The Psychology Of Pokémon Go, The Keys To Its Success

Pokémon Go is a Nintendo video game for Smartphones that has gained a huge following in a short space of time. During the first days of its launch, several people took to the streets to try it and even today the fever for Pokémon is at its highest point. What is it about Pokémon Go that has made it such a success?

The trailer for this video game makes our mouths water, but the moment we use it on our phones we realize that it is not even similar. What’s more, it is a fairly simple game whose novelty is that it allows us to use augmented reality to explore our own environment in search of Pokémon.

If it is such a simple application, where does the success it has had come from? Today we will analyze some psychological aspects that have contributed to the fact that on the street we find many young people hooked on their cell phones looking for what we cannot see.

Curious to see “the other dimension”

The great novelty of Pokémon Go is that it allows you to interact with your environment. Those streets that you frequent, that square where you meet your friends, suddenly has a different touch. We can see our neighborhood from a new perspective, a possibility that is too sweet.

But this is not everything. Thanks to this application, many people have discovered areas that previously went completely unnoticed. With the search of the Pokémon, they have realized that there are monuments and streets that they did not know until now. Could this game help you get to know the area you live in better?

What we do know is that this curiosity is enhanced by the social fever, as it is an interactive game. This turns the application into a social experience that can be shared on social networks, recruiting more interested parties. Without a doubt, this generates a massive consumption of the game itself.

Collectibles addiction

The invitation to collect things has always been an incentive in every game. Do you remember the tazos? Well, this is the same, a very effective way for any game to last over time. In addition, the competitiveness of getting more Pokémon than the others or those that are more difficult to get arises here. Many are found in gyms, others in swamps, and even in the sea!

Without a doubt, there is also a very special incentive in this type of game. The more time you invest, the more chances you will have of winning certain prizes and benefits that will place you in a higher position than the rest of the players.

But not all collectibles are hugely successful. The one about Pokémon Go lies in the familiarity that many people have regarding this game. Let’s remember the Pokémon series, many children now young adults grew up with it. This draws their eyes to the application with which they are filled with pleasant memories of a bygone era.

Low perceived risk

How can you encourage a person to get hooked on a game? Simply by making it free. This is what Pokémon Go allows. With it you do not lose anything because you do not have to contribute a single penny. This encourages people to give it a try. A very effective marketing tactic.

Did you know that Pokémon Go makes you fit ? You will have to leave your house if you want to hunt Pokémon, otherwise you will be without them. This has caught the attention of many people who have always associated games with being at home. What better way to be fit and have fun at the same time!

Also, this video game is not deep entertainment, but rather light. Therefore, it is not necessary to be fully concentrated to enjoy it. This makes you a newcomer to get-togethers with friends or family, although it may encourage a lack of real communication between people.

As we can see, the creators of Pokémon Go have earned the success of this recent video game. They have done so well, as we have seen in the analyzed psychological aspects, that the biggest problem is that the Pokémon fever lasts a long time.

Of course, this game also has its cons. First of all, many of the people who use it now are a little more dependent on mobile. On the other hand, it is an element of distraction in dangerous areas: it focuses our screen on the environment and makes what we hardly notice what is happening around us.

Finally, although there is more, we have gone from going down the street looking far to looking close, which means that our eyes stay longer in this adaptation that favors myopia. It is up to each one to decide if they want to venture to capture pokémon and the time they want to dedicate to these imaginary “beings”, what cannot be denied is that their entry into the market has been a success.