App crashes, sign in errors, incredible lag spikes in the gym battles as well as the raids and you have to ask what the hell are people still doing playing Pokemon Go? I am curious to know if there is one right answer to this question but as someone who is still playing, I have some thoughts.
On the face of it, nestalgia looks like a great early argument. If you go around to raids that carry some of the legendary Pokemon you will find an interesting mix in the crowd. At least this is true in my experience playing in the center of one of the most populated cities in the US. The crowd ranges from young kids and their parents, to teens, to adults like myself. This on its face could halt altogether the nostalgia argument seeing as it is defined as "a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life (Dictionary.com)". While we can say that this could easily count for the adults the children would have to be subjected to this force from their parents, who have brought their kids up with the love they once or still share for Pokemon. This might not always be the case and it's even assuming that all people currently playing were fans of the original games.
Another argument, without diving too deep into the psychology, is the social aspect of the game. I personally have has some really novel and interesting experiences with this game. A few coworkers and I continue to play the game together and has been the actual catalysts for some quick adventures during the day. I still remember the first time we saw a Snorlax pop on our maps. We quickly took a "coffee break" and ran there as quick as we could. This was in the early days and it was fun to see that we were not alone in our adventure. Several dozen people were heading in that direction and we all shared a common cause. Even if imaginary, there was a shared experience.
Stories like this are echoed online. In the forums, in the facebook groups, and even people you meet while playing. The recent raid has brought a resurgence of people back to the game and I have begun to learn the name and faces of several other PoGoers in the area. Even out of the game we have begun the consistent nod of acknowledgment as we pass each other in the city. I feel the community aspect more than anything has driven this game forward. Even with all its many flaws and believe me, I felt it today as my screen locked up on my first Zaptos.
Now, this is the story of one guy, in one city, with one experience. This can hardly be considered scientific and I am in love with the scientific. It's early in this blog's life and I hope to sprinkle through posts of opinions, first impressions, and reviews a deeper dive into the psychological and scientific understanding of what drives us to play these games. What drives us to buy these games. What could cause a starving college student to spend a half to whole month's worth of food on a single game. What could cause thousand of players to stand on street corner catching imaginary monsters while draining their cell batteries. What could possibly be the at the center of the anger, the frustration, and the joy of what we do.
Scheduling, rewards, and other techniques have become the norm in game development to keep us addicted. Pokemon in general has this in spades with the immediate rewards of catching pokemon and the long term goals of leveling the pokemon to become stronger are rewarded and are an example of "chain scheduling", which I will be diving into into one of my upcoming general articles on keeping players interested in game. These concepts only act to pile on to the game's appeal.
While I have heard the term Behaviour Game Theory I have not dove into it to the extent of real understanding. I think to understand Pokemon Go it is a great place to start. It merges influence, game psychology, and rewards in a way that I believe will give the game life far past what was originally predicted. With all the negative accounts and complaints, it's enough to make you believe this game is supposed to be dead but Pokemon Go has done an amazing job of staying near or at the top of the mobile market.
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