Ready, Set, GO!

Hey Everyone,

(I was penning the following just when the cyberattack occured. I am just glad that everything is back to normal.)

This is Harold! I am just your average Harold, whatever that means. I don't think I am a great writer, especially not one who can sweep readers off their feet with intriguing opening statements. However, I would still like to use this space to share with you the things which I come across and find interesting, including a glimpse into my personal life. By doing so, I hope to find like-minded individuals who share my interests as well as have a more comprehensive world view by understanding from those with differing opinions. Most importantly, I hope to make some connections and maybe form some friendships here.

After all that piffle, let me go straight to my virgin post - Pokemon Go. Yes, I am to talk about the latest fad which has taken the world by storm as soon as it was launched a few weeks ago and causing Nintendo's shares to skyrocket. It seems rather apposite to talk about a seemingly outmoded game which has taken a new lease of life, just like this watershed moment as life is  being breathed into my blog.

Although the game is not yet available in my country, which resulted in a mini episode of hubbub (Australian guy groused about Pokemon Go not being available in Singapore), I still remember playing the Pokemon game on my handheld Nintendo Gameboy. It was extremely addictive. Gotta catch 'em all, as the game slogan had presaged. In retrospect, I guess the real thrill of the game was to find those rare Pokemons and show them off to my friends.

Even when I thought I had outgrown the Pokemon game, the compulsive desire to search and discover has never waned. In fact, it merely gets transposed from form to another, like how I was captivated and spent many hours on Geocaching just last year. 

As I wait, insouciantly as I try, for Pokemon Go to finally arrive on my shores, I start to wonder if the game is a bane or a boon to the society.

According to some reports, Pokemon Go helps the afflicted to overcome social anxiety and depression issues. That is a laudable merit, isn't it? How many games, besides those specially designed with an educational or medical intent, can boast of such a quality? Over the years, I have only heard how games have been demonised for their violent and sexual contents impacting the impressionable ones.

I also believe that Pokemon Go can bring people together, whether it is forging stronger bonds with existing friends or fostering new ones with like-minded individuals. I vividly recall the amount of excitement which we had, when my bestie Magdalene first introduced Geocaching to me in Moscow. We made an excellent pair, in the way we complemented each other. She was always the one poring over the clues since I was lazy to do so, while I was usually the one who quickly deciphered the answers and extended my hands into dingy crevices, without much dithering. Geocaching had also unexpectedly introduced us to beautiful, less trodden places in Moscow. Geocaching has unequivocally created fond memories for us, and strengthened our relationship.

Of course, without much saying, Pokemon Go has its economic value, at the macro level. We have already seen how Nintendo's shares have soared in price. That is probably going to lead to plumper dividends, which in turn, will ensue in more spending and maybe a better employment climate. There will probably also be spin-offs to capitalise on the success of the game. Such ripple effect is most timely for a global economy which is slowing down.

However, I have also read about the negative news in which Pokemon Go is embroiled, such as teens using the game to bamboozle and rob others of their money as well as obsessed individuals who got into accidents while playing the game. I just hope that the current situation of people blocking thoroughfares due to game-playing on their smartphones will not be exacerbated by the game. If not, I am going need more time to navigate through the scores of Pokemon catchers to get to my destinations.

I also suspect that Pokemon Go may not necessarily promote social bonding, as I wishfully hope. As with the advent of smartphones, people seem to spend more time on their phones, be it checking their Facebook accounts or scoring on their games, even when their are at a social gathering. I will not be surprised if Pokemon Go has the same effect. In fact, some people may even decide to cancel their appointments in order to pursue a more self-gratifying session of Pokemon catching. 

I guess, it really depends on whose hands it's in, as the adage goes. So, Pokemon Go, yea or nay, for you?