“As a kid, I followed the Pokémon series. I couldn’t miss
any episode on television. I also collected a bunch
of Pokémon collectibles. Thus my excitement when
the game was launched knew no bounds,” says Rahul
Rivoncar, an engineer residing in Panjim and also the
organiser of an upcoming ‘Pokémon Go – A Adventure’
to be held at a prominent location at Campal. He
noticed a bunch of events coming up in other cities
around the world and discussed the prospect of
organising one with a friend in Goa. On creating the
event on social media platforms, they noticed that
many were interested. “Pokémon Go isn’t an ordinary
game. It is very competitive and also makes you move
around and meet other players. This is why it is so
exciting,” he concludes.
Many like Rahul have become fans because it is
reminiscent of their childhood. But some like Yohann
Sequeira, an undergraduate student from St Xaviers,
believe that Pokémon Go is beginning to lose its
charm. “Almost 30 to 40 per cent of Pokémon Go
players are playing the game with hacks. And by hacks,
I mean they’re using GPS spoof wherein they spoof
their location to anywhere they want while sitting at
home. On two occasions, I’ve lost a Pokemon gym
that was rightfully earned with friends. This has been
the most bizarre experience for me.” When it comes to
the fun of it, he still engages in the idea of parking his
car, while in commute, just to walk a few kilometres to
capture a Pokémon in the wee hours of the night, and
in the bargain, meet new people on his Pokémon Hunt.
As for Dattaprasad Naik, a Lead R & D Engineer,
his bizarre experience is of another nature. He does
not play the game, but joined in for a ‘poke’ walk with
three of his friends. On reaching a location, his friends
noticed that there was a Pokémon up for grabs. His
friends pointed their camera towards it in order to
capture it. What they did not notice is that a couple was
having a private time. The couple immediately exited
the location. Later that evening, when Dattaprasad
rode with his friends to another location, they once
again spotted another Pokémon and placed their
cameras in front of it only to realise that the same
couple was seated in the background. The couple
got on their bike and drove away, staring angrily at
Dattaprasad. “I was unintentionally branded a roadside
Romeo thanks to my friends and Pokémon Go,” he
says.
Also, there is a WhatsApp message being circulated
claiming that the game is bad for the security of the
nation to which Dunstan Dias, a student, has a point
of view to share. “Logically speaking, Google can offer
much more to terrorists. Many claim that personal data
is not secure because of this game. If that is the case,
aren’t social media platforms more dangerous? People
should think twice before forwarding such messages.
Pokémon Go is like reliving a part of my childhood
that many might not be able to understand. The
game is good and has room for improvement. People
that play it should understand the boundaries of the
game and respect it.” Like it is said, every trend has the
power to change the tide of social life. And when one
understands its intensity, only then can he or she enjoy
the experience to the fullest
