As I’m sure you’ve heard or seen if you’re at all active on Social Media, there’s a new craze sweeping across America and several other countries. For many it reaches as far back as elementary school, and for some it’s new territory. You guessed it, Pokemon Go has arrived and it’s apparently changing some people’s lives as well as the way people are interacting with each other.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Pokemon Franchise, it came about in the 90’s and the basic premise is you’re an aspiring Pokemon Trainer on an epic quest to capture and train your Pokemon (short for pocket monsters) and battle your friends, other trainers in the world, and collect various badges and achievements until you became ‘The Best’ and beat the game. For some this was never enough, and they longed for a day when you could walk down the street and catch your own Pokemon and last week they got their wish… kinda.
The basic map around my office in Houston showing roads, structures, parks, and yes, my low battery.
Pokemon Go is an Augmented Reality application where in conjunction with your GPS and phone camera you can travel the world capturing different Pokemon and battling it out for control of different Gyms scattered across the land. The catch though, is you actually have to get up, move around, walk, and heaven forbid maybe get some exercise and interact with other people face to face. Now reception has been varied with some people dismissing it as a fad and saying it's ridiculous for grown adults to be running around their front lawns chasing Pikachus, while others are saying it’s a marvelous breakthrough, encouraging people to leave their homes and go on an adventure and meet people around them. People have even taken to twitter complaining about sore legs and bodies from all the walking you need to do to accomplish certain tasks in the game.
The phone attached to the DJI Inspire with the camera facing the back of the drone so the operator has a clear view of the phone screen.
Naturally though, there’s always going to be someone that tries to circumvent how the game operates or one of the basic features of the game to get ahead. Like these guys, who have attached a phone to a DJI Inspire and then through the use of a remote operation software system, are flying the drone around town in order to reach Pokemon and “Pokestops” nearby, all from the comfort of their balcony. Clever? Lazy? Or Both? You Decide.
Phone mounted to the front of the DJI Inspire showing the screen, to the left in the frame is the drone operator as well as the 'Pokémon Trainer'
Now while there will be some critics that label this program as immature I will give it some credit as it has been motivation enough for so many people to get up and do some physical activity and get out and socialize. The park where I walk the dog has been way more active and many other people I know have reported a surprising number of people out and about, even here in Texas in our heat and humidity. People are venturing outwards and exercising and socializing in numbers, and to that, I say well done Pokemon Go.
Everytime someone tells me about the pokemon app I tell about the last mountain I climbed. It shuts them up real quick.
Put down the phone and go outside, I promise it's more fun.
How ironic your badly informed comment it. Do you not read articles? Pokemon Go is all about walking outside to accomplish the tasks. It's probably done more in such a short space of time to get more people outside and moving than anything else in recent history. LOL Greg, oh dear!
I've used the app and I understand it. I doubt you've ever tied into a rope to climb a mountain.
We're not doing the same thing when we're both outside. Have fun playing with your phone while you walk a 1/4 mile from your Uber.
Have you ever packed a weeks provisions into backbpack? No? Then shut the fuck up.
Wow! Why the belligerent language?
People don't need to climb mountains in order to "Put down the phone and go outside" - why are you using such an extreme example to make your point?
Given the last line of your original comment and therefor the point your'e failing to make, my reply was entirely reasonable. You need to calm down or take some of your own advice and go outside for some fresh air!
Btw I have climbed many a mountain over the years and I don't have the Pokemon app.
Lol Greg, oh dear!
So you're that guy that responds to comments that weren't even directed at you? What would we do without you?!
Exactly bro. Shut up everyone. Come on greg. Let's go tie our dicks into climbing knots
Would pay to film this.... Let me know what's your schedule like. lmfao
If you can tie a knot with your dick, I'm impressed. If pokemon was what it took to get you off the couch, I'm not.
HEY EVERYONE! THIS GUY PACKS BAGS AND CLIMBS MOUNTAINS!
You're an adult playing pokemon. Take a step back and picture the rest of us laughing at you.
Part of being an adult is not judging others for what makes them happy.
Sure no proble...wait, stay still. You've got a Pikachu on your shoulder! Got em!!
Dude i fought at Stalingrad, i doubt you've ever spent 6 months in a freezing ditch, without enough rations!
We didn't have pokeballs back then, we had frozen potatoes and grenades! We didn't climbed mountains we climbed piles of dead bodies.. bitch!! :P
Can you guys write an article about the bag packing hill climbing Greg? I would love to read more about the mountain he climbed, and maybe he might be able to come up with a video of his dick tied into a knot?
You're adults who play pokemon. I figured you guys would be used to people like me making fun of you by now.
...ugh... pokenonsense, pokenonsense everywhere I look...
this is stupid. A smart person can simply spoof the phone's GPS and setup a coordinate to trick the phone to think you are walking when you aren't. You can play for hours in the comfort of your own home. You can do this for all platform, ie, iOS, Android and computer.
I think it's less about truly hacking the system and more about enjoying the process and seeing what one can do with some ingenuity.