Member-only story
How Pokemon Go Thrives While in Quarantine
It was summer 2016. Parks were flooded with children, teens, and adults trying to catch virtual monsters. Pokemon Go was a mobile phenomenon, but like all fads the sensationalism would die down.
This didn’t mean the game was dead. A fanbase remained when the craze was over. These core players have stuck with the game for four years, going outside with each event. Niantic, developer of Pokemon Go, designed the app to be a social and experiential game:
We created Niantic with a mission to help people get outside, exercise, and explore the world, with the ultimate goal of helping people connect with others.
Then, people were told not to go outside. Of course, this was in response to COVID-19. The pandemic has resulted in people sheltering indoors, social distancing, and limiting exercise to the constraints of their residence. This should be a kiss of death for the game, but instead Pokemon Go is thriving.
How Niantic Made It Work
If you didn’t quit Pokemon Go after the summer of 2016 you’d know the game has been producing events for players as well as implementing new features. This aligns with Niantic’s mission to get people out of the house and connect…
