4 - Phenomena and Phobia through Pokémon GO: An Analysis of the Reactions on the Augmented Reality Game in Japan

Summary

Introduction

It is a typical Sunday in Akihabara in May 2019. Just outside of the station's Electric Town exit, about 50 people gathered, closely packed (see Figure 1). The group included both men and women (although admittedly, more of the former) who ranged from middle school students to people in their fifties. Although there were small groups of people that appeared to know each other, most were on their own and did not interact with the others. The reason this group of strangers gathered in this particular spot was that they were meeting each another in a virtual space. Eyes glued to their screens, they were engaging in a world of augmented reality through the game Pokémon GO.

Many will still remember the sudden boom of players that this application brought into the streets in the summer of 2016. The application left, in many parts of the world, a real digital legacy. What is especially interesting for researchers who are interested in the ‘homo ludens’, however, is the way this smartphone game has been perceived and discussed. Pokémon GO seems to invite – as so many digital milestones do – a great emotional response. Although the game won – and still wins – great praise from enthusiasts, it has also drawn a wave of negative reactions, underlined with fear.

When it comes to the relationship between society and technology, if there is one emotion that continues throughout human history, it is fear. In this chapter, the phobic reactions to the phenomenon of Pokémon GO in Japan are analysed and used as a lens to shine new light on the issue of smartphone-related technophobia.

Background

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality smartphone gaming app developed by Niantic in co-operation with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Players’ main objective is to walk around in physical locations to catch and train in-game imaginary animals (called Pokémon). When users bring their smartphones to specific places in real-world public locations such as parks, streets, or public buildings (for example, museums), their movements trigger specific in-game actions. The in-game map excludes private properties such as houses.