Pokemon Go Addiction

It's been less than a week since Pokemon Go launched. And I'm already convinced that it is the most interactive game to have launched, ever. When I say interactive, I mean with the environment and people.

Pokemon Go comes from the makers of Ingress. It is also an AR (augmented reality) game, but with more complexity. It wasn't nearly as successful as Pokemon GO due to its storyline that attracts a much smaller following. The existing nostalgic fan base for Pokemon from 20-somethings certainly did not hurt.

I have not installed the game for myself because of how addicting it is. The game has people hooked. The past weekend, I've been around friends that played Pokemon Go while in their company (almost constantly). Unlike other addicting games in the past like Farmville, this is has a critical aspect of reality. When someone discovers a Pokemon in the game, they tell everyone around about it; then everyone who has the game on their phone takes out their phone to catch the Pokemon.

The game is naturally viral. This is further demonstrated by all the strangers creating a sense of Pokemon community while in the wild catching Pokemon.

It'll be interesting to see how long Pokemon Go will last at this intensity. It's certainly a good introduction to AR for the average consumer.