Made in Macao | Can Pokémon thrive in Macao?

Jenny Lao-Phillips

When you ask young people in Macao what the biggest cultural phenomenon is these days, most of them would tell you “Pokémon Go.” This gaming app has spread Pokémon mania all over the world in three short months. According to Reuters, Nintendo’s shares were up 60 percent two weeks after launching the game July 6, 2016 in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
By early October, the game had been released in over 110 countries and was still rolling. According to Fox News, the app hit No. 1 on US iPhone sales just 13 hours after its launch,  despite being a free-to-download app. Not to mention the money dedicated players are willing to spend for rides to PokeStops; rumor has it that some creative minds in Hong Kong have started businesses where they take players around the city to catch Pokémon.
Not even newspaper headlines like “Driver playing Pokémon Go swerves off road, hits tree” or “Pokémon Go behind second fatal traffic accident in Japan” seem to have any effect on the craze shared by players. When the Pokémon Go trend hit Macao a few weeks ago, it created some traffic jams with drivers stopping in the middle of the road to catch Pokémon, but that seems to be it. The hype has not seemed as intense as it has been in other places.
Judging from the reviews of the game, the hype seemed to be due to the game’s ability to get players to go outdoors, walk around, enjoy fresh air, and get to know landmarks throughout the city where Pokéstops are located. Moreover, it allows players to interact and to physically meet each other as they chase down Pokémon. Sounds like quite a healthy game, but can these benefits aid the game’s success in Macao?
Let’s pretend that players are in control, they do not drive and catch at the same time or play while crossing the streets in Macao, so the potential dangers are not a turnoff. Still, playing this game in Macao does not seem to offer as much fun as it has in other cities.
Firstly, to enjoy the running around and getting to a Pokéstop in time, the game demands space to run and walk. Well-known for our narrow streets and high urban density, is it really that fun to have to run around to find Pokémon? Do we have the space to get to a designated location in time?
Secondly, all the landmarks in Macao are within walking distance, and mostly gathered in the city centre. We can easily see them all in an afternoon or so. Are there that many landmarks that we need an augmented reality game to help us go sightseeing?
Finally, “Macaoians” have quite a reserved culture when it comes to social interaction. We do not often greet people we recognize on the streets. Will a common goal of catching Pokémon change this culture, and get us to talk to people we don’t know? The Candy Crush craze had successfully got us to connect to people years ago, but those relationships seem to have remained virtual. We send lives to each other, but seldom even talk when we meet on the street.
Of course, there may be some other benefits this game can bring to Macao. By getting people out, it has indirectly benefited some local food and beverage outlets getting business from hungry Pokémon hunters.
However, crowds and traffic jams in Macao have caused frustration among players when chasing down virtual monsters which soon outweigh the fun in playing the game. Not to mention the heavy data usage and battery drainage. Probably it shouldn’t be too surprising that quite a few youngsters have told me they gave up on the game in less than a couple of weeks.