Pokemon Go: The Importance of Brand, the Social Agenda and Getting People Outdoors One Year On

It has almost been a year since the AR sensation first hit the app store, when the news was dominated by the sensation that saw hundreds of people rush outdoors in the hunt for Pokemon.

As we approach the anniversary of Pokemon Go, it would be interesting to highlight how factors such as branding contributed to the app's success and discuss its unprecedented social impact, and how the use of such apps can alter our relationship with the outdoors.

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My personal experience with the app was when it launched in Hong Kong, and the craze was unbelievable. Everywhere in public, there was always someone playing the game, including numerous parents with their young children and even elderly couples on the bus.

It wasn't only the streets of Hong Kong (already as dense as it was) that were brimming with life, it extended globally wherever the game was released. Parks and national landmarks were visited more than ever by Pokemon Trainers, many of whom may otherwise have stayed indoors.

Unsurprisingly, this was shortlived.

Despite the app being downloaded over 500 million times since launch, it currently retains 65m monthly users and 5m daily users. Most of those players probably tried the app based on the massive hype and word of mouth; others trying a form of AR for the first time, but the core user base (and those still playing today) most likely consist of those who are fans, are familiar with or have developed an appeal for the Pokemon brand.

Image via CNN

However, Pokemon Go isn't the first game of its kind, as developers Niantic previously released a similar 'real world' map based game called 'Ingress' (launched 2012), but has no attachment to a well known IP (players are simply agents on opposing teams competing to take control of portals) and to date, has only a fraction of the uptake and userbase of Go.

I still haven't figured out what to call this genre of app/game, but at the heart of both Ingress and PoGo are three tenets, as described by Niantic CEO John Hanke, and could be characterised as a form of social agenda:

1) Exercise

2) To See the World with New Eyes

3) Breaking the Ice

How important is branding/familiarity in securing user uptake for apps such as these?

To what extent could such apps sustain user engagement both with the app and support real life social interactions and the experience of the physical environment?

How might and should the physical environment support the use and enjoyment of such apps?

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These are just a few very open questions with regards to the development of such mixed reality apps that combine a real world experience (exploration/ exercise) and digital aspirations (securing portals/ catching pokemon) and its resultant social impact.

As this genre develops and evolves, when the physical environment becomes increasingly augmented and where aspects of real life become gamified, how can the digital experience be reflected in the physical environment? and vice versa?

My personal view is that the physical environment itself should be designed to be wholly enticing and supportive of social interactions outside of a digital experience. The joy is in the discovery of such engaging places, that users will want to return whether they are playing the game or not. The digital should reflect the physical, not the other way around. The issues arise when the a space is only a place because of digital augmentation.

Another aspect is to allow for greater user customisation and input on places that are in game such as the 'landmarks/pokestops/portals' etc. Whilst the games already contains many historical, cultural and local places of significance, there are still many further opportunities to highlight places of meaning.

Additionally, the virtual layer offers opportunity to visualise/represent non-physical elements. Who is to say that all Pokestops or Portals should be represented by something physical? How might the digital representation of physical space be impacted by historical events/memory? There is great potential for such apps to add many layers of richness to the physical environment that ultimately imparts greater meaning, drawing us not only to 'see' but experience the places around us.

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A year on, Pokemon Go is still managing to get people going outdoors through its numerous in-game events and bonuses, which has seen daily users increase during those periods. As the weather improves, the game has announced its first series of Summer events, with the first real life event being held at Grant Park Chicago. It is also likely that the Gen 1 Legendaries will also be released this Summer, which will again draw players back to the game and heading outdoors, but the discussion about the experience of physical space through the app still remains.

One final thought is that although there is room for improving the physical spatial experience of such app use, it manages to do something else rather well, and that seems to be memory creation. There are sure to be countless stories people can share about catching certain Pokemon in certain places, or meeting these people here or there and so on, and perhaps it is through these spontaneous experiences that can impart meaning to place?