Qi Xu Photo
Dean Hassan and Emad Khafaga catch Pokemon on the Green.
It was well past midnight. High Street was empty — except for teens forming circles, swiping at their phones. A different group of them every 20 steps.
The teens were out in force armed with cellphones because they’re part of a craze sweeping the globe this week: Pokemon Go.
For diehard players in New Haven, the Japanese anime-themed app-based game has led them to city landmarks and neighborhood pockets alike, having them shuffling on streets at 1 a.m. in search of fictional characters, and crossing paths with real-life human characters they might not have otherwise encountered.
“I grew up on Pokemon. It’s like fulfilling my childhood dream,” player Tony Nguyen reminisced.
In the game, users, or Pokemon trainers, hunt down critters from Pikachu to Charmander. With GPS, camera and the latest technology of augmented reality, Pokemon Go has creatures “appearing” in front of users. Gamers then capture, train and battle their Pokemon. They obtain supplies at “pokestops,” which are usually local parks, monuments and churches.
Pokemon at Yale and in Quinnipiac River State Park
Less than a week since its debut on July 7, the game has become an itch that people from all over are eager to scratch. The app reminded Pokemon fans in New Haven of their childhood memories.
“When people ask the question ‘if you could choose one realm to exist, besides this realm, what would you choose?’ I would choose Pokemon,” Caroline Smith, who called herself as “a casual player,” said in explaining what drew her to Pokemon Go. “It taps into our human desire, love of collection and love for connection.’”
The first time she caught a Pokemon, a Charmander, Smith recalled, “It was kind of cool.”
“It kind of brought back the original game, the same movement, the same tension — Is it caught? Is it not?”.
Though majority of the players on street are in their 20s, the game has also won kids’ hearts. Henry Fernandez, a 11-year-old who lives in Fair Haven, has already fought some epic battles.
The other night he was trying to conquer a “gym” (battlefield in the game but a church in real life) with a group of five players — a couple, two siblings and their mother. Fernandez understands how Pokemon Go can be a “game of nostalgia” for adult players; the fresh experience has just as much appeal for younger fans like him.
“It’s one of those games that pass through generations,” Fernandez said. As it is a new game, everyone is starting afresh and nobody is already a pro. Therefore, Fernandez added, people all helped one another to play the first few days after the game was rolled out. The human connection is Fernandez’s favorite part of the game.
Henry Fernandez on the Pokemon Go trail outside Payne Whitney Gym after a swim.
Another draw of Pokemon Go is that it compels people to pay attention to landmarks, which are used as pokestops, Fernandez said. For example, he didn’t knew there was a church a few blocks away from his house until he saw it on the game map.
Jose Seriel, a local player, agreed, noting how he usually walked past those monuments without realizing their existence. Seriel was playing outside Yale’s Old Campus Monday night, a popular spot with many pokestops. He was on the way back home when he decided to pull over his car and go for a Pokemon hunt.
“I’m not trying to make it my whole life,” Seriel laughed, but added that he has friends who are “very serious” about the game.
Brian Yeo was heading a late night place and figured he might as well catch some Pokemon along the way. After midnight is a good time, Yeo explained, since there are less people playing and the server works better. A couple players interviewed complained about the server breaking down due to high traffic.
Yeo said he started playing because all his friends are doing it. Some players turn to the app when they happen to be walking outside, but others travel just to look for Pokemon, especially those hard-to-find ones. As Pokemon theme goes: Gotta Catch ‘Em All.
Nguyen, who was catching pokemon along Elm Street Monday night, traveled from East Haven because he heard downtown is a good spot for the sport.
He was thinking about exploring Sleeping Giant or the beach the next day. “Why not?” he said.
John Jacubczyk, who lives in Terryville, came downtown for the same reason. He belonged to Team Instinct, one of the three squads in the game. He stood 15 minutes outside Yale’s Branford College, trying to take down the “gym.”
The game has not only changed how players travel, but also how they interact with others. Players bumped into one another, exchanged looks, along with an implicit greeting: “You are also playing Pokemon?” The collective experience provides a good conversation topic, as players often share information about where certain Pokemon are located.
It also sparks interesting dialogue relevant to current debate in society, Smith said. She cited one article she read in which a black player confessed he didn’t have the same privilege as white players to enter churches and people’s backyards.
When asked about the dangers looking at phones while crossing the street after dark, all players said these concerns are valid. Still, they stood behind the game and urged users to use common sense.
“I will never go Pokemon hunting alone,” said player Elizabeth Bruce.