AUG. 30, 2016
HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES
Hunting Season By KITTY LUO
tions or to lure them to certain hazardous Pokestops When Assistant to the where predators may be Head of Upper School Mi- waiting, according to The chelle Bracken received a Guardian. “It’s kind of scary,” call from her sister-in-law, she was expecting a casu- Bracken said. “This is just al chat about family and one of the examples of how friends, she said. Instead, somebody who has bad inher sister-in-law informed tentions can take advantage Bracken that her nephew of a fun thing like Pokemon had been robbed at gunpoint Go.” In spite of the numerwhile catching Pokemon. Bracken’s nephew had ous incidents of crime surbeen Pokemon hunting in rounding the new game, North Hollywood with a Bracken said Pokemon Go friend when a driver pulled can be just as fun and safe over and held them at gun- as any other smartphone However, players point, demanding their app. should consider the safekeys, wallets and phones. He was playing Pokemon ty concerns and make sure Go, a mobile app based on their personal information The Pokemon Company’s remains private. “I think that once we’ve cartoon “pocket monsters.” Developed by the software started hearing about these company Niantic, Inc., [incidents], people got smart Pokemon Go has soared with Pokemon Go and peoto the top of the download ple stopped taking advancharts since its release in tage of the game,” she said. July, making more than “So players were safer and $14 million within a week more careful. It seems pretof its launch. According to ty fun as long as kids aren’t a Chronicle poll of 337 stu- hurting themselves or walkdents, 48 percent of stu- ing across the street without paying attention. dents play Pokemon It seems fairly Go. innocent in that Pokemon Go way.” presents a GPSPokemon Go based augmented represents a rereality game, comvival of childhood plete with gyms memories for where players can those who grew battle one anothup with Pokemon er. It also includes NATHANSON’S trading cards “Pokestops,” which Michelle Bracken that were popular are local landmarks during the 1990s players visit to restock on supplies, includ- to early 2000s, Bracken ing “Pokeballs,” used to said. Matteo Lauto ’18 recatch Pokemon and healing potions, which can re- members catching Pokemon store the health of wound- next to the Colosseum while ed Pokemon. As players on his tour of Rome. “Seeing as I do play roam the physical world, their digital counterparts Pokemon in my free time, traverse an on-screen map, this app seemed like anothsearching for Pokemon that er fun way to interact with seemingly surface at ran- Pokemon,” Lauto said. “The dom. The app also enables game itself is very different the phone’s camera to show from the usual Pokemon a live feed of surroundings games, which was odd but to serve as a backdrop for refreshing.” Lauto downloaded the the cartoon creatures that app after coming across appear. Bracken’s nephew is its trailer on Youtube. Afone of the many players ter playing for a month, he who have fallen victim to decided to use his summer travels as an armed robberies because opportunity of Pokemon Go. Robbers to catch across the country have allegedly used the app’s geolocation feature to anticipate players’ loca-
FEATURES C8
The new summer app Pokemon Go has gained popularity across the world. Many students find themselves addicted, even pulling out their phones while on vacation in other countries to go Pokemon hunting, despite possible dangers.
Pokemon around the world, he said. “Whether it’s during a layover in Canada, looking at Michelangelo’s David or walking around the Trevi Fountain or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, my phone was ready to catch ‘em all,” Lauto said, referring to the Pokemon franchise’s slogan, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All”. Lauto said playing Pokemon Go has made his summer more exciting. “The game wasn’t my first priority, of course, but it was a nice thing to have while traveling,” he said. “There are a lot of photos ruined by me looking at my phone instead of at the camera.” English teacher Paul Chenier, who has played Pokemon Go himself, said the game evokes a sense of nostalgia, and the augmented reality aspect of the game is also a part of its appeal. “I’ve never played anything before that overlays virtual things into the real world,” Chenier said. “It’s a great game.” Chenier especially enjoys playing the game at art museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where the atmosphere is often abuzz with excitement for Pokemon. “I like the way places like LACMA have embraced the game,” Chenier said. “LACMA and The Getty were tweeting about how many gyms and Pokestops they had, and the LACMA cafe has great [Pokemon themed] donuts.” Chenier said Pokemon Go is also different from other smartphone apps because its location-based nature promotes outdoor activity. “The game encourages players to explore their urban environment as a pedestrian, which is a good thing, especially in LA,” he said. Bracken said the app is a welcome change from other games that encourage prolonged sedentary behavior. “It’s definitely more active than sitting and playing any of the other video games that I’m aware of,” she said. “I don’t think it’s as active as
a sport or choosing to run, “There is a lot of hand but it is more active than wringing in the news over sitting in front of a monitor.” the game,” Chenier said. This summer, Flynn “Anything new and popular Klace ’19 said she found produces that sort of news. herself exploring the out- It’s a sign that the game is doors as well as bonding different and fresh.” with her family because of News outlets such as Pokemon Go. During their ABC27 News claim that vacation in South Carolina, Pokemon Go will be a potenshe and her 11 cousins of- tial distraction for students ten strolled along the beach in school. Bracken diswhile catching Pokemon to- agrees, saying that digital gether. distractions have always ex“Even though we were isted for students and that on our phones, we got closer Pokemon Go will not be any just because we were spend- different from other mobile ing so much more time to- apps. Students will be algether,” Klace said. “It was lowed to play on campus to kind of an obsession, and a certain extent, she said. we would talk about how “I don’t know if it’ll be to transfer them or how to any more of a distraction catch one with higher [com- than kids going on Facebook bat power].” or checking their texts,” she Despite initially releas- said. “I think the adults are ing Pokemon Go in the U.S. aware of it and if it becomes and Australia, Niantic Inc. a problem we’ll have to deal has since made the game with it, but I don’t think it’s available in 67 more coun- another distraction.” tries across five continents. Moreover, Pokemon Go The app’s most recent up- has become notorious for date features safety remind- its technical drawbacks and ers advising users not to malfunctions. Concerned play while driving. players allege that the game T h e excessively game’s drains cellI’ve never developphone data ers added and battery. played anything warnings Others have before that overlays experienced after numerous server convirtual things into car acnectivity isthe real world,” cidents sues while in which playing. —Paul Chenier d r i v K l a c e English Teacher a d m i t s ers were catching Pokemon Go Pokemon instead of watch- often exhausts her phone’s ing the road. battery, but she does not Klace, however, con- think the app has taken up siders those involved in too much of her data. accidents while playing Although initially loving Pokemon Go outliers. She the game, Lauto’s experibelieves the majority of the ence was marred by congame’s players are not at stant server crashes, he risk for injury. said. “[The players who got “I’d like to think the first into accidents] are the cra- two weeks of the game was zy people who take it way our ‘honeymoon phase’, too seriously by refusing where I thought the game to look up while driving a would change the world,” he car because they’re so ob- said. “Now that it’s been out sessed with catching one for a while, I can see it for Pokemon,” she said. “Ob- what it is.” viously no one should die Despite experiencing while playing Pokemon Go.” frustration with the game, The recent rumors Lauto is optimistic about of danger surrounding the future of Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go is all part of “The concept is brilliant, the fans’ hysteria, Chenier but quite limited,” he said. said. “I can’t wait for future updates where they implement more exciting features such as trading and more generations of Pokemon.”
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALENA RUBIN MAP IMAGE TAKEN FROM POKEMON GO APP, GRAPHICS ASSISTED BY NICOLE KIM