Pokemon Go hit for the stratosphere from the beginning. In no time, it became the most downloaded application on every store, and deservedly so. The number of users increases exponentially every day, and there’s no seeing this trend ending. Thanks to this one game, the company behind it, Nintendo is once again the talk of the street. Their value hit the ceiling that once seemed untouchable. In addition, the changes to the gaming world and the mother company also influenced millions of people who started using it.
Since it became available on stores, media has been all over it, often even criticizing Pokemon Go because of the things people started doing because of it. Regardless of this, its popularity continued its growth, prompting many outside elements such as virtuallocation.com to create products that could help you playing P-Go easier. This phenomenon goes as far that it now has more downloads than Tinder. It would seem that catching a Pokemon is more important than finding a love partner. If this wasn’t enough to prove how much this game changed the world, below, you can read five reasons Pokemon Go is so popular.
Our Brain is Fed on Endorphins
This is quite common for most games, not only Pokemon Go. When playing games, our brain sends our body the signals that it’s feeling good. These mood-boosting chemicals are called endorphins. So, how does this work? Well, we sit and play the game, and after we complete each level, our brain awards us for the achievement. When you play Pokemon Go, you get endorphin rush with every Pokemon you catch. But, this is not all.
Our body also produces endorphins when we workout. So, imagine how much of this substance does our body manufactures when you bot exercise and complete levels. This reason is why this particular game is good for us. Furthermore, you have social interaction playing a massive role in the popularity of P-Go. When you add hanging out with other people and talking about Pokemons to the mix of catching Pokemons and exercising the amount of endorphins triples. This is why this game is so popular; it just feels good to play.
It is a Well Known And Established Universe
Imagine that all of this started from a mere Game Boy game. Today we have card games, television shows, manga, and anime all revolving around Pokemons. Their creator Satoshi Tajiri probably couldn’t have imagined that one of his creations is going to mesmerize the world for more than two decades. Today, we have people playing with Pokemon cards, trading cards, going against each other in one of the most entertaining games ever. At the time of its development, the game had many novelties, such as the possibility of customizing one hundred and fifty-one character. No one else did this at the time. Because of so much personalization, many players emotionally connected to the game, which is why its developers reap the fruits today.
Today, in the modern era, we have a new wave of young children getting acquainted with this phenomenon. It’s all thanks to the advancement of the technology with smartphones being available to all strata of society, including the younglings. Furthermore, we have many Millenials who became grown-ups in the midtime, giving this game to their children to play. In today’s society, where children remain indoors playing games on their computer, Pokemon Go gave them a reason to go out and play and explore at the same time.
New Player Friendly
If you have tried out this game, you know that it’s not hard to play, it’s rather simple. In addition, you have so much to learn while playing without having to understand any problematic term or move, which makes it perfect for people of all ages. What Pokemon Go did isn’t easy by no means; It attracts new players, while the old ones remain engaged, and generates income in the process. Many games attempt to do this while staying simple, but they fail. Pokemon Go has all the traits of the technologically advanced game, but none of its complications. The best part is that you do not another console to play it; your smartphone will do the trick.
AR and Viral
It wasn’t a piece of cake for this Japanese phenomenon to find its way back to the top. One of the most significant roles in making it fashionable once again had the social network Snapchat. Something like this was in the making for years. It was the goal all along to make things created in computer work on an interface available to broader masses for their use and understanding. It was a long way to go to make things look real inside of a game. Now the game was taken back into the real world. This combination of fantasy and reality was the most significant appeal of Pokemon Go.
Compulsion Loops
Most games revolve around a compulsion loop. Simpler games have only one. Those with more effort put into them have significantly more. Pokemon Go is one of those games. This game has three compulsion loops, with each one being above the previous one, thus making players work more and harder in order to improve. Even for those who do not understand this term altogether, this won’t be hard to guess. P-Go has the following compulsion loops:
* The first one is to collect various items in order to go on a Pokemon hunt.
* Step number two is the act of catching.
* The last one is to level Pokemon.
This is nothing new in the sphere of gaming. It is even present in the business side of the world. Companies that evolved into brands, such as Starbucks, have been using gaming tactics for some time now. Their goal is to awaken customer loyalty in people who use their coffee. They have even designed a ‘My Reward’ program that gives you a point for every item purchased. Beyond the initial three purchases, you have levels that bring more rewards your way if you continue being a loyal customer.
