Pokémon Go: Overnight Sensation Was 20 Years in the Making

Pokémon Go, an augmented reality computer game that aims to catch cute characters superimposed on surrounding scenery, has gone viral. Alex Hern of the Guardian profiles Dennis Crowley, whose career centers on location-based games like Pac-Manhattan, Dodgeball and Foursquare, and reminds that the game was 20 years in the making. Pokémon Go blends a popular game of the 1990s with Ingress, “a location-based social game in which players compete for control of points located at physical landmarks in their neighbourhood while increasing their own power in the conflict by tapping into minor landmarks as they play,” created by former Google subsidiary Niantic. Much like the real world, the game offers no rules or explanations, prompting players to experiment and interact face to face with strangers to learn new strategies. Analysts watch closely to see if the game can sustain its popularity. – YaleGlobal