown around.

 

Some final points:

 

Before somebody else goes on another rant about 'technology', you have to realize that these devices are not going away.  They're here to stay, and my kids are never going to grow up knowing a world without smartphones, tablets, or the internet.  Since this is the case, why wouldn't you want to support a game that encourages people to go outside, explore the world around them (not the world in the smartphone), and interact with other people using 'face-to-face voice communication' (there is no chat or messaging system built into the game)?  I had a blast playing it with my son yesterday and I still saw packs of kids, teenagers and adults in the park behind my house (which contains 3 Pokestops), running around yapping excitedly to each other as they played, well into the evening.  No other game, let alone smartphone app, has had this kind of effect yet - it's something completely new and people are reacting to it.  Case in point, Nintendo's stock gained 25% (approx. 11 billion dollars) in the four days following the game's release.  I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Edited by Jables, 18 July 2016 - 06:50 AM.

[Bingo]

- There are microtransactions (i.e. pay $1 for x amount of coins to unlock certain items) but you can make rewarding progress in the game without spending a single cent.

 

But once you become hooked it's like any addiction and soon it is costing you more than a single cent. Nothing is free.

[VicHockeyFan]

But once you become hooked it's like any addiction and soon it is costing you more than a single cent. Nothing is free.

 

No, but advertising supports many things that seem free, like television.  And the VV chat board.

[Jables]

But once you become hooked it's like any addiction and soon it is costing you more than a single cent. Nothing is free.

 

The game isn't a pack of cigarettes or a slot machine and is far less addictive than a game like Candy Crush.  Also, it won't hinder your progress if you choose not to spend any money like that game will, and you won't even find them unless you go digging in the menus for them.

 

My point is that the gameplay doesn't lead you towards a cycle of consistent microtransactions that are required to enjoy the game; it remains enjoyable and satisfying on its own.  This, in my opinion, is the best way they could have implemented them.

Edited by Jables, 18 July 2016 - 07:53 AM.

[sebberry]

Yup.

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[Jables]

Yup.

 

Reminds me of this quote:

 

"I possess a device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get in to arguments with strangers."

Edited by Jables, 18 July 2016 - 08:06 AM.

[Jason-L]

Reminds me of this quote:

 

"I possess a device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get in to arguments with strangers."

And I'm sure someone said the same of books and how they were the decline of oral tradition.  And someone probably said the same of oral tradition.

All things that are new are foul and terrible (except where they directly benefit you) and a sign of the decline of civilization.

Also, this game isn't actually from Nintendo, but rather Niantic (part of the Google Alphabet family) and Pokemon Co (only 1/3rd Nintendo interest), and very likely took Nintendo by surprise ... Nintendo's mobile offerings have been and are going to be much less exciting.

[LJ]

Who sets the location of the Pokémon to capture or whatever you do? They seem to be in real odd places in some instances.

[Jill]

Twice today while out walking I saw small groups of young teens playing this game. Yes, they all had devices in their hands, but they were charging around, playing together and obviously having fun. I think it's great.

[Rob Randall]

Playing Nintendo outside? Been there, done that in 1982!

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[todd]

^Your scores were so embarrassing that you decided to reset using the pushpin, eh?

[Danma]

I've been playing it. It's fun, in that it provides my son an additional reason to walk around – we usually go down to Goldstream ave as there are lots of Pokestops and Gyms and other players, particularly at Veterans Memorial Park. 

 

As for the locations – the game uses landmark information collected in the playing of a game called Ingress, also made by Niantic. It determined major and minor locations, and was then rolled into Pokemon Go. A side effect is that there are more Pokestops and Gyms in well travelled locations (like downtown, uvic etc) and less so in the burbs... It's actually interesting to see what landmarks that get selected. A mural you haven't noticed, or a plaque on the base of a statue...

[Jason-L]

. It's actually interesting to see what landmarks that get selected. A mural you haven't noticed, or a plaque on the base of a statue...

I played Ingress for a bit, and this was probably the best part of the game for me.  Everytime it sent me to some plaque I had no idea about, or some wall painting or a sign I'd never seen, it was pretty neat.

[tedward]

It's not a further decline of 'civivlations'.  Here's a background.

 

Pokemon is an RPG (Role Playing Game) ...

 

Great summary except for the tiny error at the beginning. It is not an RPG  (like Dungeons & Dragons) but is a trading card game (like Magic: the gathering).