Skip to main content
HomeThe WWS Daily

- News, tips, inspiration you can trust to thrive in today’s digital age.

Search form

Main menu

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Business & Economy
  • Tech & Trends
  • Health & Style
  • Arts & Culture
  • Contact Us

What Pokémon Go’s Popularity Reveals About the State of Technology Today

George Mathews August 2, 2016
person-holding-smartphone-pokemon-go-app-image

Pokémon Go is all the rage. It’s becoming a cultural phenomenon. If you haven’t heard about Pokémon Go, it is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality monster-hunting mobile game developed by Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company. It was released in July 2016 for iOS and Android devices, and is currently available in the US, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and now Germany.

It is hard to think of another app that has skyrocketed to such great levels of awareness only a little over a week after it was released. Pokémon GO has reportedly surpassed Twitter’s daily active users, and incredibly sees more engagement than Facebook. It took only two days after it launched to be downloaded on 5 percent of all US Android devices. According to SurveyMonkey, GO is now the biggest mobile game in U.S history.

If you doubt the popularity of the game, all you need to do is spend any time in a public location to see herds of people walking around hunting for Pokémon. The game is arguably the greatest pandemic since swine flu. People can’t seem capable of resisting its allure that entails scintillating adventures to catch Pokémon – the very same fictional cartoon characters popularized by Nintendo games in the Nineties – in the real world.

 

Blending the Real and Digital Worlds

 

Pokemon Go's blending of gaming and augmented reality (AR), which is a live view of a physical, real-world environment that is augmented or supplemented by computer generated sensory input such as graphics, sound, video or GPS data, has proved a huge success. The interesting thing about this mixture that weaves the physical and virtual worlds together is that when it involves local cities, towns, markets, shops, restaurants and so on, AR has a profound effect on the way we live, work and play.

For example, there are already stores using a Lure (a virtual object that lures Pokémon to a specific location) in order to get people to their retail locations. After posting a Lure, some restaurants have reported a boost in sales as people try and find a Pokémon in or near those eating establishments.

Another example of the impact of weaving the physical and virtual worlds together involves training. As an article on TD.org rightly observes, there’re huge opportunities for training and meeting with AR:

 “If virtual worlds are an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole that takes us to magical virtual places, AR glasses provide a lens that superimposes digital graphics over the world around you. A 3D holographic data visualization might appear on the conference table. A PowerPoint presentation might appear on the wall. Imagine a virtual teleprompter in front of a teacher; wherever she looks she can read the script.

Instructions for complex tasks can be unobtrusively superimposed via AR glasses. Team members can be playing a business simulation with a 3D game board in front of them. A mentor can guide a technician remotely through a product installation or repair.

The potential for AR glasses that you can wear everywhere is potentially many times larger than VR [Virtual Reality]. Think of VR as the PC and AR as the mobile device. VR will revolutionize learning in the classroom and office the way the PC revolutionized productivity in our offices. And AR will revolutionize learning on the go, in meetings and out in the field, the way the smartphone revolutionized mobile productivity.”

 

AR for Everybody

 

PokemonGo-players-convene.jpg

Players convened in San Francisco for a Pokemon Go event on July 20, 2016. Photo by Blair Hanley Frank

As technology becomes more advanced, people will start seeing augmented reality being used in all daily applications. MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte in his enlightening book Being Digital contends that “computing is not about computers anymore. It is about living.”

Perhaps now is the time to imagine and design our virtual future, and also begin to change the way we view and interact with digital information going forward. AR is no longer about technology; it’s about defining how we want to live in the real world with this new technology and how we will design experiences that are meaningful and help advance humanity.  

There is, therefore, a real need for writers, storytellers, entrepreneurs and designers of all types to aid in defining AR’s trajectory. The technology exists, now it’s about authoring compelling content and applying meaningful experiences in this new medium.

Consider the print media that have already incorporated some AR. Wallpaper, a design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, incorporated AR by publishing an augmented reality cover and a special feature enhanced with augmented reality technology. The issue offered articles and advertisements that jumped into 3D when they were held to a webcam. This revealed more images, audio and video features that enhanced the reading experience. Imagine what this technology could do for novels?

And don’t be too surprised also if some time in the future you meet someone who explains to you that their business card isn’t just a card; it’s an augmented reality business card. You can already see a collection of augmented business card designs online, and tools like ZapWorks can help you design your own that when put in front of a webcam linked to the internet, will not only show your contact details but also a sound or video clip. Or pretty much any other digital information you want.

See Also: Here's What You Should Know About Achieving Creative Success.

 


George Mathews is a staff writer for WebWriterSpotlight.com. He is passionate about personal growth and development.


 

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER  newsletter icon.png

Get our best content, news, tips, and inspiration in your inbox - free.

No spam. Just great stories. Promise!
 

 

Join Over 20,000 Subscribers!

Get our best content, tips, and inspiration free in your inbox. Subscribe ››

Connect with us:  twitter.gif linkedin-gray.jpg email.gif RSS feed

 

 

 

 

 

Most read this week


15 Free and Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Your Business
15 Free and Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Your Business
Alexis Davis

Why Software-Defined (SD-WAN) Is the Future of Networking
Ayman Totounji

man-seo-working-on-laptop
Understanding Search Engine Marketing: What, Why, & How
Anna Wrench

Pros and Cons of Student Loan Forbearance
Pros and Cons of Student Loan Forbearance
Carolina dArbe…

 

Got a story or tip for us?

 

Tips_0_0_0.png

Here's how to submit it →

 

 

 

 
 

EXPLORE MORE ...

black-nav-bar1.png

News & Features  ›


Best Backup Power Options to Handle Energy Outages and Disruptions

Best Backup Power Options to Handle Energy Outages and Disruptions

Opinion: Markets Will Be Rattled If Witnesses Called for Trump Impeachment Trial

Opinion: Markets Will Be Rattled If Witnesses Called for Trump Impeachment Trial

Inpulsus Launches a Global Strategic Consultancy to Bring Influence Marketing In-House and Close the "Strategic Gap"

Inpulsus Launches Global Strategic Consultancy to Bring Influence Marketing In-House and Close the "Strategic Gap"


Understand and Plan Your Digital Afterlife

The Most Annoying Video Call Habits at Work - Are You Guilty?

The Digital Playground: Creating Safe and Engaging Online Spaces for Kids

hor-line-blue

Tech & Trends  ›


How to Build a Data Strategy for Your Business (And Why)

How to Build a Data Strategy for Your Business (And Why)

Key Tactics for Attracting & Retaining Tech Talent in Today’s Market

Key Tactics for Attracting & Retaining Tech Talent in Today’s Market

Image for Apple’s Forthcoming Phones, After the iPhone X Series, Could Be Smaller

Apple’s Forthcoming Phones After the iPhone X Series Could Be Smaller


Should You Have a Dedicated Outsourced Development Team?

Tech Troubles? 4 Business Strategies To Avoid Tech Disasters

Understanding the Limitations of Antivirus Software
 

hor_line_yellow

Arts & Culture  ›


woman-sitter-reading-on-laptop-boring-word-substitutions

16 Word Substitutions to Improve Boring Writing

[node:titile]

9 Tips for Managing Your Online Writing Projects Efficiently

7 Books Bill Gates Wants You to Read That We Actually Love

7 Books Bill Gates Wants You to Read That We Actually Love


What Your Handwriting Says About You

12 Reasons Reading Widely Is So Important for Writers

How Reading More Inspires Better Writing

hor-line-brown

Business & Economy  ›


young-woman-freelancer-write-viral-blog

How to Write Viral Blog Posts: Tips for Maximum Eyeballs for Your Content

man-woman-engineers-electronic-manufacturing-part-traceability

How to Streamline Part Traceability in Electronics Manufacturing

Vehicles on laptop supply chain management representation.

How Blockchain and IoT Boost Logistics and Supply Chain Management


10 Lame Excuses You Probably Use to Procrastinate

10 Ways Resourceful People Build Resilience & Turn Failure to Success

How to Buy a House or Property With Bad Credit

hor-line-green

Health & Style  ›


The Best Personalized Golden Wedding Anniversary Gifts Ideas

man-woman-sharing-common-area-share-house-lifestyle

Share House Lifestyle: Tips for Harmonious Living in a Share House

Hidden Dental Dangers of Lockdown You May Be Ignoring

Hidden Dental Dangers of Lockdown You May Be Ignoring

hori-3.jpg

The Truth Behind 5 Common Food Label Claims

hori-3.jpg

Why It's Okay to Daydream As a Creative Person

hori-3.jpg

Can Mindfulness Help to Stop Substance Abuse and Addiction?
 

Home | About Us | Contributors | Submissions | Advertise | Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Follow Us:

twitter_e.jpg linkedin-pg.jpg email-updates_icon.jpg

Committed to quality content and journalistic ethics.

RSS rss

Search WWS search-icon-trans_0_1.png

© 2025 The WWS Daily.