INSIGHT Magazine August 2016 | Page 7

they can use them to fight with other players and take over Gyms , designated areas around town where players congregate for battles .
Or they can relax , try to find new , weird Pokémon they ’ ve never seen and never get into a single battle . It ’ s whatever the player wants it to be .
Because players can wander from historic sites and landmarks , to stock up , and find rare Pokémon by walking for extended periods of time , the game encourages physical activity in a big way . It ’ s not very responsive to being played in a moving vehicle , so playing while
hitching a ride tends to be less productive than hoofing it from place to place .
How does it work ?
Mostly , it ’ s just math . The game uses the player ’ s GPS location and their phone ’ s clock as variables that tell the app what kind of Pokémon should show up . This system makes it possible for players to work together to catch specific animals , and also changes what will appear , where and for how long .
Say that 20 players are in downtown Jacksonville . Because they ’ re all in the same location , and their phones all have the same

INSIGHT

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