That Pokemon thing
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="598196" data-time="1468938625">
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<p>Yeah, I'm a fan too (of it existing, not of playing it), if people want to scamper about catching them good luck to them. Even better if it gets the odd dad to go for a walk round a park with his kids while they catch some.</p>
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<p>It does amaze me that people talk about how sad it is for adults to do this, but will happily play Championship Manager or GTA for an entire weekend. Or rewatch a Super game to see what they missed first time round. Or spend a day at the golf watching a blokes swing. I watched a solid hour of 2 & Half Men last night. That I'd already seen before. Going for a walk & bagging a Pokemon would have been a huge step up from that. Even tho' Megan Fox was in it.</p>
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<p>Almost all pastimes are sad to someone. </p>
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<p>Or post tens of thousands of times on a "rugby" forum</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="598204" data-time="1468959779">
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<p>Or post tens of thousands of times on a "rugby" forum</p>
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<p><img src="http://img.pandawhale.com/80618-you-are-very-good-you-gif-Robe-4mBR.gif" alt="80618-you-are-very-good-you-gif-Robe-4mB"></p> -
<p>It's the visibility that makes this trend different.</p>
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<p>Normally a video game/app will come out and be massively popular, but people will be playing it behind closed doors so it's not really noticeable. But with Pokemon people are out and about, crowding public spaces, parks etc. </p>
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<p>One of the reasons why IMO this has been more frenzied than most gaming trends, inspiring stronger reactions both for and against.</p> -
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Cookie" data-cid="598105" data-time="1468915049">
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<p>I know very little about Pokemon Go apart from some kids in US have already been shot at as they were in a car late at night "acting suspicious"<br><br>
Does anyone know what the business model is behind it - do you pay for an app to play or is there advertising involved?</p>
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<p>The game is free and theres no advertising.</p>
<p>Theres an ingame shop where its possible to purchase coins that can be exchanged for items that expedite progress.</p>
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<p>Most of the stuff for purchase are pretty standard however the AR aspect brings a different element.</p>
<p>The aim of the game is to collect Pokemon. Tracking them down in the wild takes a long time as it requires the player to physically navigate the real world however its possible to buy lures that can be inserted into a pokestop which attracts Pokemons to a fixed real world location for 30 minutes. </p>
<p>Everyone in the game can see a pokestop as having a lure so people go flocking to that location in the real world so they can nab some pokemon in the augmented world.</p>
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<p>At present, its not just players who are buying the lures - businesses are buying them too because it attracts lots of people to their location.</p>
<p>Its this characteristic coupled with the Pokemon franchise that differentiates it from all that have come before it. </p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, the next step is for Niantech to offer pokestops for purchase to businesses and charge on a per visit basis. </p> -
Pokemon Go players in Bosnia warned to steer clear of land mines. Games getting a bit too real.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="598263" data-time="1468976413">
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<p><strong>It still remains to be seen if this is another Words With Friends - where everybody played it for about a month, then it died.</strong></p>
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<p>Should be released in Japan in next couple of days. It's going to go absolutely mental then.</p>
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<p>I'm still playing it now!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="598271" data-time="1468979981">
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<p>The BIG thing its done is for battery pack sales - it drains battery like a mofo (not to mention data) so portable USB lithium is running out the door.</p>
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<p>Ha, TR Jnr is at his Nanas and rang up after they had been out geocaching and my brother turned up and took him to look for some pokemon and he's like dad, I have to get Pokemon Go! It uses loads of battery and data, but is so cool! </p>
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<p>Am guessing thats what his uncle told him anyway! </p>