“Pokémon are out there, and you need to find them!” reads the app description for the latest (and most popular ever) augmented reality mobile gaming app, Pokémon Go. The app, which rose to the top of the charts within a day of its Apple App Store release, has become an international phenomenon since its release date July 6.
Pokémon Go is the brainchild of Niantic Labs, a software development company that used to be a part of the software mogul Alphabet (parent company to Google). Niantic uses game data from Nintendo and the Pokémon Company, location data from Google Maps and landmark data from its other augmented reality game, Ingress, to form the virtual Pokémon Go world. Landmarks, whether a major tourist destination or street art, take the form of one of two things: PokéStops, where players drive or walk by to collect items, or Gyms, where players engage in combat with rival team members (there are three teams) for control of the gym.
Many players who live near AHS may have noticed that the school bell tower was a Pokéstop for the first few weeks after the app’s debut ‒ but the stop was removed. School administration contacted Niantic via an online form to request its removal.
“Our primary concern is the safety of the students. We asked to have the PokéStop removed because we did not want people who don’t belong on campus wandering in here,” said Mrs. Blum, upper school principal. “This is not to ruin fun for our students.”
However, students will continue to find Pokémon themselves on campus, as the presence of a PokéStop or gym does not influence spawn rates. Currently, school administration does not plan to block the app on school wifi.
“I know students like to get credit for their walking so they can open up new eggs. Certainly if it turns out to be a problem for the learning environment, we will do what we need to do,” Mrs. Blum said.
Although Mrs. Blum herself has not yet fallen prey to the rapidly spreading trend, her son plays Pokémon Go. “He had a great time this summer hunting Pokémon in NYC while we were visiting my family,” Mrs. Blum said.
Pokémon Go has been doing wonders in the ways of alleviating depression and getting people out and about in their community. There’s a sense of camaraderie felt when you talk to someone at your neighborhood park and find out that you belong to the same team. And even though students are currently unable to directly battle each other on campus, Pokémon Go will certainly be a popular conversation starter for months to come.
