Pokemon.H Reading time: 2 minutes
In this聽Pok茅mon Go moment, you might need to suspend disbelief.
The聽new augmented reality video game, played on mobile devices and based on a 鈥�90s Japanese cartoon franchise, has garnered more daily usage in one week than Twitter, and has caused Americans to leave their air-conditioned homes and walk great distances in the humid outdoors in search of small mythical electronic creatures named Pikachu and Charmander.
Such is the world of Pok茅mon Go, the聽sensation sweeping the nation for which there is little to no historical precedent. If you look closely enough while driving to work, visiting the zoo, or sitting on your front porch, you鈥檒l witness roving bands of players, smartphones in the air, getting unplanned exercise and actually enjoying it. Just days after the game鈥檚 release, Maryville鈥檚 Esports team, (one of 10 聽offered on campus), joined the legion of Maryville students, high schoolers, and nearby office workers traversing campus on the hunt for Pok茅mon.
Pok茅mon Go is the most successful example of an augmented reality video game in history.
鈥淢aryville鈥檚 campus is lit for this game,鈥� says Dan Clerke, Maryville student and director of Esports. 鈥淲ith 15 Pok茅 Stops and Donius University Center as the gym, this is a great place to play Pok茅mon Go.鈥�
Creation of the game required nothing more than location tracking, Google Maps, and a smartphone camera. Simplicity aside, it is the most successful example of an augmented reality video game in history.
“Pok茅mon Go combines great hardware, software, and creative content to make something truly revolutionary,” says聽Matt Raithel, associate instructor of game design in the Art & Design Program. “Our new game design concentration coming this fall seeks to help students understand how these three principles can come together to make engaging and entertaining interactive experiences that the world can enjoy.”
One week into the craze, Mario Morgan, assistant director of admissions, suggested Maryville drop a 鈥渓ure鈥� at all 15 campus Pok茅 Stops. As a result, campus was abuzz with Pok茅mon creatures and players.
Clerke has announced the formation of a , with details to come.
鈥淚f they continue to release updates and keep it interesting, people will keep playing,鈥� Clerke says of the game鈥檚 popularity. 鈥淭he new club will hold big gameplay events on campus.鈥�
Clerke has spent his gaming career playing complex video games, like League of Legends and Counterstrike. Why Pok茅mon Go? 鈥淚 love it. The game is fun. And video games are the future.鈥�