<\/a>Deirdra Harris-Glover
\n<\/strong>Managing Editor\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The game developers at Niantic want you to know there is another world overlaid upon our own, and it\u2019s filled with adorable creatures from your childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cPok\u00e9mon Go\u201d is a joint venture between Nintendo Co Ltd. and Niantic, Inc. Niantic\u2019s self-professed \u201creal world gaming\u201d experience allows players to interact with a fictional world in immersive ways, using landmarks and public structures as in-game locations.<\/p>\n

With \u201cPok\u00e9mon Go\u201d, hunters can load up on virtual gear supplied at Pok\u00e9Stops, seek out Pok\u00e9mon in their habitats, catch them, and test their mettle in digital battle, all via mobile devices.<\/p>\n

Mariama Feaster, a sophomore meteorology major from Atlanta, Ga. and a Team Valor player, started playing over the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I thought it was just another stupid app game but my pure, curious mind kept telling me to give it a shot. I did and turned out to be fun,\u201d said Feaster.<\/p>\n

How do you know if someone you know is playing the game? You might recognize \u201cPok\u00e9mon Go\u201d players by their erratic walking patterns on the plaza or directing an elaborate photo shoot with an unseen subject. Keep an eye out for friends\u2019 sudden fondness toward red, yellow, or blue clothing, representing teams Valor, Instinct and Mystic.<\/p>\n

Players hunch over tablets and phones in the library, their eyes darting around the room as they endlessly tap their screens, bodies triumphantly punching the air or sagging in defeat.<\/p>\n

The game\u2019s Pok\u00e9stops are a low-key way to meet new people, offering free game items and the opportunity to use \u201clures\u201d to attract Pok\u00e9mon to that location. Unlike most items, lures are the only equipment that gives other players a bonus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you see a lure up, you know people are playing there,\u201d said Team Instinct player Melvin Davis, a junior electrical engineering major from Jackson, Miss.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve gone multiple times. Most times I\u2019d meet someone new and we\u2019d instantly have something to talk about since we were both there for the same reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the game\u2019s critics decry the game for further distancing players from the real world and promoting \u201ctogether-alone\u201d group dynamics, the game has made people more active, and even boosted mood in some players suffering from depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n

Dr. John M. Grohol, a psychiatrist blogging at PsychCentral writes, \u201cFor a person suffering from depression or another mood disorder, the idea of exercise can be nearly impossible to contemplate, much less do\u2026 That\u2019s why an engaging game like \u201cPok\u00e9mon Go\u201d can be helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

While players may cause real world problems, such as driving and playing, Niantic is implementing safeguards and repeated warnings to ensure safety. The most noticeable difference in your neighborhood is probably more people walking around outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it can make others feel weird playing it in public, but who cares?\u201d laughs Feaster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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