Complete Strangers are Meeting By the Dozens Because of 'Pokémon GO'
Remember when you were told not to play with strangers? In 2016, everything has changed.
Around the world, people (who own Android and iOS devices) have heard the call to become Pokémon Trainers thanks to Nintendo and Niantic’s Pokemon GO. The augmented reality app brings the game of finding and catching Pokemon out into the real world with digital Pokemon roaming around parks, bus stops, and landmarks throughout the world — and complete strangers are meeting up while in their effort to catch ‘em all.
While the app launched only this week, Reddit users on the dedicated subreddit r/PokemonGO have been posting pictures of impromptu meet-ups — some with as many as over 30 people — all of whom are Pokémon GO players searching for hot commodity Pokémon in the area.
Reddit user Haloi posted this photo of Melbourne Central in Australia at 11 p.m. on Friday night, where more than a few dozen people were gathered due to four active adjacent lures. In Pokémon Go, lures are dropped by players at designated areas that attract wild Pokemon. Australia was one of the first countries where Pokémon GO was made available this week.
Friday night at Melbourne Central in Australia, with over a dozen people seen playing 'Pokemon GO.' Taken by user Haloi.
Below, in an undisclosed local park, a Reddit user by the name Taeg met about 30 people, all of whom gathered due to a lure dropped in the area.
Another user, Bableg, also posted a photo of the same phenomenon, writing that the app has brought together people “who would’ve never met otherwise.”
In the comments, users told of similar stories; “We saw the same happen earlier,” writes another Redditor, PVSJeff. “Some guys threw one down, and a dozen of us came over. They were yelling ‘Pokemon?’ At everybody who walked by. Was great.”
Again, in Australia, Reddit user tayben posted the photo below with the title saying “Sydney is hooked.”
“About 1/3rd of the people I walked past were playing,” tayben writes. “This spot had a lure.”
In the comments below, another Redditor recalls: “I was eating breakfast peacefully in an A&W this morning checking to see if there were and Pokémon around and some random dude came up to me to start talking about the game. He and his girlfriend just sat down at my table and that’s how I made 2 new friends. I saw like 3 people just today catching Pokémon in the street and it’s barely 12:30.”
More users on Twitter and social media are starting more organized meet-ups,
Pokémon GO is available now on Android and iOS devices.
