Playing Pokemon Go in Singapore
Do you play Pokemon Go? I do.
That’s me, folks! As a Pokemon-trainer.
And I’m definitely not the only one in Singapore! It’s an enormous hype here. Real cray-cray!
Pokemon Go in the local news
Two men got arrested after getting in a fight related to Pokemon Go.
Someone stumbled upon a dead body while playing Pokemon Go.
Specific areas and locations have been and still are flooded with Pokemon players -or trainers, as they are called in the game- leading to complaints of residents. They suddenly have crowds in front of their doorstep, even in the night, leaving garbage behind and causing other problems.
It is said though, that Pokemon Go’s popularity is fading already.
At Changi Village there is this one street where hundreds of Pokemon players hang around, catching Pokemons.
Unbelievable, right?!
People were really upset about others having an ‘unfair’ advantage in the game. Seriously, folks??!!
Phone-zombies in the streets everywhere
The streets are filled with pedestrians with their eyes glued to their phones, not seeing anything or anyone around them.
How many people do you count in this pic that are looking at the screen of their phone? I come to 16. You?
The sight of all those phone-zombies brings out different emotions in me : amused, annoyed, can relate to …
Where to play Pokemon Go in Singapore
There are lots of posts and articles about the best places in Singapore to catch Pokemon.
Create your own hunting-itinerary/-map by bundling the locations mentioned in the articles below:
Best places to catch Pokemon by Stuff.TV
Where to play Pokemon while you eat by Her world plus
Where to catch rare Pokemon in Singapore
Pokemon Go hotspots in Singapore by VulcanPost
Best places to catch Pokemon by TimeOut
Tips:
Join the Pokemon Go Sg FaceBook group.
Download ‘cheat’ app SG Poke Radar.
The good and the bad about Pokemon Go
The good
- it makes (more) people move =walk (more). Improves health.
- people go to areas where they otherwise would never go. Improves wanderlust and getting to know a city better.
- it gives information about sights and sites, because many of them are Pokestops now. Educational.
- people in general love to play games. Homo Ludens, remember? Stimulates the mind.
- many people go out Pokemon-hunting with friends and family. Stimulates social cohesion and interaction.
- it’s FUN!!!
The bad
- people walk around unaware of their surroundings (traffic, other pedestrians). Creates dangerous situations. Annoying. (People bump into you or block your way)
- people’s eyes are glued to their phones. Antisocial; no eye-contact. A world full of zombies.
All looking at their phone screens. Everybody in his or her own cocoon.
- although people walk more and to new areas, they may see nothing since they only look at their screen. Prevents people from really exploring.
- obsessive, addiction behavior. I read about people getting into trouble at work, because they play Pokemon for eight hours a day. Or because they stay up all night hunting for Pokemon.
How to play Pokemon Go Lite
Hein? Never heard of that….
Is there a Lite Version?
No, my friends, there’s not. But that’s what I call my way of playing Pokemon Go:
- I do not especially go on a Pokemon hunt. It’s more like: IF and WHEN I’m on the move, particularly when I’m alone, I will open Pokemon Go on my phone. Call it multi-tasking, so you will…
- When playing Pokemon Go, I switch between quick glances at my screen and looking at the real world around me .
- I really try to stay aware of my environment (traffic, other pedestrians, sights, architecture, nature)
- If a Pokemon appears, I will stand still in a spot where I’m not in anyone’s way, catch the creature and only after my catch start walking again.
- I do not make detours to catch a specific Pokemon that I spotted on one of the Pokemon Go cheating apps/maps. In fact I have not used any cheating app so far.
- a day -or a week- without Pokemon Go is as good a day or week as any.
Why I choose to play and keep it ‘light’
Don’t get me wrong; I love games. Always have.
Leading a wedding-game at the marriage of Celeste and Jon in Singapore.
I could easily get fanatic about playing Pokemon Go or any other game, if I would let myself. But I don’t want to.
Obsessions and addictions tend to make you their prisoner. They are extremely time-consuming , can cause all kinds of problems and alienate you from friends and family. No thanks.
How about you? Do you play Pokemon Go? Is it a hype where you live?
Do you like board games, card games, sudoku, cryptos or e.g. MahJongg?
I’m playing MahJongg since more than 25 years now.
There have been some changes in the group, over the years. These are the current members. The four of us play together since at least 10 years now.
Which game is your favorite?
Pokemon does not have my interest. And I agree withbyou on addictions.
Greetje
I understand, Greetje, that it’s not your cup of tea. I have to admit that your avatar in Pokemon has very limited outfit choices and neither of them is fashionable or nice. Hahaha…
I see, or used to see, crowds of people playing this game along a regular walking route. The game seems to have gone off trend here. I have seen parents sharing time with children playing, but mostly players are 20 and 30-somethings.
As a non-player, I’m not a fan of the game because it adds another layer of distraction to people with cell phones I meet on the sidewalk, which is annoying. But I’m sure there will be lots of replacement games to catch the imagination soon.
Great post.
Here people of all ages and sorts play it quite fanatically.
I can relate to what you say, Mel. It has it pro’s and con’s for sure. I still play it in a ‘light’ way.