# Are you playing Pokemon Go? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 16, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057 "2016-07-16T17:35:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/21 "2016-07-18T02:35:04Z")
No, not playing…I’m too busy typing this post. But as soon as i hit “post” I will be playing again. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/22 "2016-07-18T04:00:13Z")
Tried it. Quickly discovered it’s yet another non game that quickly turns into a job with no real rewards. Deleted it. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/23 "2016-07-18T14:06:58Z")
Yes. Team Mystic. Level 11. ---
**Author:** ![elninost0rm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@elninost0rm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elninost0rm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/24 "2016-07-18T14:12:07Z")
Games need to have rewards to be fun now? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/25 "2016-07-18T14:16:19Z")
No, I’ve been on vacation with my family since the thing started. Mostly on a cruise to Bermuda. Basically I have no idea what the fuss is about. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/26 "2016-07-18T14:16:26Z")
No but I’m pretty certain that I never will. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/27 "2016-07-18T15:22:06Z")
No, but I’m watching it with some interest. It’ll be interesting to see how it winters. This may be the future of computer gaming… or it might just be a seasonal fad that passes in a few months and is never heard of again. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/28 "2016-07-18T15:38:47Z")
No, but it’s hard to ignore. I don’t know much about it other than a lot of people are playing. I do think (hope?) it will become yesterday’s news once the weather starts to turn. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/29 "2016-07-18T15:41:13Z")
I am but mostly as a way to bond with my daughter. Her entire life she has complained I walk too fast. When she is out hunting I can’t keep up with her. ETA: my desk at work is close enough to a pokestop that I don’t even have to get out of my chair. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/30 "2016-07-18T15:46:32Z")
Pokemon GO has got to be the most perfect, nonthreatening, no-commitment first date idea there is. “Want to go hunt Pokemon sometime” seems like more fun than “Want to get a cup of coffee”. And the whole date is just walking around downtown chatting and seeing little landmarks and stuff. Better than going to a movie on a first date where you don’t even get to talk to each other. I’ve been married for over a decade, so I don’t get to test it out, or have to worry about such things. But my wife and I agree that it will be the new go-to date idea. We don’t even play it, but I can definitely see the fun in it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/31 "2016-07-18T15:50:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, but I’m watching it with some interest. It’ll be interesting to see how it winters. This may be the future of computer gaming… or it might just be a seasonal fad that passes in a few months and is never heard of again. I can see it cresting fairly soon. You have a ton of people playing with it because they saw some amusing Facebook or Twitter post but once the novelty of seeing a Weedle in your corn flakes wears off and you get into the whole “level Pokemon, capture gyms” thing you’ll see a lot of drop-off. What sounded like a fun way to take a walk will start to sound more like commitment that people aren’t interested in. Not to say that the game itself won’t be a success but I’d be surprised if the phenomenon aspect of it lasts through the year. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/32 "2016-07-18T17:15:40Z")
> [@elninost0rm](#): > > Games need to have rewards to be fun now? If it were fun that would be a reward. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/33 "2016-07-18T17:57:24Z")
Yes indeed. But just in the regular walking I normally do (to the train station, from station to work, out to lunch, etc). I tend not to go out of my way too much in playing the game. So I won’t be swarming places with others; it’s more of a do it while I go about my normal day. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/34 "2016-07-19T01:14:04Z")
Yep, level 17. Most advanced Pokemon is an 800 CP Flareon. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/35 "2016-07-19T01:46:25Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Tried it. Quickly discovered it’s yet another non game that quickly turns into a job with no real rewards. Deleted it. I assumed you meant [Non-game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-game) as in “a form of entertainment that really doesn’t have a winner, or even a real conclusion.” However by your reply to **elninost0rm** maybe not. However I know people who are playing and I think your idea that it quickly turns into a job is quite right. It reminds me of the feeling I had for addicts while working in the field. Still much of modern life works like that. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/36 "2016-07-19T02:52:44Z")
Yep. With both of my kids. I’m getting a lot of walking in. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/37 "2016-07-19T03:47:51Z")
Yes. I started the first thread on the live game here, and am currently Level 21 Valor. Top Pokèmon: Exeggutor 1450. But I was a player of the DS line of games, following in my son’s footsteps. So from a strategy standpoint, those are Contract Bridge and this is Go Fish. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/38 "2016-07-19T03:49:33Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I assumed you meant [Non-game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-game) as in “a form of entertainment that really doesn’t have a winner, or even a real conclusion.” However by your reply to **elninost0rm** maybe not. However I know people who are playing and I think your idea that it quickly turns into a job is quite right. It reminds me of the feeling I had for addicts while working in the field. Still much of modern life works like that. Right, I’m talking about “games” where you aren’t actually _doing_ anything, competitive or not, like this guy says about [Tiny Death Star.](https://www.overthinkingit.com/2013/12/10/tiny-death-star/) > [@](#): > > At that point I realized that the game had stopped feeling like fun and started feeling like work. I haven’t picked it back up since. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/39 "2016-07-19T06:08:52Z")
So, what the heck is it anyway? You collect creatures, but in order to catch said creatures, the GPS on your phone has to see you at a particular location? Is the the gist of it? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057/40 "2016-07-19T13:22:27Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > You collect creatures, but in order to catch said creatures, the GPS on your phone has to see you at a particular location? > > Is the the gist of it? Pretty much. Critters are quasi-randomly seeded on the map and you collect them by wandering around and finding them. Also, locations where you can collect free pokeballs and other items are scattered about (based on “locations of interest”) so you can wander a park path, catch a pokemon or two, pause at the gazebo and gets some more pokeballs, etc. You can also increase your critters’ power and use them to capture or hold “gyms” although I suspect most more casual players will mainly stick with collecting them. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not much of a “game” per se but it is a nice reason explore things and take a walk. You see a blue cube on your map representing a Pokestop, go check it out and find a statue or art center or memorial that maybe you didn’t know existed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-playing-pokemon-go/760057.md?page=3)