Everyone is probably sick of hearing about Pokemon Go but indulge me. Here in China, Pokemon Go is unavailable so I can’t sink my teeth into it despite being a Pokemon devotee. Still, my brain can’t help but veer toward the app. Trawling through my Pokemon saturated news feed got me thinking. Is Pokemon Go changing the public opinion of gamers?
Negative Connotation
Pokemon Go fans in Hong Kong
For as long as I can remember the media has been a constant barrage of anti-gamer slurs. Games are a convenient scapegoat for psychopaths and underachievers. Gaming gets the blame for everything, from cancer to misogyny, you name it, we blame it. Even as a kid, being a gamer was always frowned upon by my community. It was unladylike and reserved for basement dwellers and dropouts. We’re stereotyped as fat fedora-wearing white guys yelling at our PCs. Completely untrue, we all know the trilby is the superior headgear. I can look back now as an adult and laugh. It’s fair to say this 100 billion dollar industry has fought its way through controversy.
I was resigned to the fact that some people would always be ignorant about gaming culture. That was before the advent of Pokemon Go. Oh, how the world has changed in these few short months. Pokemania has taken the world by storm. The job boards boast websites looking for ‘Pokemaniacs’ as they scramble for coverage. Businesses are buying Pokemon lures with the hopes of enticing gamers. Warnings on the walls of the train stations remind players not to chase that Chansey on to the tracks. More than ever, the assertions about gamers are meeting push-back. After all, it’s hard to say all gamers are raging misogynists when Granny Smith over here is one of them.
Pokemon Go Might be a Game Changer
I’m enjoying reading articles on non-gaming websites about Pokemon Go players. They tend to come in three varieties, but my favourite is the “THEY WALK AMONG US!” angle. The shocking revelation that many people secretly enjoy video games is too much for some. This newfound visibility in the real world is bound to challenge the stereotype of a gamer. People are realising what we’ve always known; we are part of a diverse global community. There’s still demonisation of Pokemon Go players, of course. Damage to graves and historical sites are the main points of criticism. Still, outlets have to struggle hard to find a negative spin on the Pokemon Go community. At the end of the day, it’s a highly social activity they gets people to explore and exercise.
The pinnacle of my delight with Pokemon Go was a trip to Hong Kong. Everywhere I looked people were playing. At the end of the trip, I saw a cute couple walking arm in arm out of the space museum wearing Team Instinct caps. I don’t think Pokemon Go will be the one to cement a change in how people think of gamers. Yet, it has made an unquestionable impact on our communities and opened the door for AR games. Just yesterday, I read about a Belgian man who created a small scale AR game inspired by Pokemon Go. Instead of digital monsters, his students go out hunting for books.
I’m sure one day, maybe soon, Pokemon Go will splutter and die. This legacy, however, will live forever. Love it or hate it, Pokemon Go has done gaming a great service by making us visible. We aren’t the hateful parasites to society we’ve been made out to be. We’re mothers, teachers, sons and daughters. We come in every colour, creed, and sexuality.