The hot new mobile game out there is Pokemon Go for both Android and iOS. It’s part Augmented Reality (AR) as you can catch the Pokemon with a Pokeball while seeing reality behind them. It’s also part geolocation as you have to go find the Pokemon, gyms, and other pieces.
But, this also has some great applications for ministries.
Originally when I wrote this article, I had several great ministry applications I wanted to share with you. But due to our editorial process, it wasn’t published before these three article by Steve Fogg, Aaron Earls, and Kevin Hendricks.
With that being said, I figure I will review the mobile application itself. Note: For those reading this in the distant future, this is launch month for the application and your experience will probably be different.
Pokemon Go
The Good
With this application, there is so much nostalgia it’s not even funny. I caught all 151 on the original Red and Blue back when things were simpler as a preteen. It was fun to think about my six Pokémon I had which I could use to dominate any gym I went to. This game builds directly off this game concept.
Nerds across the land are getting sun, exercise, new friends in gaming, and reportedly even better coping skills for mental health concerns. Imagine a game that helps you overcome your social anxiety and make a new friend. Who could not support that?
The Bad
At launch, the application had more downtime than up. Many people could not get in. If you were in a building with more than one floor, you could not get GPS reception meaning the game was worthless. And the application is so processor and data heavy that the battery dies within an hour or two and you can easily hit several gigs of mobile data. You’d think a company that invested $30 million dollars in development as well as many more million in advertising would have anticipated this? I mean, it is 2016 folks.
Steve Steiner says
It has been interesting seeing this take off on our Churches main campus. I was told almost two weeks ago by one of my volunteers that the student ministry area was a hotspot for catching Pokémon, and since we invite the public onto our campus throughout the week it isn’t unusual at this point to see people wondering around with their phones in front of them. We aren’t doing anything at this point to try to make this a hotspot for them either. It is nice to have so many people visiting, hopefully some of them that don’t attend will consider staying for a service sometimes.
Jeremy Smith says
Agreed! Love it.