Utah County catches ‘Pokemon Go’ fever
From the left, Micah Willis, of Salt Lake City, Tessa Norman, of Lindon, and Chase Adams, of Pleasant Grove, use their smartphones to play the new augmented-reality game "Pokemon Go," while sitting on the lawn in front of the Provo City Libary in Provo early on Sunday, July 10, 2016. RYAN OLSON, Daily Herald
From the left, Brian Whetten, of Provo, watches while Dalton Galke, of Provo, and Joshua Abel, of Orem, use their smartphones to play the new augmented-reality game "Pokemon Go," while on the lawn in front of the Provo City Libary in Provo early on Sunday, July 10, 2016. RYAN OLSON, Daily Herald
Dozen of people play the new augmented-reality game "Pokemon Go," while on the lawn in front of the Provo City Libary in Provo early on Sunday, July 10, 2016. The game can offer incentives for people to gather in popular destinations, such as the library. RYAN OLSON, Daily Herald
Dozen of people play the new augmented-reality game "Pokemon Go" in front of the Provo City Libary in Provo early on Sunday, July 10, 2016. The game can offer incentives for people to gather in popular destinations, such as the library. RYAN OLSON, Daily Herald
From the left, Taylor Demars, of Spokane, Wash., and Jason Garry, of Mesa, Ariz., pose in front of the charging station they set up for people playing the smartphone game "Pokemon GO" in front of the Provo City Library in Provo on July 10.
Although it’s been out less than a week, the “Pokemon Go” phenomenon has hit Utah County.
Dozens of people were on their smartphones outside the Provo City Library after 1 a.m. Sunday, hoping for a chance to “catch ’em all.” It was a sight that continued throughout the day and smaller groups could be seen in other popular areas, such as Memorial Park and along Center Street.
One quartet was seated on the Academy Square lawn early Sunday morning. Everyone in the group said Chase Adams, of Pleasant Grove, introduced them to the game. Adams said everyone he works with knew about it.
Micah Willis, of Salt Lake City, said it was his first exposure to the Pokemon universe.
“I was never allowed to watch ‘Pokemon’ as a kid,” Willis said. “This is literally the first day I’ve had anything to do with Pokemon.”
“I woke up this morning and I still don’t know what it is,” he said later.
Despite that, Willis has still managed to collect 82 Pokemon in a day.
The new game takes concepts built over 20 years via a series of video games, TV shows and other media and combines them with elements of smartphones, including cameras and GPS locating technology. Each player is a trainer, tasked with going around and using small red-and-white spheres called Pokeballs to capture fanciful creatures called Pokemon.
The game uses real-world locations to place the Pokemon. Popular attractions — such as the library — are often “pokestops” where larger numbers of the virtual creatures congregate. Players can also use “lure modules” to temporarily create their own pokestops.
“When you have two to three lures together — Pokemon for days,” Adams said.
Tessa Norman, of Lindon, said it was fun to use as the augmented-reality game uses the camera to show the Pokemon superimposed over the real world.
“It just makes it so real,” Norman said.
She also noted that everyone playing the game has been nice as people cheer on others in their quest to catch new creatures.
“It’s just funny to watch everybody,” Norman said.
Challenges
While in the older games, players would use their captured Pokemon to fight in battles and build experience, the only real battles thus far in “Pokemon Go” are against technology. Server errors made it difficult to play the game in the first few days. Playing the game can tax a smartphone’s battery and data connection.
Adams said the game can use about 100 megabytes of cellphone data per hour. The game can drain a battery as it uses the screen, camera, data connection and GPS — all energy hogs.
While several people brought battery packs to stay charged, Taylor Demars of Spokane, Washington, and Jason Garry, of Mesa, Arizona, were inspired to offer a charging station at the library with electricity and snacks — for a nominal price. They saw the large crowds and picked up supplies at Wal-Mart before returning.
“We saw a need and wanted to fix it,” Demars said.
Demars said they “just wanted to make sure everyone has a good time.”
He downloaded the game Friday and has caught 70 Pokemon so far.
“I think it’s every adult’s dream now to relive their childhood reality,” Demars said.
“It’s kind of addicting, if you couldn’t tell,” Garry said.
Going outside
Garry noted that the game encourages players to get outside more. Most creatures are outside in different location.
Players can also gather eggs, but to hatch them they have to walk 1.25 miles or more.
Adams said he sprinted to quickly hatch an egg Saturday and ended up with sunburn and triggered asthma.
“I hatched one today, and it was rough,” he said.
Dalton Galke, of Provo, said he walked more than 10 miles in three hours Saturday as part of his effort to collect more than 400 Pokemon so far. In addition to getting fresh air, he said he’s introverted, but the game has helped forge new connections with others.
“This has been getting me out,” Galke said. “It’s something that brings us together.”
Galke and his three friends are committed Pokemon fans, who are very familiar with the earlier games.
“I feel this is a good introduction for people who have never played Pokemon,” Galke said.
Joshua Abel, of Orem, was wearing a Pokemon shirt and a knit-cap in the form of Pikachu, the most iconic of all Pokemon. Abel said the game was more popular than he expected to be.
Galke and Abel’s friend, Brian Whetten, of Provo, doesn’t have a phone that can play the game, but he’s been tagging along on their adventures including a hike.
“There’s just so many people walking around. It’s awesome,” Whetten said.
