Pokémon Go in Japan

I am in Japan and have enjoyed being away from the craze of Pokémon Go as it is not yet here. I have seen one or two newspaper articles and CNN clips about how insane things are getting with the game back in the US. I understand that the relative quiet without the game in its homeland is about to be disturbed. Yesterday's international edition of the Wall Street Journal had an article about how McDonald's is partnering with the game developers to have virtual characters located at their restaurants here in Japan.

I wondered how long it would take before businesses decided to cash in on the success of the game. I figured that if you had a virtual character standing out in front of your store, people would come and visit your establishment as a course of playing Pokémon Go. One of my coworkers told me this might be a bad idea because game players would visit your store but not necessarily purchase anything. Real customers would then see the crowd and avoid coming in. I guess McDonalds doesn't feel that way. At least not here in Japan.

Laptops, Tablets, Phones, and Paper

I have several hours to kill while I wait for my next flight and so I am hanging out in Delta's Sky Club at the Los Angeles International Airport. Technology continues to evolve and so I thought I would look around to do a non-scientific survey of what devices people are using while they wait for their flights. The lady in front of me is working feverishly on her Mac laptop. In fact most of the laptops in here are Macs. About the only exception is the guy to my right with his Dell. However he is using his oversized iPhone, so does it count? In fact the majority of the people in the airport lounge are actually mostly staring at their small smartphone screens. I wonder how many of them are playing Pokémon Go?

I do see one or two women using tablet computers. All of them seem to be reading. Amazingly I don't see a single book out. I wonder if that is because there is a plethora of electrical outlets here, so everyone seems to be taking advantage of them to recharge batteries. Most of the aforementioned phones seem to be corded to the outlets as well.

Finally the older woman to my right has taken over her table with an old-fashioned paper notebook. Papers are spread everywhere as her husband carefully guards a small corner of space for his bowl of chicken chili. In a large room filled with about 50 frequent fliers, she is the only one using paper. Considering the lounge provides a stack of newspapers and magazines for everyone to read, I find that interesting.

As for me, I have my Mac laptop out as I prefer a full-sized keyboard over the simulated one on my phone. Earlier today I completed a Powerpoint presentation for my meetings this week and now want to top off the battery before my next flight. While I know there will be a power outlet by my seat on the plane, it still feels good to have a full battery just in case I need it. I also used my phone to call my wife and talk about her exciting morning without me. Yes technology is everywhere and most of my fellow travelers seem to be taking advantage of it.

Pokémon Go

There is a new video game for your mobile phone that seems to be the latest craze and it is Pokémon Go. I have not downloaded it to either of my phones nor have I played it. I do have some work associates that are playing it and am amazed at how addicting it is.

Last night I went to dinner with a friend from work. We didn't have a set time to go but I finished my day at the office around 5pm and asked when he would be ready. His responded that he wouldn't be available until 7pm. I did a few things around the office and queried him again at 6pm to see if he could get away a bit earlier. He told me he could pull away from work at 6:15 and so I headed out to meet him. Why the delay? He had been playing Pokémon Go. Remember I work for a video game company and so playing games at work is a normal part of our day.

I don't have a car in the Bay Area as I use my bike to get around. That means my friend had to drive. He took me to his favorite Japanese restaurant. As we walked from his car, he had his phone out while looking for Pokémon. We got a table outside the restaurant which is not normal but as he is a regular they made an exception. We both appreciated that as the restaurant had reached the point that required reservations if you wanted to eat there. The outdoor table also afforded my friend the ability to continue playing Pokémon Go while we ate. We would talk and then every once and a while he would spin the character on his phone and collect free bits of stuff.

After dinner we walked around downtown San Mateo looking for my friend's favorite dessert place. We took a rather circuitous route in an effort to capture more Pokémon Go stuff. Then we took an equally roundabout way back to the car. San Mateo doesn't have much traffic but we took advantage of each stoplight to play more of the game. Eventually I got back to my office where I rode my bike back to my boat.

I asked my friend why he seemed so addicted to the game and he responded that he loved playing Pokémon as a kid. This brings back a number of those memories for him. He already understands the game and enjoys it. So if you are an old Pokémon fan, then you may want to give Pokémon Go a try. If you are like me and have too many other activities vying for your time, you may want to pass on this game. I'll let you decide.