Anand Mokashi – 
Pokémon Go cometh.
They appear unexpectedly. They are stealthy, quiet and merciless.
They’re out in force day and night. They spare neither the young nor the old.
They are everywhere, even in your home.
Welcome to the Pokémon Go Universe!
Pokémon is the portmanteau of ‘Pocket Monsters,’ and has been in existence in some form for more than two decades.
Augmented Reality
In this Augmented Reality, free-to-play mobile app game, digital monsters roam the real world, and the player’s task is to find, capture, and train them.
Thereafter, the players can put them in battle against other players. Most of all, no previous Pokémon experience is needed to enjoy ‘Pokémon Go.’
Some of the most sought-after attackers go by the names of Lapras, Snorlax, Alakazam, Victreebel and Vaporeon.
On the other hand, Slowbro, Dragonite, Exeggutor, Golduck and Clefable are popular defenders.
The game’s extended launch began on July 6, 2016, with releases in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.
Cash and Barter
Though the game itself is free, players have the option to use real money to buy in-game currency called PokéCoins. (Between $0.99 for 100 PokéCoins and up to $99.99 for 14,500 PokéCoins). The PokéCoins are used to purchase Pokéballs, which are needed to catch Pokémon.
If you do not want to spend real money, you pay in kind with your time and energy.
The game works by using your phone’s GPS for your real-world location and augmented reality technology to bring up those cool-looking Pokémon on your screen, overlaid on top of what you see in front of you.
If you are in the right place at the right time, wild Pokémon leap out at you, giving you a chance to catch them with a Pokéball. When you capture a Pokémon, it gets added to your Pokédex, a sort of Pokémon database, where you can personalise them later. You can then go to your local ‘gym’ and battle your Pokémon against other trainers (also real people).
Fixed landmarks
Also available are PokéStops. These are predetermined landmarks that players can interact with and get items from. Some of these items will further one’s ability as a trainer, or simply draw tons of other excited Pokémon Go players to the location.
The principal appeal of ‘Pokémon Go’ comes from its ease of playing.
A smartphone- iPhone or Android and a strong Wi-Fi connection or cellular data are the only prime necessities.
The game is reported to take up between two to eight megabytes of data per hour, depending on what you are doing. ‘Pokémon Go’ will also drain the battery.
While the game has its own ‘battery saver’ mode, other things like lowering brightness and switching off Bluetooth will help. An external battery pack or portable charger will also help.
Businesses have been quick to latch on to the game to attract customers.
Travel brands and tourist spots are tuning into Pokestops to attract Pokemon-playing customers.
John Findlay, Co-founder of ‘Launchfire,’ many Museums, Airports, Hotels, Theme Parks and Art Galleries use ‘Pokemon Go’ to attract customers.
Gecko Adventures (http://www.geckosadventures.com/en/pokemon-lets-go) has a specialist Pokémon Package, with which they take intrepid traveller to distant places to capture these elusive monsters.
Inspired by the success of Pokémon, crowd-sourced ‘Pokémon Go’ maps have sprung up to assist players in finding Pokémons.
Anand Mokashi is an IT Lecturer, Consultant and Digital Media Specialist with a passion for all things online. He runs the Facebook group of Amateur astronomy lovers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ilavip/) and the website www.astronomyhuble.com. Email: anand_mokashi@consultant.com
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