~That one game that was the closest we got to world peace.
A short introduction:(Kok Sheng)
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality (AR) mobile game developed and published by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. The game was first released in a few specific countries for testing in July 2016, and after some time it went worldwide. Using the mobile device’s built-in GPS, players could move around in the augmented reality and interact with Pokémon in various ways. This game seemed to be the perfect game for every player from any generation….or is it? In this report we shall take a look at how the game works and the pros and cons of them.
Gameplay:(Zile)
To start things off, players would first create and customize their avatars as Pokémon trainers. Once created, the avatar is displayed on a map based on the player’s current location based on their GPS. Some of the features on the map include ‘PokéStops’ and ‘Pokémon Gyms’. The PokéStops can be interacted with in a few ways, the first being to “spin” PokéStop to obtain certain items such as Pokéballs and many more. Another function is to equip the PokéStop with an item called a “Lure Module”, which can attract more Pokémon and maybe even rare Pokémon. Pokémon Gyms serve as battle locations for team-based king of the hill matches. PokéStops and Gyms are located at just about anywhere around Singapore, from shopping malls to murals.
Source: https://gamerant.com/pokemon-go-niantic-new-pokestops/
More gameplay features include:
- Players move within their real world surroundings, their avatars move within the game’s map. Different Pokémon species reside in different areas of the world
- Pokémon can appear in AR mode or with a live rendered, generic background.
- AR mode uses the camera and gyroscope on the player’s mobile device to display an image of a Pokémon as though it were in the real world.
- Players can take screenshots of the Pokémon they encounter either with or without the AR mode activated.
- As mention by Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokémon_Go), players in Pokémon Go do not need battle wild Pokémon to catch them like other installments in the Pokémon series.
- During an encounter with a wild Pokémon, a player may throw a Poké Ball at it by flicking it from the bottom of the screen up toward the Pokémon. If the Pokémon is successfully caught, it will come under the ownership of the player. Factors in the success rate of catching a Pokémon include the Pokémon’s catch rate, the timing and the type of Poké Ball used.
- Many collectibles obtainable from Pokéstops, all with various uses.
Advantages of Pokémon Go(Nadia)
Source:(https://www.christiandaily.com/article/pokemon-go-gameplay-new-details-what-are-the-new-features-included-in-latest-update/58392.htm)
Encourage players to go out
Pokémon Go encourages their players to go out often as the game requires the players to visit “Poke stops” to collect items like the “Poke balls” which are used to capture Pokémon. There are also trackers to show where the Pokémon creatures are enticing the players to rush out to capture them. The collection of creatures allows to go to ‘Gyms’ to battle other players to earn rewards.
Encourage exercise
The players can collect eggs which contain Pokémon creatures. In which they must put the eggs in the incubator, the players must walk a certain distance (e.g. 10km) for the eggs to hatch. The players can assign a buddy who walks with your in-game avatar to collect candy that is used to power-up and evolve Pokémon.
Exploring green spaces
The chance for players to find Pokémon they need can be low, that’s why the players are encouraged to visit nearby parks which are nests of some types of Pokémon to complete their collection. The species at the nests usually migrates every two weeks so the players have to visit parks regularly.
Encourage social interactions
The game helps their players to socially interact with other players as the game brings a sense of belonging where strangers with similar passion for the game can converse in the type of Pokémon they have.
Disadvantages:(Isaac)
Source:(https://www.steerslawfirm.com/pokemon/)
Pokémon Go is a well-known game in Singapore and once it was released, it made residents be unable to get in a good night’s sleep due to people shouting for Snorlax or other rare Pokémon, leading to people dashing across the street and through traffic just to catch them, endangering their lives in the process. People also tend to sacrifice sleep just to camp at a Pokemon “Hot Spot “ to wait for rare Pokemon and events to pop up. People in Singapore also bought a lot of portable chargers just to charge their phones while playing Pokemon Go , it is dangerous when they use a lot of wires to charge as it might cause a current overflow or worse. Mobile Devices used for Pokémon Go massively drain battery life and users who play Pokémon Go usually continuously charge all the way even though their current battery life is at 100%, and that could lead to battery components wearing down, leading to a damaged battery life. While the app does encourage outdoor play, you’re still plugged into technology, almost defeating the purpose of going outside. This may not change your life if you’re already typically on your phone while walking outside. But by constantly staring at your phone, you can gain a high chance of having accidents occur to you. I have also personally seen kids as young as K1 or K2 so engrossed in Pokémon go on their phones right after their classes or even during classes, in which they use their phones and walk around just to capture Pokémon. But recently the hype has died down but not completely extinguished. Another issue I would like to share is the probability of personal info being leaked out to hackers or other users due to people getting blinded by high rewards, example getting level up service , event or rare Pokémon catching event and leak personal information such as passwords, username or even sometime your own personal detail like where you stay.
zlksin 