Is Pokemon Go a good game or are people just stupid?
By Zan Azlee

Pokemon Go arrived in Malaysia really late compares to the rest of the world. But when it did arrive, the craze was just as hot.

I downloaded it the very morning it was released here and started playing (for research purposes!). After approximately two hours, I deleted it.

The game had no appeal to me whatsoever. I found it boring and aimless with no entertainment value at all.

The augmented reality technology is great. But I really wish they would have put the technology to better use. It has so much potential.

For those who aren’t familiar with the game… Well, who am I kidding? Of course everyone knows how the game works. The hype around it is obscene.

Just the sight of dozens of people roaming the streets and whatever area like zombies with their phone in their hands is already great marketing.

There are, of course, the people who love the game so much (or maybe they are paid to promote it) who will talk about all the great things about the game.

Bloggers, vloggers and reviewers who harp on about how fun the game is, what a technological breakthrough it is, how it encourages exercise and socialising, etc.

I wonder if half of these people actually knew of the original game and storyline when it was first put out by Nintendo twenty years ago.

And then there are the detractors who think that the game is pure evil. The mufti from Wilayah Persekutuan declared Pokemon Go haram then denied it.

And in the most recent news, the state of Kedah has released a fatwa saying that it is haram! Woohoo!

By the way, Iran banned the game nationwide.

There are people who think that the game is nothing special and doesn’t really promote exercise and socializing.

What good is it for someone who goes out but but doesn’t appreciate the surroundings and environment because he or she is too focused on the phone?

There have been true stories of people finding dead bodies, getting into accidents and even dying, right? That’s just obsession brought to another level!

Apparently it has become so popular, or notorious, that it is now recognised as a global cultural phenomenon.

It’s being discussed everywhere, from the traditional media to social media, and even in the coffee shops and water coolers. I can’t even believe that I’m writing about it!

Now if we can only study and understand how this phenomenon came to be. Then we can harness the knowledge for something really worthwhile.

So I’m going to try a little crowdsourcing here and tap everybody’s intellect and see what you all understand about this phenomenon.

Here’s a little poll to nudge you on the way: