It’s not just for tourists anymore
In the week since the release of Pokémon Go, players around Los Angeles have fallen off an ocean bluff, discovered a corpse, and called 911 seeking access to fire stations.
There’s a lot to shake your head at. But the game is also inspiring users to get out and explore their cities and strike up new friendships via organized group Pokémon hunts, which is pretty cool. In Los Angeles, Nerdist and Geek and Sundry are coordinating a walk Saturday afternoon from the Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach, and more than 300 people are planning to attend.
For the unfamiliar, Pokémon Go is an Augmented Reality app that uses an iPhone’s or Android’s GPS to detect a player’s location and determines when to make Pokemon appear around the player. The type of Pokemon appear based on the time and location of the player.
The pier is apparently a popular hangout for Pokémon. Hundreds of players flocked to the pier Monday night, says NBC4, and water-type Pokémon like Squirtle, Dratini and Tentacool were caught by players, according to a thread on reddit.
Santa Monica pier is the best place to catch Pokémon!! #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/XFybnHpB7v
— Adrienne Orpheus (@adorpheus) July 15, 2016
Headed to Santa Monica tonight. Important question. How are the Pokemon down there?
— Marshall Siordia (@YourBoyMarsh) July 15, 2016
Yesterday Santa Monica was filled with people at 3 am this Pokemon game is the shit
— BirdMan (@ayylexus) July 15, 2016
For Saturday’s event, meet near the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium at 1 p.m. Once in Venice, the group will have a chance to eat before heading back to Santa Monica, says Nerdist’s Facebook event page.
- ‘Pokemon Go’ players fall off 90-foot ocean bluff [San Diego Union-Tribune]
- ‘I Think I Just Found a Dead Body’: 3 Women Playing ‘Pokemon Go’ Make Grim Discovery in San Diego Park [KTLA]
- Do Not Call 911 About ‘Pokemon Go,’ L.A. County Fire Warns [KTLA]
- How Pokémon Go is improving your city [Curbed]
- Pokémon Go: The New Mobile Game Taking Cities by Storm [Curbed]