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I think the effectiveness of this game is due to its implication of evocative spaces. It relies on the nostalgic feeling and the player’s previous knowledge of the Pokémon story and environmental space. Its ability to bring the existing story of Pokémon back to its user in a new and experimental environment. Specifically to the “real world” through its augmented reality.

Evocative spaces like this, allow for game designers to create new immersive spaces and environments that did not previously exist in old video game spaces and environments. Pokémon Go has now established itself significantly within the culture of Pokémon. Not only did it add to its cultural significance it reshaped it drastically, even if only briefly.

The concept of being able to walk around with friends and catch Pokémon is something that all Pokémon fans dream of, it brings back the original idea and feelings that surround the release of the OG Pokémon. This use of evocative spaces seems to be the most effective that I have ever seen. I do not know if I have ever been part of a more viral movement surrounding a video game. The initial release of Pokémon Go was, to all who experienced it and experienced the original Pokémon games, was a magical and great time.

Sadly this was short lived, and the golden age of Pokémon Go did not last long.

Overall, I think that Pokémon Go improved vastly since my first experience playing it. I don’t think that it improved enough, or implemented enough changes to captivate me as an active user though. Sadly, I think that the golden age of Pokémon Go was that brief period of time in the summer of 2016.

My first impression of the game had me thinking that it was one of the best video game applications for smart-phones. I still do think this is true, but when compared to other video games I don’t think it comes close to stacking up. Especially to any other Pokémon game, the comparison isn’t even close.

The improvement in the interface greatly helps Pokémon Go’s case, but it’s lack of narrative and lack of developed activities to do makes it feel pretty empty to me. Comparatively to the other games that we have played it really does not feel complete; even to some of the more simple games like Civilization and Zork. I think this is because these games have clear and fully fleshed narratives and structures. This is not to say that Pokémon Go does not, but compared to the original Pokémon games it has little to no structure. Essentially, while playing Pokémon Go, a user can do one of two things, catch Pokémon, or battle at a gym. There are of course Poké stops, but they don’t seem to move the game forward.

Pokémon Go is not confusing in the same ways some of but it’s clearness is gameplay does not make up for its flaws in game narrative.

Overall, Pokémon go 6/10

Downloading Pokémon Go and playing this year for this class was weird. It felt very similar to the first time that I played, but the differences in the game were very apparent. The bugs with the mapping of where Pokémon are and how close they are to your location seemed to be solved. Maybe if this was fixed sooner after its release the longevity of the game would have been longer.

The second noticeable difference from my first time playing is the addition of another generation of Pokémon. I understand the idea behind implementing an update that includes releasing a new generation of Pokémon, but I feel like there are still other problems intrinsic to the game that need to be solved before including new Pokémon.

Firstly, like many Pokémon Go users, I believe that there needs to be a large improvement, and possibly rework, to the player versus player interface within Pokémon Go.

Secondly, trading. I think that trading was such an integral part to the original Pokémon and added so much to the original games.

This update and increase of in-game content kind of feels like too little too late.

My first few times playing Pokémon Go it felt like I was obsessed just like everyone else. I played it walking to the gym, I would go on walking excursions alone and with friends just to look for Pokémon, and I played it while in the car with friends.

Although I never camped out at the Bier Stein or similarly popularly Poké stop locations, I was relatively invested in it. My friends and I would go to the park and set up “lures” to hang out in the sun and catch Pokémon.

I don’t really remember why I stopped playing Pokémon Go, but at one point I just remember deleting the app of my phone and never downloading it again, until this class, but we’ll talk about my experience with Pokémon Go during this class in my next blog post. I think part of my reasoning for deleting the Pokémon Go app at the time was how consuming it was. At some point, it just sort of lost its allure. It was so repetitive and it felt to me that I had advanced in the game as much as I was going to, without putting money into it.

Pokémon Go’s lack of updates, bug fixes, and lack of new content made me feel like the game was stagnant and stale. Although I stopped playing, it still felt like I would see the same numbers of people Pokémon Go-ing out and about like I did at its release. This only felt true for the remainder of summer, though, and I believe that this may be true because of how time-consuming the game is, especially since it isn’t possible to play the game without going out and about. Most people probably didn’t have the time to go out and play Pokémon Go when school and work started back up.

What first started as an April fools for a Google TV commercial, turned into one of the most viral video game phenomenon of my life. Pokémon Go started trending almost as fast as it stopped. It really seemed to sweep the country by storm. Despite the release of many different Pokémon games, the virality of Pokémon Go seemed to happen overnight. I think that Pokémon Go’s success came because it was the first time playing a Pokémon game felt like you could actually go out and “catch” your own Pokémon.

I played Pokémon Go for the first time the summer that it came out. At first, I thought that Pokémon Go was a great game. It was fun, captivating, and new. Like most people, it was a nostalgic blast from the past. It was so similar to the original Pokémon games that I grew up playing.

Pokémon Go is unlike any game that I have ever played, it’s mixed reality format was fresh and interesting. One of the most interesting aspects of Pokémon Go when I was first playing, was my willingness, and the seemingly universal willingness of its users to look past its very apparent and troublesome flaws and problems. Everyone who played at its start all knows about the map and “paw print” issues with the map, as well as its problems with crashing.

Interesting enough, my interest for Pokémon Go also left almost as fast as it came. It feels like that may also have been the case for all of the other users too.

Comparatively WoW and the first two games are completely different. It is interesting to compare WoW to Civ and Zork because they honestly feel almost uncomparable. I think this is mostly because Civ and Zork are products of their time, and WoW is a product of another time. But, I also believe that it goes deeper than that.

The addition of multiplayer gaming adds elements to World of Warcraft that Civ and Zork will and could never have had. I think that this is also another reason why WoW can get away with having such a complex and confusing narrative, with the addition of complex elements through its online multiplayer system.

I think that games Civ and Zork allow World of Warcraft to have a freer narrative. Without them players wouldn’t be familiar with simple narratives, therefore they would struggle with the complexities of World of Warcraft.

OKAY! Enough ribble rabble. Time to tell you how I really feel. WoW, rocks. Although I do not believe I will ever play it again, the interface and the game design is spectacular. The cinematics are produced extremely well and the options and storylines given to the player are endless.

The vastness of this game is overwhelming. Through the trial, I have only gained access to such a small area of the game. I find myself thinking how long would it take, in one sitting, to walk across the entire map through every state or continent in the world of WoW. The production of this game blows me away, I mean WOW. hehe.

World of Warcraft – 8/10.

The title of this blog post would make you believe I am “not good” at grammar too. hehe

As per blog, and as per each game, I find that I am STILL not gifted mechanically at video games. Small and simple things always trip me up. As this being my third set of video game blog posts, I thought it time to reflect on how I interact within the game and how I play.

On the plus side, I am way better comparatively at World of Warcraft than I am Zork or Civ. Still, does not mean I am good, though 🙁

I think that my experience is very different that other people playing. This was very clear when we were discussing Zork as a class. It seems like a lot of other classmates made it quite farther than I did. This means that I interacted with the game in a different way, and experienced way less of what Zork had to offer. I think it is important to recognize this as we talk about each of the different games. The diversity of players in our class allows us to interpret so many different aspects of the games we are playing.

If Greg had never mentioned finding the 2007 car magazine in Zork, I would not have reflected on Zork in the same way. I perceived Zork to be taking place in a weird post-apocalyptic world. Greg finding that magazine, to me, furthered that narrative.

The point of this post, is that while playing World of Warcraft for this class I realized that despite not being a “good” WoW player, the experience of playing the game is still positive because it is through the class. That is to say it is fun because I get to share it with my friends in the class and fellow classmates.

Unlike Civilization and Zork this game is so easy to navigate (for the most part at least). In Zork, I thought it was so easy to get lost. In fact, I spent the greater part of an hour during my first few sessions getting lost and restarting the game. It would be easy for one to argue that this happened because Zork is text-based and offers no visual clues, but I disagree. The drawing of a map helped, and the only reason I got lost was because I was confused as to where I was in relation to the game. Plus, Civilization, was a video game with visual images, and I found that game difficult to navigate as well. Civ still remains the most confusing game of the class. 😉

Every aspect of WoW feels smooth and comfortable. The option to uniquely create and customize your character, down to the color of a small chin beard on one character, to the type of rings or “tusks” on another. This truly is a user-friendly interface.

I will say that one part of WoW is intimidating especially when thinking about navigating through it; its vastness. The virtual space within WoW feels so huge, and I will admit I think it is just as easy to get lost in WoW as it is in Zork, but the tools provided to gain your bearings are more prominent within WoW. There were many times when playing on my Pandaren Shaman, PeterPanda, that I found myself confused on where to go. During one quest at the beginning of my second play session, I was following a female monk. She turned to me and told me to meet her in a cave. She then jumped extremely high up along the mountain side and I stood there, and said to myself, “how the f am I supposed to do that.” But I saw the hint to open my map and soon lost my confusion.

Every part of this game feels constructed in making the player feel comfortable when navigating and playing the game. Maybe that’s why it’s such a time suck!! 😉

After reading Bartle’s article, HEARTS, CLUBS, DIAMONDS, SPADES: PLAYERS WHO SUIT MUDS, I began to think about what type of player I was when I play World of Warcraft, and then began to think about the type of player I was when I played when I was younger.

Bartle defines and categorizes four types of things people like within a “MUD.” These things are achievement within the context of the game, exploration within the game, socializing with others, and imposition upon others.

Achievement within the game context: Bartle defines this as player mandated goals that the player imposes on themselves. Usually in the form of acquiring large amounts of goals or treasures within the game.

Exploration of the game: Players seek to learn as much as they can about the virtual world they are in. This usually begins with mapping out the world they are in.

Socializing with others: Players interact with each other via the mechanism of the game and role-play within the context of the narrative of the game.

Imposition upon others: This is typically seen through the player to player combat. In the imposition, category players are using means within the game to cause other players distress.

Before I define and reflect on the type of player I see myself, I thought it was important to first define the types given by Bartle.

I believe that I am a mix between an explorer and socialiser.

Bartle mentions, “Socialisers are interested in INTERACTING with other PLAYERS. This usually means talking, but it can extend to more exotic behavior” (pg. 9). Previously, Bartle defines explorers, “Explorers are interested in having the game surprise them, ie. in INTERACTING with the WORLD. It’s the sense of wonder which the virtual world imbues that they crave for; other players add depth to the game, but they aren’t essential components of it, except perhaps as sources of new areas to visit” (pg. 9).

I can see both of these types fitting into my play style especially within my experience playing World of Warcraft for this class. Writing this blogpost was fun, because I had never reflected on the type of player that I am within video games. Bartles article helped me to do so.

Despite the two types of cinematics given when I first played WoW for this class I am still confused as to where in the overall story we lie. Even with my prior knowledge of playing I still do not know what has happened in the narrative and what part of the narrative we are in during the trial version.

It feels like the narrative is not integral to the game. The game seems to run and be powered by many other things. Player vs Player interaction, trading, quests, dungeons, etc.. When starting off in each races starting area there seem to be loose narratives embedded in each area. These narratives, however, do not coincide with the larger story of the game.

So then what is the purpose of the game? In Zork, it was made very clear; fill your trophy case with treasures you find throughout the game. In Civilization, the goal of the game was to conquer all of the others civilizations. But with WoW, not many things are clear. It is clear that a major goal is to reach the highest level and to get the best gear possible. But after that, the goals within the game become hazy and unclear.

I think that this is done intentionally. The more possibilities within the game the more time a player needs to play to complete each tangent within the game. The overarching narrative drives each expansion forward, but the intricacies and embedded narratives within the game keep players coming back.

This is a very complex game, I look forward to playing more, and to discussing my role within it more as well.