Pokemon

My how the tables have turned:

http://www.wired.com/2016/07/pokemon-go-dating-app/

Back when Pokemon was played on Nintendo handhelds, it was more like an anti-dating app

I have now had the app for 24 hours. I still think it's neat. However, the fad/frenzy seems to be strong with this one...

I am a runner, so I am generally out and about around town anyway. This time, I took my phone on a 3.5 mile run after work, and the game was a very effective tool for fartleks. I would run quickly between pokestops or pokemon encounters, at which I would stand around for a minute or two. I'm sure I looked like a complete idiot. The most interesting aspect though was my heightened awareness of other people around. I noticed WAY more people out and about staring at phones. Kids on bikes (dangerous!) and just people walking around pokestops or sitting near gyms. My towns little "downtown" is a hotspot of gyms and pokestops. Activity seemed intense for a Tuesday night. I'm reasonably certain I saw people pulling up in cars (like a whole van load of teens at one gym) and stopping for a few minutes to interact with the game. This level of popularity surprised even my dorky self.

GameboyRMH wrote: And interesting to consider the power Nintendo now wields to direct foot traffic around...the selection seems to be random right now (with a police station in Australia getting selected for example), but what if it wasn't?

Called it:

https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/13/pokemon-go-sponsored-locations-to-let-brands-in-on-the-fun/

It's a lot of fun. I've never played it before, but I enjoy it myself. Lots of people do, and they seem to be enjoying it with others, so live and let live. Get off your own lawn.

I found a little fella in my lap, he evolved a bit... and I've been "training" him pretty consistently for years.

Huckleberry wrote: I found a little fella in my lap, he evolved a bit... and I've been "training" him pretty consistently for years.

Diglett, huh?

In reply to Huckleberry:

I admit to playing it daily since Friday, and having a lot of fun.

Monday night I went out walking after the kids went to bed, and chatted up a guy on our Main street while looking for a "rare" Pokemon. Never did find that Pokemon, but I did find out he was a neighbor a few doors down, had a toddler the same age as mine, and we have a lot of common interests (including Pokemon of course).

Tuesday on break at work, I walked around our courtyard and ran into a couple guys from Maintenance and a Physician hangout out together. I only really ever exchanged pleasantries with the maintenance guys before this. We all talked about Pokemon for a while, and the conversation turned to family and work.

Actually come to think of it, it's a lot like the bond that smoking creates, except it's not going to give you cancer.

You know, if people are having fun, getting outside, and making new friends, how can anyone complain? (Well, I'm sure that someone here will.)

Rules of the Internet:

If it is new, it is automatically inferior to the way something once was, and will undoubtedly bring about the end of days.

Funny, I thought the only rule of the internet was Rule 34. Guess I never really pondered what happened to #1-33...

It's ruining our young people. I went for a walk on my lunch break and on my way through a park I noticed some of the women had removed their tops to take in some sun. Not ten feet away a group of teenage boys were staring into their phones arguing with each other over cartoon characters.

Pokemon carnage.

Waiting for a Tesla to crash while in "autopilot" mode and meat behind wheel is playing Pokemon.

Do you just wander around looking at you phone waiting for the game to pop a character on your screen? I've not played it, but seems that's what you do. Am I missing something besides the aforementioned striking up conversations with strangers?

In reply to DrBoost:

Pretty much. You don't need to really look at your phone all the time though. It can be set up to turn off the screen and vibrate and/or make a sound when a Pokemon appears. You can then pull your phone out and do your thing. And there is more to the game than the wild pokemon capture aspect, but that is a very big part of it.

Ok. Well, I'm glad folks are having fun.
I don't get it, and I'll keep it that way.

I suppose it's no sillier than the pretend football teams that will starting up in a few months.

I just hope there's no pokemon on my property. If I wake up to strangers wandering around my yard they are going to E36 M3 themselves laughing at my bed head hair, and I really don't want to have to clean that mess up.

I anxiously await photos of Pokemon that appear at cars and coffee and track events. Pokemon in photos with cool cars is something that I could strangely get behind for some reason.

I've also chosen to be a member of the blue team.

In reply to captdownshift:

Do you vape or are you a vegan? Still better than being a paste eater(yellow team)

Team Mystic here. No vaping, pretty much a carnivore. Team Uno!

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

Ironically the blue team puts an emphasis on evolution

Yeah, a trick is to power up a Pokémon before evolving it while it is cheaper to power up. That nets you a higher power Pokémon than wild caught evolutions.