Pokémon Go release excites columnist Shona Morrison

It was the era that brought about the first waves of mobile technology and I was a proud owner of a bright purple Nintendo Game Boy Colour. The games available were endless but one of those that took up the most of my time was Pokémon.
The habit is one that has stuck with me through the years. I started out as a rookie trainer in Pokémon Blue and progressed onto Silver. By then, consoles had developed quite a bit and the Game Boy Advance was on the shelves and the new games were only compatible with it. So the trend has continued and Pokémon is still going strong more than two decades later. Similarly, my love has continued, to the point where I used a new Pokémon game to partly mentally justify buying myself a new 3DS a few years ago. It’s a love that mostly keeps me out of trouble.
The latest offing to the franchise is Pokémon Go, which brings the world of these little animated creatures to our smartphones. The new app is an augmented reality game that mixes the fantastical with reality. As players move around the real world, they can encounter and catch Pokémon Well, at least they can in some parts of the world where it has officially launched. In Europe, we’re set to be waiting a while yet for the official release. Unofficially, there are of course many people already playing which leaves the rest of us seriously wanting.
Those in Australia and the United States are the lucky sods to already have it. Officially, we’re going to be waiting a while, with “while” being an indeterminate length of time as a top official suggested in an interview that the release has now been “paused” after servers struggled to cope with so many people using them.
I can’t wait until it’s officially released here. Instead of playing my 3DS on the sofa or while I’m waiting in the car, I’m going to be able to catch pocket monsters as I shop. There are widespread reports that Pokémon Go is bringing children outside, bringing about an especially marked difference in those who are more likely to look at a grassy verge on a television screen rather than one in real life. Heck, I’ll be joining them and taking in scenic strolls of Fermanagh in a quest to catch ‘em all.
Pokémon seem to pop up everywhere now, with some people reporting that their way around their own homes have been blocked by the odd wild Rattata or Pikachu. You’ll obviously find more if you’re out and about, but there have already been cases where individuals have found more than they bargained for. One teenager was out Pokémon hunting when she stumbled across a body in a river. The police determined that it was accidental but you have to wonder how much longer it would have remained undiscovered if that teen hadn’t been out looking for a rare catch or two.
There have been other warnings regarding safety coming out too. A police force in Australia found their station listed as a Pokéstop where Pokéballs and the like could be picked up and they gently had to inform players that they didn’t have to enter the building to obtain their goods. They also used this as an opportunity to remind users to “look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street.” Their warning is a good one as there have already been multiple people injured as they’re falling over due to being so distracted by the game.
In a more sinister twist, landmarks such as churches and libraries are used as Pokémon gyms but the data used to select these appears to be decades out of date meaning that players are actually hovering around private property. Due to US laws on trespassing, there could potentially be fatal consequences. There are also locations that have never really been considered landmarks and this is due to the data being largely user created and imported from another game by the same company. These were locations that were tagged by players and it seems that they were never reviewed for appropriateness before becoming a core element of the game. As such, grave sites, strip clubs and even the 9/11 memorial pool have all become features in Pokémon Go. Such places may be important to some people but I doubt they’d appreciate Pokémon battles being carried out as they’re trying to take a moment for themselves or sneak into a building unseen. As with all things in the world, it’s just important to use caution in unfamiliar places.
It’s a game that just requires a bit of common sense to be enjoyed. The majority of Pokémon trainers aren’t going to encounter any problems whatsoever and may even make a few new friends in the process. It’ll be easy to see who else is playing – they’ll be the people holding their phones out as if they’re taking a picture and shouting as their Pokémon keeps evading capture. They’ll be part of a large group at the Pokémon gyms or Pokéstops, instantly creating a brand new social hub. Pokémon is a pretty innocent game so the kinds of people you’re going to encounter are likely going to be a decent sort, especially if they’re in their mid-twenties and have grown up immersed in the franchise.
All the stories that are coming out are just making me more excited to get my hands on the app although my heart does drop a little in the knowledge that there is no firm timescale on how long we in the UK are going to have to wait for it.
Once thing is for certain though. The day that it’s released will be the day that I dust off my trainer hat (yes, I do actually have one), grab a pair of comfy shoes and head off on my own Pokémon adventure.
I’ve been waiting for this dream to come true since I was a child and from all reports, it doesn’t seem like I’m going to be too disappointed when the time does eventually come.
As the theme song attests, I will travel across the land and I will search far and wide.
Or at least I will until I realise that a smartphone app has successfully tricked me into exercising. That might dampen the enthusiasm for a little while.