The thing that’s been fascinating about Pokemon GO (Free) from a particular standpoint of that it’s really community gaming at its finest. Because the game forces people to get out and go places to actually play it, what’s happened is that it’s brought people together in ways that few other games can ever possibly do. Such as, in this Bellevue, Washington park, where a bunch of people get excited about a Squirtle that’s finally appeared at a nearby PokeStop:
Or this story from a mother of a child on the autism spectrum, who has gotten out and socialized with other folks thanks to the game:
This is a really cool phenomenon that’s happened with the game, where people have been brought together and socialized with other folks because of the real-world nature of the game. Sure, it’s fair to criticize the game – people probably shouldn’t be trying to catch Pokemon at the Holocaust Museum, and there are some interesting ethical questions about the rights of people whose property are PokeStops. Plus, the craze is sure not to last forever, fewer people are sure to play in the colder months, and the actual long-term depth of the experience is a questionable aspect. But please stop acting like you’re cool for not playing, for being somehow above it, because as silly as people chasing augmented-reality Pokemon might be, it’s the kind of rare real-world community-unifying experience that few other games provide.
