tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/pokemon-29544/articlesPokemon – The Conversation2023-05-22T15:22:15Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2037182023-05-22T15:22:15Z2023-05-22T15:22:15ZPokémon Scarlet and Violet: how the game’s glitches gained a fandom of their own<p>Last November, <a href="https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/en-gb/">Pokémon Scarlet and Violet</a> were released for Nintendo Switch as the first so-called open-world <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/11/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-deliver-a-fully-open-world-beset-by-technical-problems/">Pokémon games</a>. These are non-linear games in which players can freely explore the environment as they collect Pokémon characters.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-review">Reviewers</a> and gamers alike have generally agreed that the games succeeded in introducing changes that were long overdue such as free roaming, a less linear adventure and a large amount of collectables. But they also criticised the games’ appalling <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/nov/17/pokemon-scarletviolet-review-poor-performance-holds-an-exciting-game-back#:%7E:text=Much%20like%20Arceus%2C%20Scarlet%20and,constantly%20judders%20to%20a%20crawl.">visuals and technical failures</a>. These failures – known as “glitches” – are moments when the game fails to behave as intended. Instead of chomping on a sandwich, for example, a character might be seen munching thin air. </p>
<p>The original Pokémon games, Red and Blue (1996), had <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_glitches_(Generation_I)">their fair share</a> of glitches too. This included “<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/the-mythos-and-meaning-behind-pokemons-most-famous-glitch/">MissingNo</a>”, an unofficial critter that could be found by deliberately using glitches. But times have changed since the first games. Pokémon is now a global behemoth and must meet fans’ high expectations for visual quality.</p>
<p>In some ways, Scarlet and Violet’s many issues have become a blessing in disguise, however. They have fuelled <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/11/random-pokemon-scarlet-and-violets-body-horror-glitches-are-going-viral">an unexpected glitch-chasing frenzy</a>. </p>
<p>This has contributed to the expansion of the franchise’s “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-headcanon-fanon#:%7E:text=Standard%2C%2022%20Feb.-,2018,spelled%20out%20in%20the%20text.">headcanon</a>”(something fans believe to be true about a franchise or character, despite a lack of evidence) and illustrated the creative potential of fan culture as players start to accept and even celebrate these glitches.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1595148193855320066"}"></div></p>
<p>Many Pokémon fans are aware of <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Sinistea_(Pok%C3%A9mon)">Sinistea</a>, for example, a ghost-type Pokémon from 2017 who is found lodging in a teacup. But in January, a few fans <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/pokemon/pokemon-scarlet-violet-glitch-spawns-wild-paldean-sinistea-2033495/">started to speculate</a> and joke about whether the ghost Pokémon had been given a new form. This followed a viral <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonScarletViolet/comments/10c23q9/paldean_form_sinistea/?utm_term=2197035873&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_source=embed&utm_name=&utm_content=header">Pokémon egg hatching video</a>, recorded from the game and published on Reddit, which showed a phantom coffee cup randomly floating in the air .</p>
<p>While this error was due to a non-player character failing to load, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonScarletViolet/comments/10c23q9/paldean_form_sinistea/">fans immediately started</a> to suggest names for the new creature, such as Caffiend, Coffantom and Sinisffee. <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/_ipx/w_640,q_75/https%3A%2F%2Feditors.dexerto.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2F15%2Fpaldean-sinistea.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditors.dexerto.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2F15%2Fpaldean-sinistea.jpg&w=640&q=75">Fan-made artworks</a> imitating the official games were produced and a new “fakemon” was born.</p>
<p>As this shows, glitches aren’t simply destructive malfunctions, but also a starting point for the creation of new fan narratives.</p>
<h2>Body horror in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet</h2>
<p>Darker glitches have emerged too. A video recorded from the game showed <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/832923954427294/">a child being attacked</a> by a Pokémon that had turned into a drill when they crossed the boundaries of the battlefield.</p>
<p>There was no gore, no screaming, but the contrast between the naïve, innocent tone of the Pokémon game’s universe and the violent narrative created by the recorded glitch made the video go viral.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1594523153145167875"}"></div></p>
<p>This example is only one among many manifestations of body horror that have occurred since the release of the Scarlet and Violet games. Players have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mbv4b7yLgE&ab_channel=BetaBrawler">shared playthroughs</a> showcasing avatars with spinning limbs, gigantic spaghetti-shaped bodies, or skeleton-like faces taking selfies.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Mbv4b7yLgE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A compilation of Pokémon glitches.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a queer game scholar I am fascinated by unorthodox and bizarre instances in gaming culture. I think that these glitches are pretty queer too.</p>
<p>Playing queerly means playing differently – whether it is to <a href="https://ourglasslake.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ruberg-No-Fun-QED.pdf">fail</a>, experience “<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58ad660603596eec00ce71a3/t/58becd3de6f2e1086b36a265/1488899390367/The+Politics+of+Bad+Feeling.pdf">bad feelings</a>”, be <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781003022268-5/flawless-defeat-margins-gaspard-pelurson?context=ubx&refId=65754cf3-b563-4f5f-bd2a-c5a38ce140ea">aroused</a> or simply stray from mainstream gaming. </p>
<p>Queerness and horror have always shared a special relationship. Horror movies are often <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/oct/31/queer-horror-cinema-babadook-frankenstein">beloved by queer audiences</a>, who frequently <a href="https://theconversation.com/m3gan-review-an-animatronic-doll-is-out-to-destroy-the-nuclear-family-much-to-fans-delight-198045">identify with the characters depicted</a> and enjoy seeing narratives that were, and still are, missing from the mainstream film industry.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/23/body-horror-movies-get-out-life-alien-covenant">body horror</a> genre, with its obsession with “threatening” bodies, has resonated among the queer community. From <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVXTKkjsxA">Freaks</a> (1932) to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5_w2W5G9OM">Titane</a> (2021), body horror has come a long way from stigmatising to celebrating queer bodies. </p>
<p>And it has now found one of its most unexpected platforms – a globally successful, family-friendly digital game franchise.</p>
<h2>‘Gotta [glitch] ’em all’</h2>
<p>Witnessing characters becoming hugely elongated while trying to ride their bike, losing the skin on their faces while attempting to take a selfie, or moving through hard surfaces without any explanation has become common in the world of Pokémon.</p>
<p>Videos of these glitches have sparked conversations that go beyond the game’s original material and established glitch sharing as a way for fans to hijack the franchise.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1642450005675098113"}"></div></p>
<p>Pokémon has been trying to be more inclusive and has increasingly showcased <a href="https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2021/06/28/lets-take-a-moment-to-appreciate-the-diversity-pokemon-introduced-in-later-generations/">body diversity</a> among its characters. There are <a href="https://twitter.com/KholdKhaos63/status/1593653335390822402">buff women</a>, androgynous <a href="https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20220809-14779/">gym leaders</a> and <a href="https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20221130-16978/">curvaceous dads</a>. </p>
<p>The body horror glitches, however, might have unwillingly pushed the boundaries a bit too far. Players are now not only collecting pocket monsters, but monstrous bodies too.</p>
<p>Their awkward presence has provided a queer twist to the traditional Pokémon journey to “<a href="https://genius.com/Pokemon-pokemon-theme-gotta-catch-em-all-lyrics">become the very best</a>”. It has encouraged players to enjoy the game’s visible failures and share the visual feats of their transgressive avatars, in the hope of becoming the glitchiest player of them all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203718/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gaspard Pelurson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The many visual errors in the latest Pokémon games have led to an unexpected glitch-chasing frenzy.Gaspard Pelurson, Lecturer in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010542023-03-06T17:15:28Z2023-03-06T17:15:28ZPikachu to depart: a brief history of the world’s favourite Pokémon<p>In the run-up to <a href="https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/23616619/pokemon-presents-day-2023-direct-announcements-all-trailers">Pokémon Day</a> – an anniversary created to celebrate the <a href="https://www.gamingbible.com/features/nintendo-pokemon-red-blue-and-green-how-the-nintendo-game-boy-hits-were-made-20210219">first Pokémon video game</a>, released on February 27 1996 – a small but significant piece of news was announced. </p>
<p>There is to be a new Pikachu character, named <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/pikachu-is-dead-long-live-captain-pikachu/">Captain Pikachu</a>. This Pikachu will partner with a new human, Professor Friede, in an animated series based on the most recent video game: <a href="https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/en-gb/">Pokémon Scarlet and Violet</a>. </p>
<p>The pokémon has been a global marketing tool for Nintendo products for over 25 years. Fans are used to seeing Pikachu dressed in all manner of outfits, including 2019’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roy4o4tqQM">Detective Pikachu</a>. </p>
<p>However, the announcement followed a seismic shift in the animated franchise. Pikachu’s longtime child partner, Ash, finally achieved his goal of becoming a Pokémon Champion at the end of 2022. As a result, the Pokémon Company confirmed that the character would <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pokemon-ash-ketchum-pikachu-leaving-show/">bow out of the television series</a> in early 2023. </p>
<p>In response, fans on the social media platform <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/zo0rmi/so_is_pikachu_still_gonna_be_the_mascot_now/">Reddit</a> asked what would happen to Pikachu. How could he possibly continue without Ash in future stories? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pokemons-ash-wins-world-championship-after-25-years-heres-why-the-franchise-is-still-capturing-fans-194788">Pokémon's Ash wins World Championship after 25 years – here's why the franchise is still capturing fans</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Without the iconic character, Nintendo would lose more than just an important piece of intellectual property – they would lose the heart of what makes the franchise so endearing, so it’s no surprise to see Pikachu’s return, albeit in a different guise.</p>
<h2>Why is Pikachu so popular?</h2>
<p>Pikachu was not necessarily destined for great popularity. He was not a standout “pocket monster” in Nintendo’s first Game Boy Pokémon title, Red and Green, but was one among 151 creatures that children could choose to play with. </p>
<p>The Pokémon video game was quickly followed by the <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg">trading card game</a> in October 1996, where players could pick from a range of cards to battle or trade with a friend. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ign.com/games/pokemon-green-version">Early audiences</a> were entirely domestic as the game was not available outside Japan. However, when <a href="http://fj.webedia.us/features/father-pokemon-japanese-producer-masakazu-kubo-saluted-copyright-educator">Kubo Masakazu</a>, a comic book publisher and manga enthusiast, was hired by Nintendo to take Pokémon beyond the national market, he immediately saw the potential to build a global franchise and audience around one character: Pikachu. </p>
<p>Masakazu developed the animated television series and movies, focusing the stories on a trio of young travellers – Ash, Misty and Brock. Each traveller had a partner pokémon that would never be tucked away in a pokéball (devices in which pokémon are captured and stored), with personalities of their own. </p>
<p>As author Anne Allison described in <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520245655/millennial-monsters">Millennial Monsters</a> (2006), this new empire of entertainment (games, trading cards, a TV show and films) was based on Masakazu’s vision of harmony. This was shown in the way humans and pocket monsters live side by side, treating each other with kindness and love. The bond between Ash and Pikachu is at the heart of Pokémon’s global success.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/pink-globalization"><em>Kawaii</em></a>, or cuteness, is a profitable Japanese cultural export and the Pikachu character personifies its success. Pikachu’s appeal lies in the character’s design, backed up by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G8V00SkTvY">his emotional resonance</a>, which is developed in the animated series and films. </p>
<p>Pikachu’s colour and frame are easily recognisable and can be <a href="https://screenrant.com/pokemon-pikachu-design-changes-red-blue-detective-movie/">redrawn in any style</a>. The name is catchy and repeatable, whether or not you are a native Japanese speaker. The character is small and huggable and helps children develop feelings of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1368879032000162220">attachment, nurturance and intimacy</a> when they play with Pikachu toys. </p>
<p>These visual features are reinforced by Pikachu’s personality and powers. He is loyal to Ash, brave in front of countless challenges and conveys emotions openly through facial expressions, noises and constant affirmation of who he is: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY9gKpFmy64">Pika, Pika, Pikachu!</a>”</p>
<p>Famously, in the animated series, Ash’s Pikachu does not wish to evolve (the process through which a pokémon can change form, grow stronger and gain new abilities). This goes against the internal logic of the game where players must care for and evolve their pokémon to help them win more battles.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uJcOjOwV9Zk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Ash explains why Pikachu doesn’t want to evolve.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Therefore, Pikachu’s strength comes from his individual identity as the Pikachu, not a Pikachu. Ash’s Pikachu is unique. So while countless others have been encountered in the games and animated series, they are not the same as his Pikachu. Or, more importantly, they are not the same as our Pikachu. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2010/06/transmedia_education_the_7_pri.html">multiplicity</a> of the character – that he is both the same as and different from other versions in the same entertainment universe – allows Pokémon to create new stories and scenarios without disrupting the overall backstory or inherent qualities of the Pikachu character. </p>
<p>This is how Pikachu has managed to be both the image of a global corporate brand and a distinctly familiar and individual partner on Ash’s journey. The children who grew up watching his adventures with Ash are now adults who can still reconnect with him because their relationship with the character was developed over multiple games, TV series and films. </p>
<p>Now that Ash is retiring, our Pikachu can too. His memory will continue in the minds of multi-generational fans while the <em>kawaii</em> Nintendo still wants to export will continue through the familiar design and distinct new personality of his successor: Captain Pikachu.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201054/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lincoln Geraghty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ash Ketchum is retiring from the Pokémon franchise, but this doesn’t spell the end of Pikachu.Lincoln Geraghty, Professor of Media Cultures, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1947882022-11-17T13:22:34Z2022-11-17T13:22:34ZPokémon’s Ash wins World Championship after 25 years – here’s why the franchise is still capturing fans<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495696/original/file-20221116-26-m5ye4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C1902%2C1066&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ash Ketchum and Pikachu with the World Championship trophy</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pokemon.gamespress.com/ASH-KETCHUM-BECOMES-WORLD-CHAMPION">The Pokémon Company</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Twenty-five years ago, an animated ten-year-old boy was united with <a href="https://theconversation.com/creature-that-inspired-pikachu-is-being-blamed-for-an-ecological-crisis-but-it-may-be-innocent-159569">Pikachu</a>, his very first “pocket monster” and set an ambitious goal: to become <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg6CiPI6h2g">“the very best, like no one ever was”</a> by winning the Pokémon World Championships. </p>
<p>On November 11, over <a href="https://twitter.com/PokemonNewsUK/status/1591016538341257217">200,000 Twitter users</a> joined in congratulating Ash on his victory. But now that Ash has achieved his goal, where does that leave the future of the Pokémon franchise?</p>
<p>Pokémon’s potential as a world-dominating franchise wasn’t immediately apparent in the early years of its development. The designer of the original Game Boy Pokémon games, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj2sY2ylrP7AhXKTcAKHTGLADcQFnoECEEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fbiography%2FSatoshi-Tajiri&usg=AOvVaw0ujErrZpQwrW70cbNfpMKz">Satoshi Tajiri</a>, had more local goals at first. He had observed the stress that children in Japan seemed to be experiencing in the 1990s due to an “<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/4/monograph/chapter/2554187">academic record society</a>” that prized hard study and achievement over play and imagination.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Ash Ketchum stands holding a big cup trophy, with Pikachu on his shoulder and other large Pokemon surrounding them" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495697/original/file-20221116-22-k49cef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ash Ketchum and his World Championship winning team of Pokémon, from the Ultimate Journeys Animation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pokemon.gamespress.com/ASH-KETCHUM-BECOMES-WORLD-CHAMPION">The Pokémon Company</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The original game design <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/4/monograph/chapter/2554187">drew from Tajiri’s memories</a> of growing up in the 1960s, using his imagination to create his own entertainment, and drawing from such common childhood activities as <a href="https://kokoro-jp.com/culture/1293/">bug catching</a>.</p>
<p>Pikachu’s name is often attributed to <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-42681-1_45-1">the Japanese word pika</a>, which was used to describe the flash of atomic weapons detonating. Early Pokémon culture was rooted in memories of post-war Japan, in contrast to the dominant trend at the time which removed Japanese associations from products destined for overseas consumption to make them <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10371399808727650?cookieSet=1">“culturally odourless”</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black and white pixelated screen shows the Pokémon logo, with Ash Ketchum and Charmander standing beneath" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495698/original/file-20221116-22-f0ilz8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The title screen for the original Pokémon game, Pokémon Red.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pokemon.gamespress.com/Pokemon-Red-Version-Pokemon-Blue-Version-and-Pokemon-Yellow-Version/Focus/Pokemon-Red-Version-Pokemon-Blue-Version-and-Pokemon-Yellow-Version-sc">The Pokémon Company</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite these obstacles, Pokémon captured the global imagination. It became such a success that journalists and academics wrote of a “<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/70278">Pokémon craze</a>” sweeping the media landscape of the 1990s. By 2004 however, scholars writing in <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/70278">Pikachu’s Global Adventure</a> described “the spectacular, complex, and unpredictable rise and fall of Pokémon in countries around the world” as they predicted the end of the franchise’s peak popularity. As you might have noticed, however, Pokémon didn’t go anywhere.</p>
<h2>Pokémon’s evolutions</h2>
<p>Pokémon’s ability to incorporate new developments in audience engagement has been key to its success. In its early franchising into animated television, film, and merchandise, the Pokémon phenomenon is a prime example of the “<a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rzGqyHaUGYkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=media+mix+steinberg&ots=HSnDTY1Gv8&sig=KnsYP4Onl03RhYHEbjHgCkgziVg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=media%2520mix%2520steinberg&f=false">media mix</a>” or “<a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aCp0DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT62&dq=media+ecology+lamarre&ots=nL9JXWDJbV&sig=72x9GJ3rAwviCS2EhC0MOWUh7bM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=media%2520ecology%2520lamarre&f=false">media ecology</a>” in which one story or character appears across a range of different media and entertainment products. </p>
<p>Pokémon proved highly adaptable across new platforms appearing in the 2010s and 2020s, with the development of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/pokemon-go-29173">Pokémon Go</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13548565221074804?casa_token=xqrY42wliFwAAAAA:P0Wkrhy_idzDNfbsGetERXfquHgQmSJkQ50-qwL2CsFs8BMNDD47xZNLT3qc7DIxT198wC70h2jj">Twitch channels dedicated to Pokémon trading</a>. You can even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48-qOC4fCdk">watch</a> a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13548565221074804?casa_token=xqrY42wliFwAAAAA:P0Wkrhy_idzDNfbsGetERXfquHgQmSJkQ50-qwL2CsFs8BMNDD47xZNLT3qc7DIxT198wC70h2jj#bibr54-13548565221074804">fish play Pokémon</a>.</p>
<p>The Pokémon storyline fits neatly into many of these newer ways of engaging with the franchise. A simple narrative involving the collection and training of various “pocket monsters” to compete at major tournaments nicely mirrors the “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-20975-042">completionism</a>” trend that researchers have observed in many gaming communities. </p>
<p>Fan groups similarly often collect, organise, and archive objects of their fandom, as in the Twitch stream <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjDuZi7l7P7AhWKS0EAHRu_BskQFnoECAsQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Ftwitchplayspokemon&usg=AOvVaw3QdMew2O8lzMKuHW0r6tHb">Twitch Plays Pokémon</a>, where viewers control and play the franchise’s first incarnation, Pokémon Red, and fans independently <a href="https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/2239/2973?inline=1">document the stream’s history and records</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Pikachu appears on the left-hand side of the screen poised for battle. Backdrop shows a wooded area" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495700/original/file-20221116-24-pu7fy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pikachu is a fan favourite character across the franchise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pokemon.gamespress.com/25th-anniversary">The Pokémon Company</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Pokémon’s character aesthetics and motivations also continue to appeal to gamers and viewers alike. Ash’s 25-year quest has been interpreted by some UK fans as a message to “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49719746">keep trying</a>”, while each tournament win has been marked by fans noting the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/49717728">time invested in Ash’s improvement</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Tennis player Naomi Osaka smiles with her hair in a high ponytail, wearing a blue visor hat" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495702/original/file-20221116-16-h4loo6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tennis star Naomi Osaka is a self-declared Pokémon fan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NaomiOsaka-smile-2020_(cropped_tight).png">Andrew Henkelman</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As subsequent generations move on from the “academic record society” observed by Tajiri to our present-day understanding of the value of rest and mental health, Pokémon references even appear in the speeches of world-famous tennis pros. Naomi Osaka won fans outside the traditional tennis community in 2016 when a journalist asked her what her career goal was. She replied: “<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/wta-tennis-news-like-no-one-ever-was-naomi-osaka-finds-solace-in-this-pokemon-character/">To be the very best, like no one ever was</a>.”</p>
<p>Osaka later clarified the joke for the uncomprehending press and since has been regularly asked Pokémon-related questions in interviews. Relating herself to the Pokémon <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/madrid/2022/studious-naomi-osaka-picking-up-nadal-tips-and-praise-for-superhero-iga-swiatek-wta-tour-diary_sto8902865/story.shtml">Snorlax</a>, Osaka expressed her love of sleeping, while emphasising her explosive strength and power, like the character when he wakes up.</p>
<h2>Growing the Pokédex</h2>
<p>The range of character types included in the franchise, from the energetic Pikachu to the slow and sleepy Snorlax, suggests that there is something for everyone to relate to, from the millennial striver to the laid-back gen Z.</p>
<p>Digital streaming platforms like Netflix make Japanese popular culture more accessible and actively generate suggestions for content that we might like to watch, meaning a broader range of anime and franchised content is now available to global viewers. Rather than creating competition for Pokémon stories, the ability to “<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nostalgiaanime/pdiobkjfjhacbceddljbnndgjkkjehig">nostalgia-watch</a>” 25-year-old episodes while also engaging with newer titles <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315612959-20/embodied-fantasy-affective-space-anime-conventions-nicolle-lamerichs">appears increasingly popular</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A grand building with a large purple Pokemon ball amid its spires. Screenshot from Pokemon game play" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495704/original/file-20221116-26-6aaw4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New game, Pokémon Scarlet Violet begins in a school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pokemon.gamespress.com/Pokemon-Scarlet-and-Pokemon-Violet#?tab=screenshots-2">The Pokémon Company</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is unclear whether Ash’s adventures will continue past his ultimate win. Rumours circulating in fan communities include speculation that Ash could return as a teacher or mentor to new characters. This could be in the school which features at the start of the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiW5pyAmLP7AhW8Q0EAHeq3DtUQFnoECAsQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscarletviolet.pokemon.com%2Fen-us%2F&usg=AOvVaw3KomXQ8-XEPshUegKOyAP4">upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet</a>, in a nice mirroring of Tajiri’s original inspiration to provide entertainment for stressed schoolchildren.</p>
<p>While we watch to see what Ash, or a new would-be Pokémon master, does next, the saturation of the franchise in our global everyday lives ensures that we won’t be short of Pokémon content any time soon.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194788/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Coates does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Twenty-five years on from his promise to become “the very best”, Ash Ketchum has won the Pokémon World Championship. But for a franchise that’s always evolving, this is far from the end.Jennifer Coates, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1595692021-10-04T14:53:14Z2021-10-04T14:53:14ZCreature that inspired Pikachu is being blamed for an ecological crisis – but it may be innocent<p>Known as the water tower of Asia, the Tibetan Plateau is where the mighty Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers begin as tiny trickles. The plateau is also sometimes referred to as the roof of the world – a vast plain raised 4,500 metres above sea level and surrounded on all sides by imposing mountain ranges, one of which includes Mount Everest. For the 1.4 billion people living downstream, the plateau is an irreplaceable source of fresh water.</p>
<p>For the nomadic people who live here, the plateau is their livelihood. But half of the meadows in the region are at risk of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12665-013-2338-7">turning into black soil</a> – the eventual fate of degraded alpine meadows. Local communities who rely on the plateau’s pastures to graze their cattle and sheep often blame pika, a small, rabbit-like mammal on which the Pokemon character Pikachu is based. But is this really fair?</p>
<p>Black soil patches occur when plants and grass turf have been completely lost from a meadow, and their emergence can be accelerated by the burrowing of plateau pikas. Tibetan nomads think the arrival of pikas from degraded pastures several kilometres away heralds the downfall of their own pasture. Traditional beliefs maintain that pikas arrive riding on the backs of snow finches, but Buddhist thought discourages nomads from killing them. Instead, they often invite monks to say pika-expelling prayers.</p>
<p>Despite their certainty, the pika’s role in the degradation of the plateau’s pastures is actually rather complex, as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-021-01191-0">my research reveals</a>. Far from condemning this tiny herbivore, the evidence points to a greater villain: recent changes to how the land here is managed.</p>
<h2>Pikas in the dock</h2>
<p>Plateau pikas are timid animals and prefer to live in grassland that is less than 10cm high. Short-grass pastures with bare soil patches allow them to better see their predators, such as <a href="https://ebird.org/species/uplbuz1">the upland buzzard</a>.</p>
<p>Pikas also have similar taste in plants to the Tibetan Plateau’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/04/yak-politics-tibetans-vegetarian-dilemma-amid-china-meat-boom">14 million yaks</a> – the long-haired domestic cattle which share their pasture and typically feed within ten metres of their burrows. Once pikas move into an area of pasture, their feeding reduces the amount of palatable plants, so yaks graze neighbouring areas of untouched taller grass. This grazing then creates better habitats for pikas, especially during the summer when the average family size of pikas <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/9/6/622/336181?login=true">swells</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A herd of shaggy cattle with horns spread out on an undulating grassland." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424447/original/file-20211004-27-rvr69n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Yaks inadvertently create ideal habitats for pikas by grazing tall grass.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/yaks-tibetan-plateau-160431626">Martinez de la Varga/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plateau pikas can produce up to five litters a year, so the grazing intensity of domestic yaks has to be controlled to prevent them making lots of habitat well-suited to pika, to limit how fast and high pika populations grow.</p>
<p>But herding livestock is time consuming, and this kind of land management is not always in place. In many parts of the plateau’s meadow regions, livestock numbers peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, when they were two to three times higher than they were in the early 1960s. Rangeland once held in common was parcelled up to individual households in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, now-sedentary nomads began installing metal fences along the boundaries of their land to prevent their livestock from wandering off and to help keep them safe from wolves. This meant shepherds no longer had to watch over and herd their livestock.</p>
<p>Confined inside fences, however, yak and sheep can graze wherever they like, mowing and trampling the grass. When pikas are nearby, it’s easy for them to cross over fences and disperse into these overgrazed patches. The result of nomads being unable to move their livestock as freely as before is the intensive grazing that has provided the ideal environment for these small mammals to thrive in.</p>
<h2>The verdict</h2>
<p>The plateau provides a home to around <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26799089?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">6 million</a> herders. Expanding black soil patches on the grassland threaten their livelihood and, while pika numbers continue to increase, the scientific community is divided over the best response. </p>
<p>Some believe the little creatures should be culled, while others argue they play a critical role at the bottom of the food chain, supporting populations of foxes, weasels, pole cats and birds of prey, and so must be protected.</p>
<p>The plateau pika does play a central role in this crisis, but land-use changes among local nomads are the real issue. Keeping grass higher than 10cm would mean less food for yaks, and most nomads can’t afford the shortfall in meat, butter and milk they derive from their livestock. Government subsidies which are more accurately tied to each family’s herd size could compensate nomads for leaving areas free from grazing.</p>
<p>The key to saving the plateau’s meadows, then, is not to demonise the pika, but to develop a culturally acceptable solution that both controls this wild mammal’s populations and allows pastoral nomads to continue making a living.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159569/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Li Li receives funding from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation and National Key Research and Development Program of China. She is currently the consultant for the Grassland Conservation Project of Shan Shui Conservation Center in Beijing. </span></em></p>The electric Pokemon’s real-life muse is charged with degrading the vast meadows of the Tibetan Plateau.Li Li, Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1040952018-10-22T13:01:07Z2018-10-22T13:01:07ZPokémon Go is not dead, it has 5m loyal players and it’s changing people’s lives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/241427/original/file-20181019-105779-1phsr6y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C6%2C4515%2C3003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bangkok-thailand-july-22-2016-charmander-456596296?src=MbU7-UIEnyRuPP9eoKXA_Q-1-6">Wachiwit/Shutterstock. </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Augmented reality game Pokémon Go has been downloaded <a href="https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/pokemon-go-downloads-1202825268/">more than 800m times</a>, making it one of the most successful examples of location-based media to date. Although its popularity <a href="https://theconversation.com/pokemon-go-no-longer-has-the-hype-of-2016-but-a-loyal-fanbase-remains-80438">peaked and then plummeted in 2016</a>, it’s still being played by <a href="https://moneyish.com/ish/yes-im-one-of-the-5-million-people-still-playing-pokemon-go-every-day/">roughly 5m people</a> all over the world on a daily basis – and <a href="https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa43486">our research</a> shows it’s making a real difference to their lives. </p>
<p>The game blends physical space with digital information, turning players’ smart phone screens into a portal through which they can find and capture Pokémon, train them at gyms and visit PokéStops – all within their everyday environment. </p>
<p>Older forms of location-based media, such as the 2004 game <a href="http://we-make-money-not-art.com/preview_of_mogi_a_socially_con/">Mogi</a> (where GPS tracking enabled players to collect virtual objects scattered around the streets) failed to withstand the test of time. But Pokémon Go is different. Its visually stimulating and innovative interface gives players a more immersive experience – and this kept them coming back. </p>
<p>We wanted to understand how the game continues to affect these players lives: in particular, we wanted to know whether playing Pokémon Go pushes people to spend more time outside, experiment with different routes through their surroundings or interact socially with other players.</p>
<p>So, between May and July 2017, we set up a 30-minute online survey. It was completed by 375 Pokémon Go users across the globe, primarily from the UK and US but also from Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Canada. In the context of 5m daily players, 375 may sound like a small sample. But the depth and richness of the data provided by these players, and the recurring themes we found across the sample, mean that we were able to extract an accurate set of findings about the motivations and behaviours of people who still play the game.</p>
<h2>Get moving</h2>
<p>We found that playing Pokémon Go had made a wide range of players more physically active. The game became a part of players’ daily routine, and made them want to spend more time outside exploring to find more Pokémon to catch, and new gyms to compete at. A number of players with physical disabilities reported that playing Pokémon Go helped them to overcome previously entrenched sedentary behaviours.</p>
<p>According to players in our study, Pokémon Go also affected how they approached public and private transportation. In some cases, this meant that players decided to walk to work, instead of taking the bus. In others, players would vary their routes by catching different trains to and from work. These decisions were often made with a view to extending travel, rather than reducing it. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/241431/original/file-20181019-105782-z1z3rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Enlivening the walk to work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/front-view-fashion-girl-walking-texting-735150175?src=2-CGqrHhGInkqUOCZ2IFnQ-1-57">Shutterstock.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Playing Pokémon Go also led people to find themselves in unexpected places. This resonates with older forms of location-based media, such as Foursquare, which could recommend new venues for users to visit, based on their previous history. Yet for the most part, this app led people to established places, such as bars and restaurants. In contrast, Pokémon Go players often found themselves in environments that really were out of their way, like the back of a restaurant, or a disused building site as Pokémon appear in unexpected and random environments.</p>
<h2>A family affair</h2>
<p>Our study also found that players didn’t always decide to play Pokémon Go because they had a personal interest in the game per se. A number of our respondents said that they started playing because their children wanted to, but were too young to own a smartphone themselves, or to play the game alone. </p>
<p>Here, parents used the experience of playing Pokémon Go to bond with their children, extend their familial relationships, explore their surrounding environment and monitor their childrens’ screen time. For them, Pokémon Go provided a new kind of joint media engagement, which differs from older forms of location-based media by providing space for parents and children to play and learn together.</p>
<p>Our research suggests that Pokémon Go has created a new kind of experience, which builds on previous forms of location-based media. Whereas the likes of Foursquare soon became unpopular when the novelty wore off, Pokémon Go has managed to create a seemingly more enduring experience – and one that its players seem to value for getting them out of the house, exploring and spending time with family.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104095/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s withstood the test of time, and it’s leading people to get out of the house, travel around and spend more time with their families.Michael Saker, Lecturer in Media and Communications, City, University of LondonLeighton Evans, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/880102017-11-27T03:17:04Z2017-11-27T03:17:04Z‘Loot boxes’ and pay-to-win features in digital games look a lot like gambling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196423/original/file-20171127-2025-ui1h7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=792%2C19%2C2831%2C1863&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kids love Angry Birds. But features in the latest version of the game allow exchange of cash for game progress. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/children-surrounded-by-stuffed-toys-602171666?src=RzLs6342imQG_UqUjTcxyw-1-43">from www.shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do you play Angry Birds? Candy Crush? Pokémon Go? </p>
<p>You’re part of a huge and growing global digital games industry. </p>
<p>And even if you pay nothing to download the app in the first instance, features such as cosmetic upgrades, pay-to-win features and “loot boxes” might tempt you to commit real dollars to progress through stages or levels for success. </p>
<p>Concern is growing in Australia and other countries that such features are normalising gambling behaviours for game users, including children. </p>
<p>The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/australian-gambling-analyst-says-loot-boxes-constitute-gambling-by-legal-definition/">reportedly</a> confirmed that it is “aware of the issue of loot boxes” and is in the process of assessing their legal status and the potential dangers they pose. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-business-of-addiction-how-the-video-gaming-industry-is-evolving-to-be-like-the-casino-industry-83361">The business of addiction: how the video gaming industry is evolving to be like the casino industry</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Developers and publishers of mobile games are making serious money. Pokémon Go is estimated to make <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/report-pokemon-go-has-now-crossed-1-billion-in-revenue/">between US$1.5 and US$2.5 million per day</a>, and the average spend per player for 11 of the most popular mobile games <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/269618/The_average_US_paying_mobile_game_player_spent_87_on_F2P_IAP_last_year.php">is more than US$100</a>. </p>
<p>Mobiles and tablets now provide <a href="https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/the-global-games-market-will-reach-108-9-billion-in-2017-with-mobile-taking-42/">42% of the revenue in the global games market</a>, and are estimated to exceed 50% by 2020. </p>
<h2>Star Wars Battlefront</h2>
<p>Discussions about micro-transactions in games recently came to a head with the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41997252">consumer uproar</a> about features in <a href="https://www.ea.com/en-au/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2">Star Wars Battlefront II</a>, developed and published by Electronic Arts. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196241/original/file-20171124-21844-1o879j3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Star Wars Battlefront II has been described as ‘a Star Wars themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Star Wars Battlefront II Press kit</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite costing A$99.95 in Australia, Battlefront II also uses micro-transactions that allow players to pay real money for in-game “crystals”. These can then be traded for advantages in the game’s competitive multiplayer network. </p>
<p>Early estimates based on the pre-release trial period suggested that if a player does not want to spend money on these micro-transactions, it could take close to 40 hours of playing to unlock and play as a hero character like Luke Skywalker.</p>
<p>Unlocking all the game’s heroes with crystals would <a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/players-are-trying-to-calculate-how-long-it-takes-to-unlock-heroes-in-star-wars-battlefront-ii/">cost as much as $955</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-were-building-a-climate-change-game-for-12-year-olds-85983">Why we're building a climate change game for 12-year-olds</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Of particular focus in this uproar has been the “loot box” mechanism. In exchange for paid crystals or for credits earned during game play, players can buy “crates” that randomly grant advantages. Fans calculated that it would require almost <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsBattlefront/comments/7c6bjm/it_takes_40_hours_to_unlock_a_hero_spreadsheet/">three hours of gameplay to earn a basic crate</a>.</p>
<p>Hawaiian State Legislator Chris Lee <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_akwfRuL4os">referred to Battlefront</a> as </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“a Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_akwfRuL4os?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Pressure is mounting to regulate digital games for children.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Gamer and writer Heather Alexander wrote an <a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/10/loot-boxes-are-designed-to-exploit-us/">honest reflection</a> on her own gaming experiences with loot boxes and other features, saying </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have a gambling problem. I didn’t find this out at a casino. I found this out playing games.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>She <a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/star-wars-battlefront-2-lets-you-pay-real-money-for-multiplayer-advantages/">describes</a> loot boxes as “predatory in design” and “made to dazzle, delight, and encourage repeat purchases”. </p>
<p>In response to growing attention, Electronic Arts announced that it has <a href="https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2/news/pre-launch-update">removed the micro transactions feature from Battlefront II</a>.</p>
<h2>Ubiquitous in mobile games</h2>
<p>But it’s in mobile games where gambling mechanisms like loot boxes are nearly ubiquitous, often overlooked, and potentially most problematic.</p>
<p>Consider the changes made in the <a href="https://www.angrybirds.com/">Angry Birds</a> sequel, Angry Birds 2. </p>
<p>The first Angry Birds could be purchased for as little as $0.99, and involved simple skill-based play to destroy structures using birds in a slingshot. The game was later made available for free, but with in-app purchases. </p>
<p>This model saw Angry Birds established as one of <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/09e7790c-9204-11e7-bdfa-eda243196c2c">the biggest video game brands in the world</a>. </p>
<p><img width="100%" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l41Ymmj8z5tLzEDvi/giphy.gif"></p>
<p>In comparison, Angry Birds 2 features <a href="https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog/2017/6/11/how-angry-birds-2-multiplied-quadrupled-revenue-in-a-year">seven core monetisation mechanics</a> that revolve around “gems” bought with real money. The exchange rate on these gems improves if you buy in bulk, up to A$32.99 in one go. These can then be spent on loot boxes (or “chests”), in the game’s daily double-or-nothing game (so you still win, even if you lose), as well as on other in-game upgrades.</p>
<p>Even with these features, the Apple app store advertises Angry Birds 2 as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/angry-birds-2/id880047117?mt=8">suitable for ages 4+</a>. </p>
<h2>A serious problem</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Digital-Australia-2018-DA18-Final-1.pdf">2018 Digital Australia report</a> reported that 90% of Australian children aged between 5 and 14 play digital games. </p>
<p>We need to consider whether the presence of gambling mechanics like loot boxes and virtual currencies in games may be normalising gambling behaviour in young people. </p>
<p>Earlier this year, Christopher Hunt from the University of Sydney’s Gambling Clinic <a href="https://theconversation.com/wide-ranging-ban-on-gambling-ads-during-sport-broadcasts-is-needed-to-tackle-problem-gambling-74687">reported in The Conversation</a> that,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the numbers of 18-to-25-year-old men with problems related to sports betting doubled between 2012 and 2015.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While Hunt suggests gambling ads could be to blame for this rise, future research should examine the role that gambling in games is having on these increases in problem gambling with young people. </p>
<p>These trends also present a serious problem for the video game industry at large. While they are successful at increasing revenue in the short term, low-quality, pay-to-win games was one of the causes of the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/excavating-the-video-game-industrys-past">1983 North American video game industry collapse</a> as consumers turned away from digital games.</p>
<p>It is unsurprising then that the most vocal opponents of loot boxes in Star Wars Battlefront II are the series’ most passionate fans.</p>
<h2>A possible solution</h2>
<p>In response to the Battlefront II controversy, various gambling regulators and legislators in <a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/victorias-gambling-regulator-loot-boxes-constitute-gambling/">Australia</a>, <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-battlefront-2-french-senator-writes-lett/1100-6455112/">France</a>, <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/belgium-says-loot-boxes-are-gambling-wants-them-banned-in-europe/">Belgium</a> and <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/us-state-representative-says-star-wars-battlefront/1100-6455147/">the United States</a> are calling for action to reverse this trend.</p>
<p>In Australia, this may be a role for the Australian Classification Board, which <a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/11/victorias-gambling-regulator-loot-boxes-constitute-gambling/">could ensure that games that feature predatory gambling mechanics receive an R18+ rating</a>.</p>
<p>Alternatively, Australia might want to look to China, which has taken a lead in regulating loot boxes. Since May 1, digital game publishers have to <a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-reveals-overwatch-loot-box-drop-rates-in-china/">reveal the win rates of loot boxes</a> to give players more knowledge about what they are really paying for. </p>
<p>In either case, further research is needed to understand the impact that gambling mechanics in games - as well as <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2050157913506423">gambling-play</a> more broadly - have on young people’s beliefs about gambling, as there is not yet a demonstrated link between gaming and gambling.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88010/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marcus Carter is the President of the Digital Games Research Association of Australia. </span></em></p>In-app purchases and ‘loot boxes’ in mobile games deliver easy cash for developers and publishers of digital games - and kids are easily sucked in.Marcus Carter, Lecturer in Digital Cultures, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/804382017-07-05T09:40:54Z2017-07-05T09:40:54ZPokémon Go no longer has the hype of 2016, but a loyal fanbase remains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176747/original/file-20170704-808-189iaz7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A summer spent hunting through local neighbourhoods, parks and shops for virtual monsters is now just a hazy memory to most people who downloaded Pokémon Go. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2016/09/13/pokemon-go-has-lost-79-of-its-paying-players-since-launch-but-thats-fine/#787f46be7b4b">Four out of five users</a> have long since given up trying to “catch ‘em all”, having stopped playing the mobile video game just two months after <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37176782">it peaked</a>.</p>
<p>One year on from the game’s release, its developer, Niantic, is now trying to renew some users’ excitement with new features, new monsters to catch and live events to encourage more people to get out and log on. But even if this fails to significantly revive the game’s wider popularity, Pokémon Go actually retains a surprisingly large loyal fan base that could sustain the game for a long time to come.</p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/report-pokemon-go-has-now-crossed-1-billion-in-revenue/">reaching US$1 billion in revenue</a> faster than any other mobile game, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-niantic-didnt-need-marketing-to-make-pokemon-go-viral-63159">initial hype</a> around Pokémon Go rapidly gave way to a significant decline in mainstream popularity for several reasons. First, <a href="heavy.com/games/2016/08/cant-log-in-to-pokemon-go-how-to-fix-humbled-server-error-pokemongo-login-stuck-broken/">software issues and network availability</a> problems deterred casual players. Getting booted out of the game, or failing to log in at all, turned it from a fun distraction to an irritating chore.</p>
<p>Second, as players began to catch more of the 150 original Pokémon but struggled to <a href="uk.businessinsider.com/pokemon-go-what-happens-when-you-hit-level-20-2016-7?r=US&IR=T">find the elusive final creatures</a>, the incentive to play decreased. The routine of catching, evolving and battling the same monsters became just that, routine.</p>
<p>Third, the game became a race for status instead of being about exploring your neighbourhood. Many players used <a href="https://pgbot.org/">automated accounts</a> to reach the highest levels of the game, making the point of putting in hours of game time to beat your friends redundant.</p>
<p>This last point highlights Niantic’s biggest problem in continuing to develop Pokémon Go: establishing exactly what its players ultimately hope to achieve. And <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/801707/Pokemon-Go-news-update-grass-event-end-time-Niantic-Shiny-grass-type">critics claim</a> Niantic has done little to develop the game in any meaningful way.</p>
<h2>Returning players</h2>
<p>But the company has been able to bolster usage and entice some old players back through game updates, social media and live events. A second generation of Pokémon to catch was released in February 2017, leading to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/02/28/gen-2-caused-a-huge-spike-in-pokemon-go-play-but-its-fading-fast/#3450adfb193d">a brief spike in players</a> and helping the game reach <a href="tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/pokemon-go-crosses-750-million-downloads-381827.html">750m downloads</a>.</p>
<p>Fulfilling its original promise to get people exploring and mixing with others, Niantic has sponsored and organised <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/05/04/pokemon-go-is-about-to-start-throwing-officially-sponsored-block-parties/#657226a64150">special events</a> that have seen <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/03/national/pokemon-go-deploys-snorlax-quake-hit-kyushu/#.WUeq0ev1Dcs">thousands take to the streets</a> to catch rare Pokémon.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176748/original/file-20170704-5302-1wf5jiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thousands take to the streets.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/31029865@N06/32128154404/in/photolist-QX4bYC-L39XzP-JVzehn-9Nhwdo-8DQU1c-btq4ZE-mDMqLB-zQNs7d-5eSAVK-Kf8Ap4-TA7d2N-M2i8aX-J3YaBD-dvE7jX-51CXng-JiGYKD-JSPTdx-o3zW2g-Ky4GNg-L9TMfx-P3u9sw-JPaUvq-PKUqqW-P6iUcZ-Pcv1Xs-L73wCY-Kdwrok-Nzes8e-L9TPHZ-QjSX38-P3u6mw-NoUMh1-MFcq7H-PKUp9Y-MxGsn4-KDT7x3-LHB9LJ-LHB9Hh-Lmqva9-L7XTp1-MLasaf-Mmzg9w-MxGs7V-Me6oTs-NobveB-KZZtDo-Kvf2E7-Sw4N6w-MNNMeF-MTb2MY">Dick Thomas Johnson/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Now, to celebrate the game’s first birthday, <a href="http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/pokemon-go-news-when-is-next-update-best-new-features-trading">Niantic plans</a> to enable users to catch the missing “legendary” Pokémon and introduce new ways for friends to work together in battles. The developers are clearly trying to reassert the game’s founding ideology: get out, explore and interact with people and places.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/tech/games-apps/review-pokemon-gos-new-gym-system-and-raid-battles-inject-new-life-into-game-but">Initial reviews</a> of the new battle system suggest changes have somewhat levelled the playing field because players receive more rewards for battling and working in teams. While gameplay has not fundamentally changed – for example, you can’t battle your friends outside of the structured gym system – the greater emphasis on teaming up to defeat opponents I think will entice returning players.</p>
<h2>Enduring fandom</h2>
<p>Yet perhaps more important than the new features is the surprising extent to which fans have already made the game part of their lives. A devoted community of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/04/05/believe-it-or-not-pokemon-go-has-65-million-monthly-active-players/#35320c81121d">around 65m</a> monthly users has played Pokémon Go from the outset and eagerly anticipate the proposed updates. Initial fervour may have dissipated, yet arguably neither the cultural significance nor the core popularity (once the hype was over) of the game has waned. </p>
<p>Fans continue to congregate online to discuss the game on tribute sites such as <a href="https://thesilphroad.com/">The Silph Road</a>. The online forum Reddit continues to act as a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSilphRoad/comments/5kqn06/catching_farfetchd_japan_or_hk/">tourist guide</a> for fans on holiday who want to catch elusive Pokémon. And loyal fans go to extreme lengths to progress in the game. One man <a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/07/pokemon-go-player-sponsored-by-marriott.html">circumnavigated the globe</a> to catch those unavailable in his home country.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1gPm-c1wRsQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Such instances of global exploration show how the game continues to inspire fans. They constitute an international community that uses Pokémon Go as a means to interact with their environment, socialise online, and travel. Fandom is about participation, being part of something that extends beyond the individual. Pokémon Go fans represent a lively and evolving participatory culture.</p>
<p>With the legendary Pokémon imminent, new generations of monsters still pending and increasingly interactive elements of gameplay, Niantic is slowly turning 2016’s hype into a lasting fan experience. The game may not get the media coverage it did but that matters little to fans whose routine still includes a walk around their neighbourhood to increase their stats, talking online with others, or whose holiday destination is influenced by the whereabouts of exclusive Pokémon. Just as the Pokémon franchise has lasted for <a href="https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2016/2/26/11120098/pokemon-games-list-history-timeline-release-dates">over 20 years</a>, Pokémon Go endures as a communal and interactive platform.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80438/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lincoln Geraghty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One year on from the launch of Pokémon Go, its mainstream decline has left behind a thriving scene.Lincoln Geraghty, Reader in Popular Media Cultures, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/784752017-06-07T20:12:11Z2017-06-07T20:12:11ZFrom man-eaters to Pokémon: the weird world of cactus culture<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172405/original/file-20170606-18888-12c4avk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The human-like forms of saguaro cacti in Arizona. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cacti image from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cacti are wonderfully weird and paradoxical plants. While their spines can make them appear menacing, they can also exhibit beautifully sculpted forms and produce the most stunning floral displays. Some varieties might appear to be virtually lifeless, taking many years to grow a mere few centimetres; then in a matter of days they produce a bouquet of flowers that is substantially larger than the entire plant.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172119/original/file-20170604-20593-1vf9tlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A hairy cactus, commonly known as the ‘old man cactus’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dan Torre</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Because of their extraordinary features and strange contrasts, cacti have readily captured our imaginations. Many representations of cacti in art, literature and popular culture have imbued them with human-like characteristics. Some of these anthropomorphised cacti have appeared as cute and cuddly creatures – while others have taken the form of monstrous killers. </p>
<p>Cacti represent a very diverse family of plants, comprising some 1500 species, in all shapes and sizes. While many of these look as we imagine a cactus should – succulent and covered in spines – a number of varieties are totally spine-free. Some cacti actually grow in tropical rainforests and produce spectacular fruit, such as the popular dragon fruit.</p>
<p>There are some cacti that even seem to echo our own characteristics. Several species can grow long, human-like hair – earning the common name, old man cactus. And the giant saguaro cactus, found in the deserts of western North America, with its tall upright trunk and its arms held high, can look remarkably human.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/122575482" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Killer cacti</h2>
<p>In the 1890s, widely believed <a href="http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out/the-mystical-giant-saguaro-is-not-to-be-trifled-with/article_6a86d5a1-bb2f-589e-afa2-5c04f54cc69d.html">American newspaper reports</a> described how a large stand of saguaro cacti in Arizona had “become magnetised” causing them to go about smashing and digesting unsuspecting human victims. It was claimed that due to huge veins of magnetically charged copper that existed deep underground the cacti had become lethal and, depending on their magnetic polarity, would either attract or repel living creatures with enormous force. Several “eye-witnesses” claimed to have seen a number of human victims in various stages of digestion trapped within the arms of these killer cacti.</p>
<p>Comic books have also featured many anthropomorphised cacti, including one notable story, <a href="http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=35203">Green Horror</a>, from the 1950s Fantastic Fears series. It features a highly jealous saguaro cactus that falls in love with his female gardener – the woman who had originally transplanted him from the desert. In order to requite his love for her he systematically kills her husband, then later her new fiancé and finally the woman herself as he attempts to grab her in a loving embrace. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=778&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=778&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=778&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=978&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=978&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172118/original/file-20170604-20563-3xdn66.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=978&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Green Horror.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Marvel Comics West Coast Avengers series, features a super-villain known simply as <a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Cactus_(Earth-616)">Cactus</a> that exhibits great strength. Although he has the ability to walk, he can also quickly fly through the air and spray deadly needles at his victims.</p>
<p>Several episodes of Dr Who have also featured cactus-like characters. One memorable four-part episode from the 1980s (starring Tom Baker) features a nemesis named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meglos">Meglos</a>, who is a giant cactus that is able to transform his human victims into green, spine-covered creatures. These transformed cactus-humans are then compelled to do his evil bidding.</p>
<p>The Walt Disney animated feature film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038166/">The Three Caballeros</a> (1944), features an extended sequence in which Donald Duck can be seen dancing with dozens of anthropomorphised cacti. At one point Donald tries to woo a senorita but is emphatically blocked from pursuing her by hordes of cacti. The cacti then transform into dozens of duck shaped beings that proceed to knock him down, trampling painfully on his back. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zl8o_wQe4pw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Donald Duck encounters cacti in the 1944 film The Three Caballeros.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Quirky cacti</h2>
<p>Mexican painter, <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artboards/frida-kahlo-diego-rivera/la-revolucion/item/bwyk7u/">Diego Rivera</a>, featured anthropomorphised cacti in many of his paintings. One particularly intriguing example can be found in his Landscape with Cacti (1931), which features an array of human-like saguaro cacti, one of them clearly female, with not only cactus arms but also cactus
breasts.</p>
<p>Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip also features <a href="http://peanuts.wikia.com/wiki/Spike%27s_cactus">anthropomorphised cacti</a> that interact with the dog-like character known as Spike. Living in the desert, Spike, who is Snoopy’s brother, suffers from what might be described as permanent sun-stroke, as he imagines that the saguaro cacti are very much alive. He frequently talks and interacts with them, and occasionally injures himself as he tries to hold hands with them.</p>
<p>The animated series <a href="http://digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Togemon">Digimon</a> features a cactus character named Togemon, an enormous creature that wears large red boxing gloves and is a skillful fighter. But when things get too dangerous, or if he confronting a particularly difficult opponent, he has the capacity to spray out a barrage of needles. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172120/original/file-20170604-20605-1uc48xr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Togemon, a cactus character from the Digimon series.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot from Digimon</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And Pokémon also features a number of cactus-inspired characters including, <a href="http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Cacturne">Cacturne</a> – similarly in possession of rapid-fire needles. Another character known as <a href="http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Maractus">Maractus</a> is adorned with brightly coloured cactus-flowers, and can perform a special “dazzle dance” in order to confuse and startle its opponents. </p>
<h2>Cuddly cacti</h2>
<p>In recent years, cacti have become extremely popular both as house and garden plants, and as design elements that are featured on everything from clothing to homewares. As more people embrace these amazing plants, we are beginning to see fewer examples of killer cacti and a lot more cute and cuddly cacti creatures. </p>
<p>One collection of loveable cacti-characters can be found in trendy lifestyle brand <a href="https://www.tokidoki.it/cactus/">Tokidoki’s</a> Cactus Friends series. These characters, and their pet kittens and puppies, are all adorned in colourful cacti costumes, which they wear to help to protect them from danger. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172121/original/file-20170604-20586-13w3qh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Toby, a kindly cactus character from Sheriff Callie’s Wild West.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another endearing cactus-character can be found in the Disney animated television series, <a href="http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Toby_(Sheriff_Callie%27s_Wild_West)">Sheriff Callie’s Wild West</a>, which features Toby, the kindly cactus.</p>
<p>We are likely to see many more anthropomorphised examples of these remarkable plants.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Dan Torre’s new book <a href="http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781780237220">Cactus </a>(Reaktion Books, London) is now widely available.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78475/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Torre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Killers, cartoons, and even romantic objects, the cactus’s ongoing popularity has led it down some strange paths.Dan Torre, Lecturer in the School of Media and Communication, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/779762017-05-19T14:26:02Z2017-05-19T14:26:02ZWhy augmented reality is triggering cultural conflict and religious controversy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170104/original/file-20170519-12221-1i4tox4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">nednapa/Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A Russian man was recently given a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/11/pokemon-go-russian-youtuber-convicted-playing-church-ruslan-sokolovsky">three-and-a-half year suspended sentence</a> for inciting religious hatred. His crime? Playing the popular augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go on his smartphone in a church.</p>
<p>Sacred spaces and games have long had an uneasy relationship. In 2002, a setting resembling Amritsar’s Golden Temple appeared in the violent video game Hitman 2. <a href="http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_122402a.html">Controversy ensued</a>. But more than digitally recreating sacred places, we now have games that physically encroach on those spaces, incorporating them into location-based AR systems. Inside Gujarati temples where eggs are forbidden, were found some of Pokémon Go’s “virtual eggs”. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-37294286">Controversy ensued, again</a>.</p>
<p>AR is a simple idea with endlessly complicated implications – look around using special glasses or a smartphone camera, add software with location awareness, and the software can overlay information on a scene or even <a href="http://sndrv.nl/ARflashmob/">make things appear to be located “in” physical space</a>. AR turns physical sites into raw materials for the creation of new media, producing hybrids that are simultaneously everyday places and digital wonderlands.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cUmKZEWGg2I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>As its popularity increases AR comes up against established norms and interests. Legal systems have to try to get to grips with new technology, there is cultural confusion about “virtual” items located in physical spaces and questions are raised as to who should have control when public or private or holy places meet digital culture.</p>
<p>Much is heard nowadays about the “cultural appropriation” of styles and images, but here we have software that bypasses that kind of appropriation by making use of physical sites as part of a game. Owing something to traditions of <a href="http://www.appropriationart.ca/">appropriation art</a>, AR borrows and recontextualises what it finds in its path.</p>
<p>This brings to the physical world something nearer the slippery aesthetics of video games: a meeting of creators’ intent and players’ freedom, where environments are hybrids of artwork and playground. The design of physical sites conveys intent already, from statues telling us about notable people to walls obliging us to keep out – but AR adds an extra, optional, transformational layer, and it makes changing the meaning of that layer merely a matter of switching between apps.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170106/original/file-20170519-12221-7xhe7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Augmented reality.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sndrv/4635764320/">sndrv/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hacking culture</h2>
<p>Think that statues in public places are too seldom of notable women? <a href="http://creativity-online.com/work/yr-new-york-the-whole-story-project/51687">Augment your reality to change that</a>. Sickened by the pervasive commercialism of adverts on the subway? <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-we-want-an-augmented-reality-or-a-transformed-reality-31642">Use an AR app on your phone</a> to see artworks in their place. Feel that a mark of acceptance of homosexuality would look nice in the (notoriously intolerant) Westboro Baptist Church? <a href="http://kotaku.com/pokemon-go-fan-trolls-westboro-baptist-church-church-f-1783449276">It’s been done</a>.</p>
<p>This too evokes older practices in gaming culture, especially the parts of it that alter games with hacks and mods. Using AR to erect statues of women has a similar motive to hacking Donkey Kong to <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/03/donkey-kong-pauline-hack/">switch the hero with the damsel</a>. AR quietly enables people to edit their environments – on a personal, virtual level, without the intrusive downsides of <a href="https://www.psfk.com/2014/01/augmented-reality-graffiti.html">normal graffiti</a>. But nothing remains personal for long in the age of sharing apps and social media. Something that might initially be a personal virtual world can quickly go viral. </p>
<p>Previous debates concerning culture and virtual or augmented reality have involved <a href="https://theconversation.com/museums-are-using-virtual-reality-to-preserve-the-past-before-its-too-late-44600">what museums and other institutions might do</a> with the technology – and what it can do for preservation and public access to artefacts. Mass adoption of technology brings mass culture with it and grassroots cultural transformations emerge.</p>
<h2>Contested culture</h2>
<p>The legal disputes show that this is not always a simple, happy tale of technology empowering individuals and subcultures. Neither is controversy confined to arguments about what is done in sacred spaces. In Milwaukee another legal case <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/milwaukee-wisconsin-sued-requiring-permits-augmented-reality-games-996320">is being fought</a> after unauthorised AR was banned from public parks following damage by hordes of Pokémon hunters. The makers of an AR poker game called Texas Rope ’Em have objected to the restriction on free speech grounds. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0eloPUvcC6U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Those in charge of Milwaukee’s public parks can point to the literal grass roots in their care. For Russian churches and Gujarati temples, something subtler seems to be at stake – not physical damage or pollution, but an unease with the implications when holy ground becomes enmeshed in the profane geography of an AR game, even when nothing is visible to those not choosing to play. Religion, after all, is a part of life particularly well attuned to the thought that there can be important realities which we cannot normally perceive.</p>
<p>Cultural controversies are often struggles for control and a sense of ownership – sometimes of physical sites or artefacts, but often of subtler trappings of identity. Technology has frequently brought with it the end of traditional ways of life. In augmented reality all three come together: the use of connected technologies to blend the physical and digital worlds in ways still weakly understood.</p>
<p>If you like this era of guerrilla statuary and ad-blocking on the subway, enjoy it while it lasts. AR has its commercial dimension, as the Pokémon Go craze has proved, and has been touted for some time as virgin territory for the advertising industry.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77976/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Seddon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Who owns culture in the real-virtual world of augmented reality?Robert Seddon, Honorary Fellow (Philosophy), Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/671352016-10-18T19:13:37Z2016-10-18T19:13:37ZWhat went wrong with Pokémon Go? Three lessons from its plummeting player numbers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141936/original/image-20161017-14868-32kw5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pokémon Go's developers may have moved the goalposts too many times.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wachiwit/Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pokémon Go is in rapid decline. Since <a href="http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/launch/">launching in July</a> and soaring in popularity, it had <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-22/these-charts-show-that-pokemon-go-is-already-in-decline">lost at least a third of its daily users</a> by the middle of August. By <a href="https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/analysis-pokemon-go/">mid-September</a>, daily revenues had fallen from US$16m per day to US$2m (excluding the 30% app store fee) and daily downloads had declined from a peak of 27 million to 700,000. </p>
<p>Of course, many mobile games – especially ones that trigger a worldwide craze – suffer declines in usage over time. Pokémon Go still <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/09/pokemon-go-just-fine-without/">generates significant revenues</a>. But its precipitous decline has seen it labelled a <a href="http://cw39.com/2016/10/04/looking-back-at-the-fad-that-defined-summer-2016-pokemon-go/">fad</a> and nicknamed “<a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/pokemon-gone-how-pokemon-go-can-bring-back-lapsed-trainers-1329696">Pokémon Gone</a>”.</p>
<p>This raises the question of why usage has dropped so steeply, and what other game companies might do differently to retain users. In my opinion, Pokémon Go’s creators <a href="https://www.nianticlabs.com/">Niantic</a> have made several significant missteps. Here are the lessons that other companies can learn.</p>
<h2>Have a clear avenue to capitalise quickly</h2>
<p>Pokémon Go launched with relatively little actual “game”, and by the end of July was still arguably <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2016/07/26/nearby-tracking-is-still-broken-in-pokemon-go-and-might-be-for-a-while/#a797a8f28a43">missing a lot of features</a>. </p>
<p>The launch version enabled players to collect Pokémon characters while out roaming in the real world. But it featured shallower gameplay than its siblings on Nintendo’s gaming platforms. For example, the mechanisms for battling Pokémon were relatively simplistic, with arbitrary-seeming controls. Furthermore, there was no way for people to interact in real time in the game. This is not a problem if the aim is to get as many players to sign up as possible, but it is an issue when trying to keep them interested.</p>
<p>The developers did not introduce new elements quickly enough to stop players getting bored. So far there has been little in the way of new gameplay aspects, with the most significant addition being in the form of hardware: a Pokémon Go <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/paullamkin/2016/09/09/pokemon-go-plus-wearable-on-sale-16th-september/#32aa02b9644c">wearable device released last month</a>. </p>
<p>The developers have <a href="http://pokemongolive.com/en/post/ver-update-091016/">added a new feature</a> that allows players to choose a “buddy Pokémon” to accompany them in-game, which has had a relatively minor impact on in-game mechanics. But by waiting so long after the game’s launch, the developers have missed an opportunity to capitalise on their existing player base.</p>
<p>The obvious lesson for developers is to have a roadmap to enhance the game and keep players interested, especially when the core game itself is not very deep.</p>
<h2>Do not remove popular features</h2>
<p>Besides failing to introduce new features, Pokémon Go also removed popular ones. This is likely to alienate players, especially if done with little explanation – some commentators have branded the game “<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-is-broken-without-tracking/1100-6442282/">broken</a>”.</p>
<p>In Pokémon Go’s case, the feature in question was “Pokémon tracking”. A core aspect of the game is that it creates a virtual representation of the player’s real-world location, which is then populated with Pokémon characters for players to collect by walking around. But to catch Pokémon, players need to know where they are – and without Pokémon tracking, players are left wandering aimlessly and relying on luck to find them.</p>
<p>Pokémon tracking was relatively rudimentary in the game itself, and <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2016/07/26/nearby-tracking-is-still-broken-in-pokemon-go-and-might-be-for-a-while/#3dbb03ba28a4">arguably did not work at all</a>. This led several <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/pokemon-go-update-niantic-facebook-3-step-tool-tracker-map-a7167951.html">third parties</a> to create their own Pokémon tracking apps that became <a href="https://www.cnet.com/au/news/pokemon-go-transparency-niantic-needs-to-communicate-editorial/">crucial</a> to dedicated players. In other words, players accepted the original broken feature because third-party apps let them circumvent it.</p>
<p>However, the developer, Niantic, subsequently disabled these apps by cutting off their data access and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/01/third-party-pokemon-go-tracking-services-get-shut-down/">sending them “cease and desist” orders</a>. This effectively removed a feature that many players regarded as essential.</p>
<p>The developers have arguably repeated this gaffe by <a href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/11/guide-play-pokemon-go-0-37-rooted-android-magisk/">disabling</a> the game for players with “rooted” android devices – a relatively common hack that lets phone users change their administrative settings or bypass restrictions imposed by telecommunications providers. </p>
<p>Pokémon Go has banned rooted devices so as to prevent “geo-spoofing”, whereby players cheat the game by using software to fake their location. But while the goal is valid, the implementation clearly has ramifications for many legitimate users.</p>
<p>The clear lesson is that a company should not remove features without first considering how essential they are to the user experience, and without offering an adequate replacement. This lesson applies not just to gaming but to the wider consumer industry; companies should always know what their customers regard as essential, and should never undermine it without putting in place a clear workaround (or ideally, improvement).</p>
<h2>Talk to your customers</h2>
<p>Pokémon Go’s decline has been characterised by a consistent lack of communication. The catalyst was arguably the removal of Pokémon tracking. While far from ideal, this could have been managed with better communication, but instead some players were left so disillusioned that they <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-08-02-after-a-flood-of-negative-feedback-pokemon-gos-developer-is-finally-ready-to-talk">requested refunds</a>. </p>
<p>The developers did not forewarn of major (potentially negative) changes, and did not communicate afterwards, leading to the claim that “<a href="https://www.cnet.com/au/news/pokemon-go-transparency-niantic-needs-to-communicate-editorial/">silence is killing Pokemon Go</a>”.</p>
<p>This has not been an isolated incident; the developers <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/07/21/niantic-and-nintendos-lack-of-communication-about-pokemon-go-issues-is-inexcusable/#75ed0ace2e83">communicated only intermittently</a> about server outages, offering very little information about why they had happened, how long the disruption was expected to last, or whether it was the work of hackers.</p>
<p>The final lesson is here is that communicating with your customers is paramount, particularly when things go wrong. Otherwise, you risk losing their confidence that you care about them and know how to fix the problem. If you have to make unpopular decisions, at least communicate the reason for those decisions and present a plan to assuage consumers’ concerns.</p>
<h2>Where to from here for Pokémon Go?</h2>
<p>This all begs the question: how might Pokémon Go attempt to bounce back? This might be challenging, as Pokémon Go would both need to implement new features and make lapsed (and new) users aware of them. One potential <a href="http://www.slashgear.com/3-pokemon-go-updates-thatll-suck-me-back-in-29458136/">option</a> is to increase social events, perhaps involving rare Pokémon placed in a given area. This might also generate more positive word of mouth, increase user engagement, and drive interest. </p>
<p>Pokémon Go could also expand into other markets, potentially rectifying the aforementioned issues when doing so. This includes a possible <a href="http://www.mobilenapps.com/articles/18659/20160916/pok%C3%A9mon-go-release-date-update-niantic-finally-acknowledges-india-generation.htm">expansion</a> into China and India. This would be most effective if additional in-game <a href="http://www.slashgear.com/3-pokemon-go-updates-thatll-suck-me-back-in-29458136/">features</a>, such as in game battling, were implemented. In this case, the game could start from a fresh base in new markets, while improving the game in existing markets.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article was amended on October 19, 2016, to note that the Buddy Pokémon feature is already live, and not forthcoming as the article originally stated.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67135/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Humphery-Jenner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Since spawning a global craze, Pokémon Go has shed a third of its players, while downloads have dried up. What did the developers do wrong, and what can others learn about keeping gamers happy?Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/637812016-08-11T13:04:05Z2016-08-11T13:04:05ZHow Pokemon Go turned couch potatoes into fitness fanatics without them even realising it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133798/original/image-20160811-9203-3klnv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gotta catch 'em all.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-458010427/stock-photo-pokemon-go-ios-and-android-smartphone-game-with-augmented-reality-with-drowzee-and-biker-sofia-bulgaria-july-25-2016.html?src=BjqvayU6q2605KN59LoBPg-2-3">Stoyan Yotov / Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pokemon Go is taking the world by storm. Within days of its US release, its number of daily active users caught up with longstanding apps <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/pokmon-gobigger-than-tinder-overtake-twitter-similarweb-data-stock-price-nintendo-niantic-2016-7">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/pokemon-go-nearly-as-many-daily-users-snapchat-google-maps-more-than-twitter-surveymonkey-2016-7">Snapchat and Google Maps</a>, and it became the <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/business/intelligence//pokemon-go-usage-statistics/">biggest mobile game</a> in US history. Since then, the game has been launched worldwide, creating a user base which spends more time playing Pokemon Go than the <a href="http://gearnuke.com/pokemon-go-now-users-facebook-snapchat/">average Facebook user</a> spends on site.</p>
<p>The app is supposedly generating upwards of <a href="https://www.appannie.com/insights/mobile-strategy/pokemon-go-an-opportunity-not-a-threat/">$10m a day in revenue</a> from the sale of PokeCoins, and is so engaging that people <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/gotta-soak-em-all-pokemon-go-hunter-falls-in-pond-while-playing/">have walked into lakes</a> and <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pokemon-go-men-fall-off-cliff-san-diego-android-ios-app-a7136986.html">fallen off cliffs</a> while playing. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133822/original/image-20160811-28149-sfgjtq.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pokemon appear anywhere there is a mobile data signal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This latest version of the Pokemon game has also been hailed for increasing physical activity in a group of individuals that have traditionally been seen as <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/debug/pokemon-go-workout-exercise-perk/">couch potatoes</a>. Since 1980, <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/">worldwide obesity has doubled</a>. Likewise, people are spending <a href="http://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2010.0444">more time sitting down</a>. Pokemon Go is undoubtedly a great tool for boosting <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2016/08/10/playing-pokemon-go-is-really-good-for-your-health-6058376/">physical</a> and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/turns-out-pokemon-go-is-unexpectedly-great-for-mental-health/7622740">mental health</a>, and could probably claim to be the most successful health app on the market without even trying to be. But why is it so motivating for some, and how can we harness this power to change other behaviours?</p>
<h2>Mind the gap</h2>
<p>Each of us possesses an intention-action gap (IAG). This is the discrepancy between our ideal self – what our values and intentions are – and our real self, that is what our actions actually are, what we actually achieve. The bigger the gap, the worse it is for us: if our intention is to spend 30 minutes a day being active and yet only do this maybe once a week, then we will be frustrated with ourselves and <a href="http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/domains/psychological-health-and-well-being-domain/">have poorer health outcomes</a>. </p>
<p>The IAG concept has been studied extensively in the context of saving the planet. We might all say we want to behave responsibly and reduce climate change, but how many of us actually do things that are consistent with this, such as recycling, buying sustainable produce or reducing air miles? The theory <a href="http://www.backofbeyond.co.uk/?page_id=27">applies equally to health behaviours</a> too. So how do we close this gap?</p>
<p>The world is becoming bipolar between those that embrace exercise and those that do not. While obesity accelerates, so does the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23928730">popularity of triathlons</a> and many other sports. For some, exercising is intrinsically motivating and we need not worry about them, but the rest need a different approach.</p>
<p>We know from the history of behaviour change that people don’t like being <a href="http://www.sicotests.com/psyarticle.asp?id=65">told what to do</a>. So for those who are not motivated to exercise we need to find an alternative way. <a href="http://selfdeterminationtheory.org">Self-determination theory</a> argues that we will work energetically to satisfy three core psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. </p>
<p>A person will engage in exercise if they choose to do so (autonomy), feel they are gaining valuable skills or achieving a goal (competence), or enjoying social interactions (relatedness). And that’s where Pokemon Go comes in: it motivates users because it provides a pure form of these core needs. You can choose when to go Pokemon hunting and which Pokemon to hunt. By catching and training Pokemon you gain levels and status, and walking up to 10km can hatch rare Pokemon eggs that you have found. Additionally, you can hunt in packs or with one or two close allies, or share augmented reality snaps over social media.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133799/original/image-20160811-18023-1g8pxpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Still behind a screen but gamers are getting out and about thanks to Pokemon Go.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-457427182/stock-photo-bangkok-thailand-july-22-2016-pokemon-go-is-a-new-augmented-reality-game-which-lets-you-walk-in-the-real-world-to-catch-the-pokemon.html?src=07-ujxJxQlec1G1BOKUGXA-1-7">Wachiwit / Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The game harnesses our vulnerability to a phenomenon known as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291128717_Positive_emotions_and_reward_Appetitive_systems_-_Amygdala_and_striatum">stimulus-bound behaviour</a>. Because the world is so complex and we have limited processing power, our brains automatise much of our behaviour, developing habits. These operate by identifying stimuli in the environment that we have specific automatic responses to, like braking at a red light. This stimulus control is incredibly powerful in controlling behaviour. In Pokemon Go it is harnessed by tracking specific Pokemon, PokeStops, and PokeGyms. Essentially we relinquish control over goals and actions to these stimuli, but while they can support bad habits – encouraging some to smoke, or buy that sugary coffee they don’t really need – they can also help us achieve our chosen goals.</p>
<h2>Being the very best</h2>
<p>There are few health apps that also happen to be fun for those who are not intrinsically motivated to exercise. Pokemon Go’s global release is a success story that we cannot ignore going forward: its impact on getting players up and moving is probably one of the greatest technological advances of the last few years. </p>
<p>Going forward, we need investment in research to help understand complex behaviour change and how we can use it to get the world’s population to be more active. Alongside this, it is clear that we need to invest in augmented reality, and explore how it can be used in mobile games. Pokemon was already an outright success before the app was released but there are many other brands and digital universes that could harness a similar approach to their future releases. Imagine competing in a 100 metre Olympic-style event against <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NfanLvgjfE">Nintendo characters augmented in real life</a>, or hunting out rupees and other treasures to use in <a href="http://www.zelda.com/">The Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule</a>.</p>
<p>By using gamified augmented reality, we can close the intention-action gap at an individual level and promote sustainable healthy behaviour – without anyone even realising it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63781/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John A Parkinson has received funding from the Wales European Funding Office to carry out applied research into behaviour change. </span></em></p>The minds of Pokemon trainers have been manipulated using basic behavioural science.John A Parkinson, Professor in Behavioural Neuroscience, Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/631592016-07-29T10:25:27Z2016-07-29T10:25:27ZWhy Niantic didn’t need marketing to make Pokémon Go viral<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132342/original/image-20160728-12097-dp7c51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gotta catch 'em all</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberbird/14259367088/">Nicole Ciaramella</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s not hard to see why Pokémon Go has become so popular. Its <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-pokemon-go-became-an-instant-phenomenon-62412">simple gameplay and social element</a> have made the augmented reality game an instant hit, eclipsing the <a href="https://www.similarweb.com/blog/pokemon-go">daily active user figures</a> of giants such as Candy Crush Saga and Tinder. Yet the company behind Pokémon Go, Niantic, has done very little to promote the game since it launched. Beyond a handful of release notifications from the <a href="https://twitter.com/PokemonGoApp">official Pokémon Go Twitter account</a>, no TV commercials have been commissioned and in-app advertising is minimal. </p>
<p>Niantic has instead relied on word-of-mouth to promote its take on Pokémon, particularly in the form of unofficial viral pictures, videos and social media posts shared online (internet memes) that reference or parody the game. This user-generated content ensures the title is on the lips of the masses, even if many of them haven’t even played it yet.</p>
<p>The term “meme”, coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in his book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-selfish-gene-9780198788607?q=selfish%20gene&lang=en&cc=gb">The Selfish Gene</a>, refers to an idea, behaviour or style that propagates across culture, just as a successful gene spreads through a population. <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.1712">Internet memes</a> pervade the web in a similar way. Carried via text, images or videos, the idea (often a quip or funny observation) is replicated by being shared and reposted, transforming over time to spawn hundreds of thematic variants. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wtfoRESVir0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Memes are a staple of social media, loved by some, but a nuisance to others. Log into Facebook, and you’ll likely find people sharing images of <a href="http://www.celebuzz.com/2016-04-29/20-views-album-covers-more-canadian/">“Drake sitting on things”</a> or video remixes of <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sad-affleck">“Sad” Ben Affleck</a> silently contemplating lukewarm reviews of Batman vs Superman. Occasionally, meme replication hits a critical mass. Borrowing again from biological terminology, they go “viral”. </p>
<p>Internet memes can certainly be entertaining. Yet these snapshots of pop culture have a deeper use. They provide the kind of pervasive promotion that can catapult films, games, and literature into craze status. Today we see this phenomenon in play with Pokémon Go, and not just with memes that celebrate the franchise. Social media sites are awash with comedic posts that poke fun at the game, and its players, from all angles.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"751223769297920001"}"></div></p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"752473135870537728"}"></div></p>
<p>The marketing force behind Pokémon Go understand that the franchise’s consumers are their biggest, and most active marketing tool. Video parodies and image macros (pictures with humorous captions) targeting Pokémon have been circling the web <a href="http://www.memecenter.com/search/pokemon">for years</a>. Pokémon is a well established cultural icon, and this kind of user-generated content ensures it remains visible even without the addition of a popular new game to the franchise. Appreciating this, Niantic side-stepped any major marketing blitz for Pokémon Go, safe in the knowledge that nostalgia would amply feed the meme. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132249/original/image-20160727-21591-syl2gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The profile-raising power of the Internet meme is significant. Memes such as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0">Rick-rolling</a>” (where seemingly unrelated weblinks point users to a video of 80s pop star Rick Astley) demonstrate how user-generated content can revitalise bygone stars, and in some cases breathe life into commercial flops. Take the film Vampire’s Kiss, which grossed only <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098577/">32% of its $2m budget</a> in 1989. Nicolas Cage’s unrestrained (and borderline frantic) performance fuelled the highly popular “You Don’t Say” meme, sparking renewed interest in the title. Vampire’s Kiss is now considered by some to be a <a href="http://www.thesaint-online.com/2013/10/cult-film-of-the-week-vampires-kiss/">cult film.</a></p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zdWC9rHWmk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The viral potential of memes is naturally attractive in marketing, but their unpredictability is problematic. Who knew that a fist-pumping baby (<a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/success-kid-i-hate-sandcastles">Success Kid</a>) or ivory-tinkling feline (<a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/keyboard-cat">Keyboard Cat</a>) would make such an impact on social media?</p>
<p>To negate risk, brands tend to piggyback off trending memes. This approach, called “memejacking”, is bold and brash, but can work wonders – as Sesame Street marketers will tell you. The TV show surfed a wave of parodies of Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 single, Call Me Maybe, with its own video featuring the Cookie Monster sharing treats with office workers. The parody, “Share It Maybe”, proved very popular for the franchise, racking up over 20m views to date on its official YouTube Channel. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qTIGg3I5y8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>To a network of ardent Pokémon fans, add one (rather aggrandising) game trailer. Throw then into the mix the screen capture capabilities of smartphone and tablet devices, and you have all the fuel needed to get the meme-train rolling. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbKV4YzLP4o?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>And rolling it is. Two weeks after US release, Pokemon Go regularly secures the number 1 slot in Know Your Meme’s <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/trending">“top image gallery” chart</a> and parody versions of the game pervade social media. The nuances of Pokemon Go – from the “seek and collect” gameplay mechanic, through <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/16/pokemon-go-server-crash-niantic-europe-us">endless server crashes</a> to Pokemon hunting placing <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3688528/How-Pokemon-ruining-relationships.html">strain on relationships</a> – continue to infect YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, replicating and mutating into new (and largely funny) media content each passing day.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c-UxDbxBuvo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63159/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Scott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The spontaneous success of Pokémon Go shows how powerful internet memes can be.Lee Scott, Subject Leader in Creative Computing, Bath Spa UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/628692016-07-24T20:02:29Z2016-07-24T20:02:29ZWhy nature conservationists should be worried about ‘Pokémon Go’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131574/original/image-20160722-26835-1f80b4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Nature conservationists should be asking if chasing Pokémon creatures means anything for species in the real world.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“<a href="http://www.pokemongo.com/">Pokémon Go</a>” is a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/12/pokemon-go-becomes-global-phenomenon-as-number-of-us-users-overtakes-twitter">cultural phenomenon</a>. It’s an augmented reality game that’s drawing players out of their homes and sending them racing around town in search of imaginary creatures – guided by their smartphones.</p>
<p>At first blush it seems as though “Pokémon Go” will have good knock-on effects for nature conservation. After all, players have to <a href="https://theconversation.com/pokemon-go-gets-people-out-and-about-and-thats-a-good-thing-62343">go outside</a> to play the game. So in a sense the game does value <a href="https://www.cbd.int/2010/biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> – albeit imaginary biodiversity. But nature conservationists should be asking if chasing make-believe creatures means anything for species in the real world.</p>
<p>Part of the fun is encountering all the <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.in/pokemon-go-guide-full-list-all-151-pokemon-found-game-686629">different kinds of Pokémon</a>. Each of these has unique characteristics that determine where they occur. This is rather similar to the associations between real-world species and their habitats.</p>
<p>This all suggests that playing the game cultivates an unspoken intuition for ecological concepts and fosters an appreciation of variety, for variety’s sake. But can any of this anecdotal speculation be bolstered by hard scientific data?</p>
<h2>Scientists have asked these questions before</h2>
<p>Fortunately, the question of whether Pokémon affects nature conservation is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/13/what-wildlife-scientists-and-nature-lovers-can-learn-from-pokemon-go/">not new to scientists</a>. “Pokémon Go” is just the latest form of the gaming franchise, which originated back in the 1990s as <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/all-pokemon-games/">black-and-white pixels</a> on the Nintendo Game Boy. Since then, the franchise has split off into a <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/">trading-card game</a>, a <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-episodes/pokemon-tv-seasons/">television series</a> and several <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-episodes/pokemon-movies/">movies</a>.</p>
<p>Back in 2002, <a href="http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/directory/andrew-balmford">Andrew Balmford</a>, the renowned conservation scientist from Cambridge University, devised <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/295/5564/2367.2">a small experiment</a> published in the journal <em>Science</em>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131573/original/image-20160722-26814-1ayxy1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children are more likely to know more about Pokémon characters than actual animals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/141316223@N06/26202045526/in/photolist-FVokgC-EMgGt-8N21Xp-6whdPZ-dScXrQ-8N22pp-8LGt6e-4F8CJJ-4b8rJA-7QkQvB-QRaPh-7A5J4E-4RzHnV-2zxanq-9ycNiD-dLJiFG-qexm6R-8CuokB-5qD4Md-b4sdaD-6BKD8V-amKeUJ-7TnRNu-4Vu23-4Vu3P-8N51oy-2AnyQC-7zibzw-516QGy-fG3C19-9pX4Zb-7xnfSr-8p2xQo-aQ715c-5LWpst-gA7v9k-4Vu4N-aX8UbT-pXipf6-9oJoJ9-4HQEpX-4VtZs-gvvdA2-4Vu62-53mm3B-pXgX3a-e9TjuA-a4S8Fz-4Vu79-8N54Ew">Noah Cloud/Flickr</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The aim was to see whether schoolchildren knew more about fictional Pokémon creatures than real British plants, birds and insects. He found that eight-year-olds could identify 78% of Pokémon but just 53% of real species. Even more telling was that he only found a 31% association between a child’s familiarity of Pokémon and their knowledge of real species.</p>
<p>Balmford’s experiment showed that an appreciation for Pokémon does not necessarily translate into an appreciation for real species.</p>
<h2>It can go either way</h2>
<p>Another piece of evidence is the freely-available card game, “<a href="http://phylogame.org/">Phylo</a>”. It was modelled on the Pokémon card game, but differs in that it uses real species rather than imaginary ones. Despite these beautifully illustrated cards being free to download online, “Phylo” has yet to reach the popularity of its fictional forefather. It seems that real creatures just cannot capture the public’s attention in the way that Pokémon can.</p>
<p>“Pokémon Go” is unlikely to benefit nature conservation. But this is not the same as saying that the game is bad for conservation. Scientists should not disregard this as a possibility. It might be that the game is replacing, rather than enhancing, people’s love for nature.</p>
<p>If someone playing “Pokémon Go” notices that the battery of her smartphone is flat, will she lie back and enjoy nature around her or will she run inside to find the nearest power outlet? This is an important question to answer. In the worst-case scenario, the game could be creating a generation of children who cannot appreciate the outdoors without the comfortable glow of their phones.</p>
<p>Augmenting reality to make people go outside implies that the outdoors are not worth visiting for their own sake. The “Pokémon Go” craze will eventually subside and nature conservationists should be concerned about the long-term effects of this. If people can be bored by creatures created to maximise marketability, what is stopping them from growing bored of pigeons, bumblebees or tadpoles?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62869/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Falko Buschke is a founder member of the South African Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology </span></em></p>‘Pokémon Go’ has the ability to make people wander around nature looking for fantasy creatures – but will this translate into people exploring real-life nature?Falko Buschke, Macroecologist and Conservation Biologist, University of the Free StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.