In July 2016, Pokemon GO marked an enormous moment for mobile gaming. The whole notion of ‘catch Pokemon in the real world’ was always going to be a hit, but it was hard to anticipate the scale of exactly what Niantic had on their hands. A very different experience to the mainline Pokemon series, but a worthy one.
This was, I’d venture, a rare period of harmony in the industry. From the dedicated Pokemon lovers who’d been there since the cards were banned at their schools, to those who couldn’t pick any more than Pikachu and Jigglypuff out of a lineup, millions of us were out there.
It was wonderful to see the game become such a social hit. I’m strictly in the dedicated Pokemon lovers category, and that was why it particularly warmed my heart to suddenly engage in furious battles with strangers out in the real world. I’d see a small group gathered outside a building and just know they were the Aerodactyl, Charizard, and Gyarados with formidable CP that were preventing me from taking the gym.
Local stores, libraries, museums, and other landmarks had become PokeStops and Gyms, either handy places to stock up on essential items...
