Player Experiences in Location-Based Games: Memorable Moments with Pokémon GO

2019 ◽  
pp. 95-116
Author(s):  
Elina Koskinen ◽  
Dale Leorke ◽  
Kati Alha ◽  
Janne Paavilainen
Keyword(s):  
Pokémon Go ◽  
Player Experiences

scholarly journals The familiar places we dream about: Pokémon GO and nostalgia during a global pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth Peaty ◽  
Tama Leaver
Keyword(s):  
The Past ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
The World ◽  
Pokémon Go ◽  
Restricted Mobility ◽  
Societal Trauma ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Player Experiences

This article explores the impact of COVID-19 on the developers and players of Pokémon GO through the lens of nostalgia. Focusing on the game as a nostalgic text that works to remediate physical and social spaces, we examine how gameplay has changed in response to players’ restricted mobility and isolation during the 2020 global pandemic. The release of Pokémon GO in 2016 was a watershed moment in the development of mobile augmented reality games. Building on a popular culture franchise familiar to many, it fused cutting-edge technology with memories of the past. Previous studies suggest playing Pokémon GO is associated with dreamlike nostalgia for childhood adventures. But these experiences were intimately linked with physical movement, proximity to others, and the exploration of outdoor spaces. Confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, once free-roaming players are now being encouraged to embrace isolated, sedentary play. There is an additional layer of nostalgia in operation as players and developers alike reminisce about socializing and playing in the world outside the home. This article therefore explores how Pokémon GO mediates player experiences and unpacks its role in negotiating both memory and contemporary societal trauma.

scholarly journals The familiar places we dream about: Pokémon GO and nostalgia during a global pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-143
Author(s):  
Gwyneth Peaty ◽  
Tama Leaver
Keyword(s):  
The Past ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
The World ◽  
Pokémon Go ◽  
Restricted Mobility ◽  
Societal Trauma ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Player Experiences

This article explores the impact of COVID-19 on the developers and players of Pokémon GO through the lens of nostalgia. Focusing on the game as a nostalgic text that works to remediate physical and social spaces, we examine how gameplay has changed in response to players’ restricted mobility and isolation during the 2020 global pandemic. The release of Pokémon GO in 2016 was a watershed moment in the development of mobile augmented reality games. Building on a popular culture franchise familiar to many, it fused cutting-edge technology with memories of the past. Previous studies suggest playing Pokémon GO is associated with dreamlike nostalgia for childhood adventures. But these experiences were intimately linked with physical movement, proximity to others, and the exploration of outdoor spaces. Confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, once free-roaming players are now being encouraged to embrace isolated, sedentary play. There is an additional layer of nostalgia in operation as players and developers alike reminisce about socializing and playing in the world outside the home. This article therefore explores how Pokémon GO mediates player experiences and unpacks its role in negotiating both memory and contemporary societal trauma.

Just Another Media Cluster?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-31
Author(s):  
Christian Zabel ◽  
Gernot Heisenberg
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Oculus Rift ◽  
Pokémon Go

Getrieben durch populäre Produkte und Anwendungen wie Oculus Rift, Pokémon Go oder der Samsung Gear stößt Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality und auch Mixed Reality auf zunehmend großes Interesse. Obwohl die zugrunde liegenden Technologien bereits seit den 1990er Jahren eingesetzt werden, ist eine breitere Adoption erst seit relativ kurzer Zeit zu beobachten. In der Folge ist ein sich schnell entwickelndes Ökosystem für VR und AR entstanden (Berg & Vance, 2017). Aus einer (medien-) politischen Perspektive interessiert dabei, welche Standortfaktoren die Ansiedlung und Agglomeration dieser Firmen begünstigen. Da die Wertschöpfungsaktivitäten sowohl hinsichtlich der Zielmärkte als auch der Leistungserstellung (z. B. starker Einsatz von IT und Hardware in der Produkterstellung) von denen klassischer Medienprodukte deutlich abweichen, kann insbesondere gefragt werden, ob die VR-, MR- und AR-Unternehmen mit Blick auf die Ansiedlungspolitik als Teil der Medienbranche aufzufassen sind und somit auf die für Medienunternehmen besonders relevanten Faktoren in ähnlichem Maße reagieren. Der vorliegende Aufsatz ist das Ergebnis eines Forschungsprojekts im Auftrag des Mediennetzwerks NRW, einer Tochterfirma der Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

Playful mobilities in the Global South: A study of Pokémon Go play in Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110164
Author(s):  
Adriana de Souza e Silva ◽  
Ragan Glover-Rijkse ◽  
Anne Njathi ◽  
Daniela de Cunto Bueno
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Global South ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Ordinary Life ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is the most popular location-based game worldwide. As a location-based game, Pokémon Go’s gameplay is connected to networked urban mobility. However, urban mobility differs significantly around the world. Large metropoles in South America and Africa, for example, experience ingrained social, cultural, and economic inequalities. With this in mind, we interviewed Pokémon Go players in two Global South cities, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Nairobi (Kenya), to understand how players navigate urban spaces not only based on gameplay but with broader concerns for safety. Our findings reveal that players negotiate their urban mobilities based on perceptions of risk and safety, choosing how to move around and avoiding areas known for violence and theft. These findings are relevant for understanding the social and political aspects of networked urban spaces as well as for investigating games as venues through which we can understand ordinary life, racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities.

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