Is Pokémon Go your new travel companion?

Unless you are living in a cave, you would have known about the Pokemania that have taken the world by storm. Pokemon Go, a monster mobile hit, has been a phenomenon ever since its recent release in US, Australia and New Zealand. And it has the potential to change the way people experience travel. For the uninitiated, it is an augmented reality (AR) mobile app developed by Niantic, an American software development company. The concept of all Pokemon games is the same – players called as  ‘trainers’ travel the world to capture Pokemon and train them to battle against each other.

Pokemon Go takes this game of pursuit and capture to a completely new level. Since this app blurs the line between real and virtual by including the real world elements into the game, the players explore the world around them like they have never done before.  Using the GPS in your phone, the in-game map detects your location and decides which Pokemon should appear on their smartphone screen. And the game takes the players on a frantic search for these pixelated, virtual creatures in real world locations. In the process, you sometimes travel miles, or land up in places you have never been before. If you are travelling abroad or out of town, characters like Pikachu and jiggly puff can be your tour guide by leading you to different places.

The ultimate objecticve of the game is to catch all the Pokemon characters and become the Pokemon master by defeating premiere trainers known as gym leaders and Elite Four. Therefore, travel is integral to Pokemon Go, as the game makes players go on a ravenous hunt for these tiny, cutesy beings. Your pursuit for the Pokemon can take you to a restaurant that you have never been to before, or make you socialise with other players.  During an idle moment, you may actually look around and see something new about your locality. Banking on this aspect of the new rage, brilliant minds are creating new avenues to make money. For instance, there are already private drivers who will chauffeur you around the city to catch your Pokemon.

An interesting feature of the game is PokeStop, which provides an avenue for the players to meet at real world location. Most of the time, these PokeStops are spread around the city, and cover many important landmarks. So if you play Pokemon Go while you are travelling, you get to visit some main tourist spots while you are at it. Even on a solo travel, you are never really alone, as these tiny characters will always keep you company.This will change the way people travel, navigate through a new city or even explore their home town.

By Neetu George