I figured this topic deserves its own thread. Focus: Discuss the game and its implications and impact. Who plays? Alt Focus: What other cultural trends and fads have you tried to hold off on but gave in eventually?
Although I get the upsides of it getting people active and outside, there has got to be a line. Today I read people are going into cemeteries and defacing them. Really? Obviously they don't get out much. Maybe they should stay locked in their basements. I don't fucking know but I agree 100% with Juice (WDT POST) in that I cannot believe adults are going nuts over this shit. Yes, technology is great blah blah blah but it has also led to the demise of fucking common sense and real communication. GET OFFA MY LAWN. I know, I know.
Focus: I have to say, as an already active person and a 'Pokémon kid' [Since the first American generation of the playing cards, Game Boy Color games and movies and TV show] that I am kinda amazed to see so much of my generation now exploring around and bonding over this phone application. I have seen people already begin abusing the idea of the game, though. Some asshats camping out in their cars like insane people near Gym locations to keep the place "theirs". Dude, get a fucking life. Let other people have a little bit of victory already. I also am getting amazed at all the salt generated about the Teams. Apparently, Team Mystic and Team Instinct think Team Valor is a bunch of dicks. I am getting amazed at the competition over a phone application game. Pokémon is to appeal to a more spirited competition mentality of childhood-like fun than a bunch of angry twenty-somethings fighting each other to claim a pier location. [Ironically, that was where the asshats I mentioned were; like five angry dudes just beating everyone who showed up. Out of spite I returned and Viet Cong'd their Gym. Take that, fuckers.] Alternative Focus: Facebook. I was debating getting a MySpace and then that site "died". It was either get a Facebook account or lose hold of many friends and relatives. I chose Facebook.
The definition of real communication changes. I can only imagine the uproar when the telephone made the telegraph obsolete. Are you upset about text message and emails also? People aren't defacing cemeteries. Nothing in the game requires this. They may be walking through cemeteries looking for pokemons, but none of that requires you vandalize grave sites. I don't play the game. I was a little too old for pokemon when it originally came into the world. The only people my age playing back then were what we would now call autistic dorks. I do kind of want to download the game so I can see what the fuss is all about, but I fear both addiction and social stigma.
It is interesting that places have been geo tagging their businesses to draw people to their stores. Already using it for outside of the box marketing. I also heard Nintendo which was on the verge of becoming irrelevant has added some ungodly amount of potential capital in play for them.
Yeah, I was born in 1990 so when Pokémon broke into the US I was at the ideal age to like it. I find most people born in anything further back than the late 80's tend to dislike Pokémon or as Frebis said are basement-dwelling man-children anyway, so of course, they would cling to a new nerdy thing. As for social stigma, just try not to walk into a ditch or get hit by a car and do what you want to do. No, you just defeat the last person who "won" the Gym. You just walk up, fight them and win stuff and then you "own" the Gym until someone beats you.
But a little social decorum is in order. Just because youre not taking a shit on a grave, perhaps playing a children's game in a cemetery might be in bad taste?
How many children own phones these days? I think they knew their market would be twenty-somethings for the majority.
Maybe I live in a backwoods hovel-place. Most of the people I see playing this are at least teenagers.
The people are all dead. I really don't see the issue of walking around in one as long as you aren't fucking shit up. I wouldn't walk through an active graveside service or anything.
Alt-Focus: Smartphones. I did not get my first one (an S3) until January 2014. I never saw the point in paying the extra money for one when I would still always need a computer, but I finally got one when I was offered a really good deal. Now I don't know how I ever got by without one!
Yes, but people do go to cemeteries to pay respect to their loved ones and having a bunch of grown children hooting, hollering and running around isn't exactly tranquil, especially when you paid good money to have a peaceful place to lay your loved one to rest.
This was the big one for me. I didn't get one until I bought a used iPhone 5. There are so many useful features it's astounding. Plus I mean a handheld porn box. Come on.
Alt-focus: Apple Products For years I thought they were over priced comparable products. After my 'droid phone shit the bed for the third time in a year and a half through no fault of my own I made the switch. The Google really needs to get their shit together and ship a complete product.
Reverse Alt Focus: What other cultural trends and fads do you refuse to give in to? I don't have Facebook or an Instagram account or Snapchat. I have a Twitter just so I can follow some stuff. I have Tweeted for various free shit promotions, and then I delete the tweet. I have a Blackberry Z10.
I'm the opposite. I was on my brothers Verizon account and VZW was the last carrier to get the iPhone and I wanted one BAD. Finally got an iPhone and almost immediately hated it. Kept it for the 2 week trial period and sent it back. Been a Samsung fanboy ever since.