Nine-year-old Ryan Alvarenga saw plenty of cool fish at the Waikiki Aquarium on Wednesday, but the reddish-orange-scaled Magikarp that appeared in his “Pokemon Go” app was the one that made his day.
An avid “Pokemon Go” player, Alvarenga said he hasn’t put down his mobile phone since he started playing the game. He’s not alone. Within 13 hours of the game’s July launch, Touchstone Research reported it already had become the top-grossing app in the U.S. By last month, Touchstone Research said “Pokemon Go” had become the biggest mobile game in U.S. history, attracting some 21 million users and 4 million to 5 million downloads a day. According to the firm, users spend 45 minutes on average playing the game each day.
GLOSSARY
>> “Pokemon Go”: Virtual reality game based on Pokemon characters for Android and IOS mobiles and Apple Watch devices. Players search real-world locations to capture Pokemon. It’s nostalgic since it is based on the Pokemon, which was launched in Japan in 1996. The first Pokemon video games were released for Nintendo Game Boy in 1998.
>> “Pokemon Go Plus”: Launched Sept. 16. Connects to a trainer’s smart device over Bluetooth low energy (LE). “Pokemon Go Plus” device uses lights and vibration to alert trainers so that they don’t have to look at their smartphone’s screen.
>> Pokemon: Refers to the more than 700 pocket monsters that inhabit the Pokemon universe.
>> Trainers: Game players who raise and command Pokemon.
>> PokeStop: Places in the virtual reality game where trainers can collect eggs or PokeBalls so they can capture more Pokemon. More advanced players also can pick up revives and potions there.
>> Lure Modules: Can be purchased to increase the amount of Pokemon activity at a PokeStop.
>> Items: Can be found at PokeStops or purchased. They create ways to capture more Pokemon.
>> PokeBalls: The main way that trainers capture Pokemon. They can be found at PokeStops or they can be bought or acquired through leveling up.
>> Pokemon Eggs: Can be hatched into Pokemon.
Source: pokemon.com/us/
“When I get home from school, the first thing I want to do is play. I ask, ‘Can we go here. Can we go there?’ I want to catch some good Pokemon,” said Alvarenga, whose eyes left the phone screen just long enough to notice the aquarium’s own brightly colored fish and tiny sea horses.
Alvarenga’s mom, Natali Madrid, likes that the game’s motto is “Get up, Get Out and Explore. ” The game takes each player’s geographic location and turns it into a Pokemon virtual reality. The more places a gamer (or Pokemon trainer as players are called) visits, the better chance they will have of finding PokeStops to acquire eggs. They also are looking for PokeGyms where the characters that they’ve trained can battle.
Isle attractions benefit
The phenomenon has the Hawaii visitor industry seal of approval, too. Many of the state’s activities and attractions have seen traffic increase from nearby PokeStops and PokeGyms. Some, like the Polynesian Cultural Center and Hilton Hawaiian Village, merely allow the game to to flow organically, ensuring visitors scour their attractions end to end. Others, like Waikiki Aquarium, Wet ’n’ Wild Hawaii and Sea Life Park, are marketing directly to trainers.
The Waikiki Aquarium developed a special daily rate for “Pokemon Go” players on July 21, after noticing that gamers were outside trying to capture Pokemon at nearby PokeStops. The aquarium generally charges $8 for kamaaina admission and $12 for visitors, but offers “Pokemon Go” players a $5 rate from 2 to 4 p.m. daily.
“In the first month, we’ve had more than 1,000 extra people visit the aquarium,” said MaryLou Foley, Waikiki Aquarium director of community outreach. “We couldn’t have imagined how successful the promotion would be. It was a large bump in our normal attendance. Word gets around about the best spots.”
Nathan Goo recently learned about the aquarium’s Pokemon activity while on a University of Hawaii-related visit.
“I’ll come back and I’ll bring my family,” Goo said. “They all play. We like the exercise and cheaper prices are always a draw.”
Madrid said her family decided to visit the Waikiki Aquarium after hearing about the special from a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings, a restaurant with its own PokeStops.
“I like outdoor activities rather than staying at home. This gets us all out as a family,” Madrid said. “It’s good for the kids. He’s not just staying inside playing Minecraft.”
Tweens, teens play along
The game is even appealing for the harder-to-please tween and teen markets. Both came out in droves for a back-to-school “Pokemon Go” event at Sea Life Park on Aug. 13. The event offered $7 admission, a discount over the normal $19.99 Hawaii resident rate.
Sea Life Park augmented their six PokeStops and two PokeGyms with 25 lures, which individuals and businesses can buy and drop. Lures increase nearby Pokemon activity for half-hour time blocks.
“We ended up opening the doors early because the lines were so long,” said Valerie King, Sea Life Park’s general manager. “We sold 1,053 tickets.”
King said parents and kids, especially the tweens and teens, seemed to enjoy the high-energy event, which featured phone-charging stations, a DJ playing Pokemon musical hits, mermaid performers and themed food.
“We couldn’t keep up with the demand for the Pokemon-themed musubis, pizza and popcorn,” King said. “We did very well at the event.”
Nostalgia a factor
Judging from the social media feedback, the event also was a hit with attendees, she said.
“Unusual characters come out when there is a lot of activity,” King said. “A Snorlax appeared outside our gate at about 5 p.m. and people were rushing out to get it. There was a lot of social media attention and we were really pleased with it.”
Wet ’n’ Wild Hawaii also had a successful August Pokemon promotion and is considering hosting other events on Sept. 25 and Oct. 22, said Tommy Duong, the attraction’s local group sales manager.
“We have our regular attendance from tourists. Sometimes it’s harder to get locals to come out because the beach is free and available. We noticed ‘Pokemon Go’ brings in kids and even adults because of the nostalgia. We plan on using Pokemon enhancements for other activities every few months,” Duong said.
The Hawai‘i Convention Center has 10 PokeStops, which players say is a pretty sweet situation. Polynesian Cultural Center also has benefited from the 12 PokeStops scattered throughout their villages and the PokeGym near their entrance.
“Polynesian Cultural Center is excited to be home to so many PokeStops. It’s been a great additional incentive for the string of Pokemon fans and our guests to explore in each of our Polynesian villages, interacting with the various exhibits and taking home cultural experiences,” said Seth Casey, Polynesian Cultural Center marketing manager.
Hilton has 15 PokeStops
Players also can be spotted at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, where there are 15 PokeStops.
“I would imagine that we probably have the most Pokemon stops in all of Waikiki,” said Cynthia Rankin, Hilton Hawaii regional director, corporate communications. “PokeStops refresh every so many minutes; a Pokemon player would be like a kid in a candy store here because they can stock up on PokeBalls at their heart’s content.”
Rankin said the stops wind through many notable hotel sites and spotlight its art collection.
“While we aren’t currently planning on any special promotions with the stops, we are finding that both guests and local residents do enjoy playing the game here and, at the same time, learning a bit about the wonderful history and art collection of the property,” she said.