Pokémon Go. Addictive augmented reality, but missing features.
I admit it: I don't know a Psyduck from a Gastly, and I thought Team Rocket was a goofy duo on a cartoon that my little brother watched.
I downloaded Pokémon Go mostly because of peer pressure. I wanted to see what all my friends on my social media feeds were going on about. I thought, "I'll check this out for a few minutes and see what it's about."I certainly did not expect that I would be wandering all over town catching Pidgeys and Rattatas, seeking out Poké Stops, or even battling in nearby gyms.
This game is super fun, and the best feature is that it is getting me outside and meeting new people. It's an instant icebreaker, and seems to span demographics. Hipsters, Gym Rats, indoor-kids, and so on are roaming around catching Pokémon, giving tips to each other, and setting up Lures.
I will be very interested to see how long the momentum lasts.
While fun to play, it's missing some features that surprised me.
The lack of integration into Apple's HealthKit API, which would allow the app to track walking distances (to get those eggs hatched) without having to have the app open and eating your battery is the first missing feature.
There are no notifications when the app is in the background to let you know a Pokémon, Poké Stop, or Gym is nearby.
It surprised me that there is no Apple Watch app. You can purchase the official wearable for $35, but the main criticism for it is that it removes the gamification: a light blinks, you push a button, another light blinks to indicate a successful capture or failed attempt, and you have no idea what you've caught until you pull out your phone. The screen on the watch would help to make for a better experience.
Finally, the lack of social features is mind-blowing in this day and age. Sure, the game itself seems to be facilitating social interactions, but once you've met those people, you'd have to share contact info in order for you to meet up with them again. For me this idea is rather off-putting. I'd much rather add someone I just met to an in-game friends list, rather than hand out my number to a potential axe murder. Plus with an in-game friends list, you can get cool features like seeing when you friends are nearby or sending a quick message letting your friends know you're out hunting.
For someone who never grew up knowing the difference between Mew and Mewtoo I'm loving Pokémon Go. The lack of a few quality of life features certainly does not detract from the game and could (will?) be easily added in future releases.
