EXPLAINER & MAP: What is Pokemon Go and where are Brighton’s Pokestops?

The mobile phone and tablet application uses clever technology to allow players to ‘capture’ characters from popular Japanese cartoon, Pokemon.

If you saw someone absent-mindedly wandering about town, phone-in-hand, then the chances are they were playing Pokemon Go.

We hit the streets to test out the game and soon met other players getting involved.

We found that Brighton was well stocked with the Drowzee Pokemon character, but we also discovered a Charmander, Venonat and Gastly – among others

Some characters even appeared in our newsroom, including a Bulbasaur, while a Tentacool was found near Brighton Palace Pier.

"Another factor is around gaming and exercise... it's more entertaining to do a 5km walk with friends playing a game than be stuck on a treadmill not interacting with anything or anyone, so I think the added dynamic of the gamification of exercise is extremely beneficial." 

But just what is Pokemon Go? Here’s our handy explainer:-

• Pokemon Go is a gaming application based on Japanese cartoon, Pokémon, which is available for tablets and mobile phones on the Android and Apple operating systems.
• It uses augmented reality to superimpose cartoon characters from the cartoon series onto the real world when viewed through a mobile or tablet device.
• Gamers are challenged with collecting Pokémon characters, swapping them with other players and training them to fight.
• Real-world locations and landmarks act as Pokestops, where players can collect extra Poke Balls with which to throw and capture Pokemon.

Where are the Pokestops and Pokemon in Brighton?

• Pokestops are often popular meeting points or historic locations – encouraging an interaction with the built environment.
• Many of Brighton’s historic and notable buildings are Pokestops
• Other real world locations act as Pokegyms, where the characters you’ve collected can be trained to fight against Pokémon collected by other players.
• Pokemon gyms in Brighton include the Brighton Palace Pier, The Clocktower and The Royal Pavillion.

What’s all the fuss about?

• The game was launched earlies this month in the USA and Australia. There have been documented cases of people walking absent-mindedly into oncoming traffic while ‘chasing’ the Pokemon they can see on their phone display.
• One girl even discovered a dead body while searching for an elusive Pokemon.
• The game also lets users drop ‘lures’ to bring in other Pokemon users. One reported case involved some youngsters who were lured to a remote location by armed robbers before being mugged.

But it gets gamers out the house, right?

• Yes – many commentators have trumpeted the games ability to get people out and about, rather than playing computer games indoors.
• The game also revolves around landmarks and interesting historical locations – encouraging gamers (often younger people) to interact with the built environment and perhaps learn something along the way.

• There are already plenty of people in Brighton playing the game - there's even a Facebook group online.