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A new smartphone app has gained a large following in only two weeks, and Rock County is following the national trend.
“Pokemon Go” is a popular virtual reality game that uses smartphone camera and location services to place animated characters in real-life locations.
The goal of the game is to capture as many of the virtual characters as possible.
To do so the player swipes the smartphone screen in the direction of the character visible only on the screen.
In order to find the Pokemon characters to capture, players must move around outside, which makes the game unique from other online or smartphone games.
“At the start of the summer I was on the computer a lot,” said Ethan Rahm of Luverne. “Since I downloaded the game on July 7, I’ve walked 15.7 kilometers.”
The distance walked by each player is measured in kilometers and displayed as part of the game.
“The more rare the Pokemon, the farther you have to walk,” added Luke Thorson.
Rahm and Thorson, who will be seventh-graders at Luverne Middle School this fall, agree that the mobile aspect of the game is what makes it fun.
“It gets you outside,” Thorson said. It’s a lot more fun than watching YouTube all day.”
Those playing the game gather at “pokestops” created by the app in order to collect the balls needed to capture the Pokemons.
There are more than 30 “pokestops” in Luverne alone, many near local public landmarks such as the Palace Theatre, Redbird Field and some local churches.
Players sometimes gather at these locations, which also creates a real-life social aspect of the game.
“A lot of people at Hot Dog Night asked me if I was playing Pokemon and then we talked about our points,” Thorson said.
It’s not only local young people enjoying the game. Many adults have been attracted to the outdoor fun and some families are playing “Pokemon Go” together.
Becky Rahm, Ethan’s mom, said she and her son hadn’t gone on a walk together all summer but now do so regularly.
“It also helps you get to know your community better,” Becky Rahm said. “I never knew the names of all the little parks in Luverne until we started playing Pokemon.”
Susan Beers is the technology integrationist at Luverne Schools. She’s also enjoying the game this summer and said she sees some positive aspects of the new technology craze.
“Anything that gets people off the couch and interacting with their community is a good thing,” Beers said.