As I'm sure you are all well aware by now, there is a gaming phenomenon taking the world by storm. Pokémon GO was just released, and every adult raised in the 90s quickly installed the app and has been roaming city streets glued to their phones. I am not an exception.
I quickly installed the app, and fought through their server issues to catch as many Pokémon as possible. Not satisfied with the weedles around our house, Ellie and I took advantage of a rare weekend home, and took Audrey out for a walk around Hoyt Lake and Delaware Park. I was sure water Pokémon would be lurking. Not satisfied with my catch, we also strolled to the Taste of Buffalo and had our annual wine slushie. By the end of the day, we had walked 8.5 miles . . .
While mostly fueled on nostalgic-hype, a game that gets you out into the world and exercising is just plain fun. I loved playing Ingress, which by the same company, is essentially the same game as Pokémon only slightly nerdier. It is fun to enjoy a warm summer weekend out and about, exploring the familiar and unfamiliar landmarks of your city. Ellie and I saw a couple of signs we had never taken the time to stop and read.
Walking and tracking your movement with a Fitbit or nike fuel band doesn't quite gameify exercise enough. I think augmented reality games like Pokémon and Ingress accomplish this feat, though how long it will keep peoples attention will be interesting to see. It already feels a little more grindy (repetitive) than I care for.
Are any of you guys playing? If so how are you feeling a week into the release?
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