I’m guessing it’s a PG gym spot? A very telling capture (photo) – of our times. Nice one.
Last weekend I was out downtown doing the Saturday Night thing, and everybody but everybody was doing the PG chase. Even the posse I was hanging with, half of them were hunting pocket monsters. I was hunting the hunters LOL
Just wait until we start wearing AR glasses. Reality? Forget about it. Will that be fun, or what?
Cheers. No idea to be honest, but presumably something like that, as there were an awful lot of people there.
It’s a fascinating thing to observe, isn’t it? People out and about, yet utterly absorbed in a very different world. But yeah, once glasses or headsets become the norm, things will be on a whole new level. Something that’s arguably both intriguing and disturbing in equal measures.
I find it so sad that people spend so much time looking at their phones when there’s so much that’s (more) genuinely interesting around them. Indeed, one of the things I like(d) about visiting Japan was how fewer people actually seem to do this compared to the numbers who do in Hong Kong or South Korea…
It is an odd thing, isn’t it? On trains and the like I completely understand. Those screens allow long and often tedious journeys pass by a lot less painlessly. But yeah, when out in a world that offers so much of interest, it does seem a terrible waste…
Great photograph. People and trees standing quietly together in the park.
In my small village there is one gym and three pokestops. The closest stop is my local pub, just 150 metres away – not sure what that says about the game, but the landlord keeps the stop fuelled with pokemon lures (which last 30mins a time) during peak hours and presumably attracts customers that way. Most people playing it round here are older schoolkids and 30 somethings. I go for daily walks around the village anyway, but do now have the game running in my pocket. In the 90’s our house was full of Pokemon and the TV always had it on, and there is still a metre tall Pikachu in the garage that scares the bejesus out of me when I come across it unawares. Augmented reality appeals to me and I love being able to look through my phone camera and see places of interest highlighted, or point it at the sky and see the details of flights passing overhead.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to walk the streets of Tokyo and see a virtual tag with your name on it which I can select and view the photograph you took at that spot. Which I think could already be possible if you uploaded to googlemaps 🙂
It’s much more off than on these days, but I’ve enjoyed games since I was the proud owner of a ZX Spectrum. Lunar Jet Man, Manic Miner and Knight Lore still live long in my memory. Pokemon, however, completely passed me by, so I’ve been both baffled and fascinated with the way this game has taken off. Particularly so after seeing people walking round the city playing it over the weekend. And even more interested now hearing about your local pub and how the game can be used by such places to attract customers. McDonalds has an official tie-in here which I’m much less enthusiastic about, but that’s another issue altogether.
But yeah, it’s definitely a hint at what the future holds, and how people may interact (or not!) with their surroundings. Interesting call on Google maps too. Thanks. That’s something I should look into. It’d add a nice layer of intereactivity.
You must be older than I thought 🙂
I still play Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy on emulators. Infact the 8-bit games from the likes of Jeff Minter, Andrew Braybrook and Matthew Smith all get an airing from time to time. And there must be 20 or so 8 and 16 bit home computers in our attic.
We kind of became a “Nintendo” family when a friend lent us his N64 shortly after they came out. The (now grown) kids still recall how their diet consisted of toasted sandwiches and milk when my wife got hooked on Super Mario 64, much to her chagrin 🙂
Haha, the ZX Spectrum reference gave too much away!
I haven’t played Manic Miner since back in the day, but I do remember it having a similar effect on my father as Super Mario 64 had on your wife. Numerous times I came home to my father boasting of beating a level I’d been stuck on!
Love the detail of the elderly women walking done the path while all the youngsters are trying to turn into a forest of lonely trees; there is an haiku in there somewhere. PG at least let these people go outside, so it is an improvement, but you would just wish they’d all go out for a drink and hook up or whatever 🙂
Yes, she made the photo for me. Very grateful for her presence.
I know. The perfect chance to meet up with similar people! To be fair, there were a few groups gathered, although it seemed like they had arrived together.
Squidpuppy says
I’m guessing it’s a PG gym spot? A very telling capture (photo) – of our times. Nice one.
Last weekend I was out downtown doing the Saturday Night thing, and everybody but everybody was doing the PG chase. Even the posse I was hanging with, half of them were hunting pocket monsters. I was hunting the hunters LOL
Just wait until we start wearing AR glasses. Reality? Forget about it. Will that be fun, or what?
Lee says
Cheers. No idea to be honest, but presumably something like that, as there were an awful lot of people there.
It’s a fascinating thing to observe, isn’t it? People out and about, yet utterly absorbed in a very different world. But yeah, once glasses or headsets become the norm, things will be on a whole new level. Something that’s arguably both intriguing and disturbing in equal measures.
YTSL says
I find it so sad that people spend so much time looking at their phones when there’s so much that’s (more) genuinely interesting around them. Indeed, one of the things I like(d) about visiting Japan was how fewer people actually seem to do this compared to the numbers who do in Hong Kong or South Korea…
Lee says
It is an odd thing, isn’t it? On trains and the like I completely understand. Those screens allow long and often tedious journeys pass by a lot less painlessly. But yeah, when out in a world that offers so much of interest, it does seem a terrible waste…
John says
Looks like last week’s LINE zombies. So society has moved from stickers to pocket monsters…
Meanwhile Rome burns.
Lee says
Yes, and the monsters for now at least have a much stronger hold…
cdilla says
Great photograph. People and trees standing quietly together in the park.
In my small village there is one gym and three pokestops. The closest stop is my local pub, just 150 metres away – not sure what that says about the game, but the landlord keeps the stop fuelled with pokemon lures (which last 30mins a time) during peak hours and presumably attracts customers that way. Most people playing it round here are older schoolkids and 30 somethings. I go for daily walks around the village anyway, but do now have the game running in my pocket. In the 90’s our house was full of Pokemon and the TV always had it on, and there is still a metre tall Pikachu in the garage that scares the bejesus out of me when I come across it unawares. Augmented reality appeals to me and I love being able to look through my phone camera and see places of interest highlighted, or point it at the sky and see the details of flights passing overhead.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to walk the streets of Tokyo and see a virtual tag with your name on it which I can select and view the photograph you took at that spot. Which I think could already be possible if you uploaded to googlemaps 🙂
Lee says
Thanks.
It’s much more off than on these days, but I’ve enjoyed games since I was the proud owner of a ZX Spectrum. Lunar Jet Man, Manic Miner and Knight Lore still live long in my memory. Pokemon, however, completely passed me by, so I’ve been both baffled and fascinated with the way this game has taken off. Particularly so after seeing people walking round the city playing it over the weekend. And even more interested now hearing about your local pub and how the game can be used by such places to attract customers. McDonalds has an official tie-in here which I’m much less enthusiastic about, but that’s another issue altogether.
But yeah, it’s definitely a hint at what the future holds, and how people may interact (or not!) with their surroundings. Interesting call on Google maps too. Thanks. That’s something I should look into. It’d add a nice layer of intereactivity.
cdilla says
You must be older than I thought 🙂
I still play Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy on emulators. Infact the 8-bit games from the likes of Jeff Minter, Andrew Braybrook and Matthew Smith all get an airing from time to time. And there must be 20 or so 8 and 16 bit home computers in our attic.
We kind of became a “Nintendo” family when a friend lent us his N64 shortly after they came out. The (now grown) kids still recall how their diet consisted of toasted sandwiches and milk when my wife got hooked on Super Mario 64, much to her chagrin 🙂
Lee says
Haha, the ZX Spectrum reference gave too much away!
I haven’t played Manic Miner since back in the day, but I do remember it having a similar effect on my father as Super Mario 64 had on your wife. Numerous times I came home to my father boasting of beating a level I’d been stuck on!
Al says
Ha, great moment! 🙂 I love the lady with the umbrella. The only person not playing!
Lee says
Thanks.
I presumed she wasn’t playing too, but you never know!
Bernadette Loftus says
Brilliant pic! I love the woman with the umbrella in the center.
Lee says
Thank you!
Likewise. She made the photo for me. Very fortunate she was passing through at that time.
Hans ter Horst says
Love the detail of the elderly women walking done the path while all the youngsters are trying to turn into a forest of lonely trees; there is an haiku in there somewhere. PG at least let these people go outside, so it is an improvement, but you would just wish they’d all go out for a drink and hook up or whatever 🙂
Lee says
Yes, she made the photo for me. Very grateful for her presence.
I know. The perfect chance to meet up with similar people! To be fair, there were a few groups gathered, although it seemed like they had arrived together.
Mauro says
Brilliant.
This is the reason that I keep coming back ^.^
Lee says
Thank you! Glad you liked it. It was an interesting to spectacle to see.