Mobilising the masses: How Pokémon Go has Merseyside in its grip

An entire generation was filled with a burning desire to catch ‘em all when Pokémon hit Nintendo Game Boy in the 1990s, and the craze is back with a vengeance thanks to a new mobile app.

Pokémon Go for smartphones and tablets has taken the planet by storm, using the combined power of augmented reality and the latest mobile technology to get players up off the couch in search of Pikachu and his pals in the real world.

The force of its impact can be felt across the Liverpool City Region, and with Merseysiders scrambling to earn the coveted title of Pokémon Master, Your Move takes a look at the effect the game is having in this neck of the woods.

Words by Mark Langshaw

Wild Caterpie are roaming free around Sefton Park, Squirtles and Krabbies are spawning at Albert Dock, and there have even been sightings of rarer Pokémon across the Liverpool region.

The only way to ensnare these weird and wonderful creatures and tap into the latest digital fad is to download Pokémon Go for your mobile device and engage in some good old fashioned orienteering.

Through the use of augmented reality technology, the app harnesses the camera on the player’s device to overlay digital Pokémon atop of real-world backdrops and these creatures can be trapped with a well-aimed Pokéball, a simple matter of swiping the screen.

Kudos to Nintendo partner Niantic, the studio behind the app, for prising gamers from the comfort of their living rooms, but the potential of Pokémon Go stretches far beyond fresh air and exercise.

Here in Liverpool, the social engagement opportunities the app presents were highlighted when the Pokémon Go Liverpool & Southport Facebook group reached almost 1,500 members within two weeks, and many of those who signed up forged friendships beyond the confines of the social network.

“Everyday we are seeing people playing outside the restaurant. our waiters have overheard our guests’ excitement.”

Keen to build on the community spirit the game has generated, group moderator and local Pokémon Go expert Aaron Cameron arranged a bus trip enabling fans in the region to explore other areas to see which monsters are hiding there, as well as taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi and USB chargers on Arriva’s latest vehicles.

Around 30 budding Pokémon Masters turned up at Queen Square for the Pokébus tour, with a further 300 or so expressing interest when the experimental project was announced on Facebook.

“I thought the Pokébus was a good idea because the mobile app itself uses a lot of power and consumes data,” Aaron tells Your Move. “Not everyone has portable batteries or unlimited data, but the new buses you see driving around in Liverpool have USB chargers and free Wi-Fi.

“It made a lot of sense for people who want to explore other neighbourhoods to see what they can catch and those who want to get together with like-minded individuals to do it on those buses.”

Arriva got wind of the Pokébus initiative and was keen to provide Aaron with advice about health and safety, as well as imparting vital information about which buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and USB chargers and the routes they journey along.

Speaking to Your Move, the transport company’s interim marketing director, Mark Bosworth, admits the buzz around Pokémon Go has proven beneficial to the business, potentially convincing non-bus users to hop aboard in search of Pikachu and co.

“I’m told there may be a follow-up event and of course we’d be delighted to be involved as the whole idea of doing it on a bus maximises both safety and social interaction and it also gives people a good reason to just get on and give bus travel a try,” he says.

“It’s amazing how intimidated some people are about just getting on, and the reassurance of being in a group and then finding just how simple it is has real potential for converting non-users to bus travel.”

L to R: Sapporo Teppanaki’s Pikachu creation; Il Forno’s Pokéball pizza

Catching ‘em all is but a small part of Pokémon Go as nurturing your pocket-sized monsters and battling other trainers at in-game ‘gyms’ is equally important. To be in any position to do this, players must visit ‘Pokéstops’ – situated at real-world landmarks – to gather power-ups.

This is where the game’s impact has really been felt since virtually every landmark in Liverpool, local or city centre-based, serves as an in-game Pokéstop and players are flocking to them as a result.

According to Aaron, Liverpool’s most famous tourist attractions such as the Royal Liver Building and Albert Dock are the most fruitful hunting spots in the city, as well as the local parks.

“The best places tend to be where there is a lot of mobile traffic. You can play the game in remote places, but you won’t find as much there,” he says. “The city centre is definitely the best place in Liverpool, and that’s not really a surprise.”

Although the game is typically pushing locals and visitors to the city towards its most high profile attractions, it also flags up lesser known landmarks and places of historical interest.

Did you know the first United States overseas embassy was located on Paradise Street? Or that Princes Park plays host to a donkey grave? You may have, but this writer didn’t before playing Pokémon Go.

Cultural organisations in Liverpool are reaping the benefits of their status as in-game Pokéstops – the most obvious being an influx of visitors who may not otherwise have stopped by – and local businesses have also seen benefits.

For instance, Duke Street restaurants Il Forno and Sapporo Teppanyaki have whipped up Pokémon-themed dishes in an attempt to capitalise on the monster hunter invasion after discovering the Super Lambanana statue on their doorstep is a Pokéstop.

Il Forno general manager Donato Cillo, whose Italian eatery has created a Pokéball-shaped pizza to attract hungry Pikachu enthusiasts, believes the Pokémon Go craze has boosted his business.

“Every day we are seeing people playing Pokémon Go outside the restaurant and at least one person daily has come in to enjoy a pizza too,” he says. “Our waiters have overheard our guests’ excitement as they catch Pokémon hiding around our wood-fired pizza oven or in the bar area. It really is amazing.”

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