Gamers rush to CP in search of virtual monsters

NEW DELHI: 13-year-old Agastya Sharma is one of the many youngsters who went to Connaught Place on Sunday evening, but not to shop or eat. He came with his friends to add more Pokemon to his collection. Sharma was attending a Pokewalk held at Connaught place, an event which saw thousands of other such lovers of the game scanning the location to find virtual monsters present in the area.
Organised by The Education Tree, a youth-led organisation, the event was aimed at bringing together the gaming community in the city that had taken to the phenomenon of Pokemon. It also saw the distribution of badges by volunteers who guided players on how to play the game.
"It is addictive and it reawakens your childhood memories," said 21-year-old Divya Chamaria. "For children who have grown up watching the Pokemon cartoon, it is an amazing experience to relive those childhood moments. The game is quite interactive and it makes you go outside and meet other people who are fans of the game," Chamaria added.
The game makes use of augmented reality and GPS tracking to deliver an experience to users where they feel they are actually in the presence of the virtual monsters by viewing them through their phone screens. They can capture the creatures with the help of Pokeballs, train and even evolve them, if they manage to catch the same Pokemon multiple times - but most players need to walk quite a distance to find them all.
"I probably walk 3-5 kilometres each day now, ever since I downloaded the game. To find more Pokemon, you need to explore new areas. It is a great way to exercise," said Pranav Batra from Greater Kailash.
While for others, it was the curiosity that got the better of them. "I have only started playing the game recently after it was all over social media. My friends had been playing it and I thought I'll give it a go. The fact that you can explore and discover these creatures anywhere, even in your bedroom or garden is quite thrilling," said 19-year-old Srishti Gupta.
The game also makes use of real locations around the city which include monuments, temples and statues that provide items which can be used to catch more Pokemon.