Playing Pokemon Go game helps relieve depression
New research shows that games like Pokemon Go help reduce symptoms of mild depression by being physically active in a real-world environment.
"With the uncertainties of everyday life, mental health plays an important role. Real-time location-based games like Pokemon Go can reduce depression, as they facilitate increased relationships. social relationships, outdoor physical activity and exposure to nature. All are essential for mental health," said Aaron Cheng, lead researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). , said when announcing the results on April 22.
To come to this conclusion, the LSE team has been taking their measurements since 2016 when Pokemon Go was first born. The figures were collected and analyzed in 166 regions in 12 English-speaking countries globally.
The depression ratings analyzed by the LSE were based on player numbers in locations where Pokemon Go games were released. The team then used Google Trends data across regions, primarily search volume, for terms like "depression", "stress" and "anxiety" - a commonly used method for measuring levels of stress. mild depression in scientific research.
Finally, the team found that in places of physical location-based gaming, players were able to reduce local depression and stress over time through outdoor activities, being in contact with nature. . However, the report emphasizes that the game only works for people with mild depression, not for people with the disorder or with more severe symptoms.
Pokemon Go is a game based on augmented reality technology, which has caused a global fever for a long time. In the game, players will join the journey to catch unique Pokemon. Thanks to a combination of cameras, sensors, actual maps and GPS navigation systems, virtual animals can be found in real-life locations. Besides, players can also coordinate with friends to find, train Pokemon and fight.
According to Sensor Tower, as of June 2021, Pokemon Go has earned $1.4 billion from global users in 2021, $300 million more than the first year of its 2016 launch and higher than the annual revenue of Pokemon Go. Japan's leading game developer Capcom. Pokemon Go's total revenue for the 2016-2021 period reached $5 billion.
Five years after its release, the monsters of the AR game Pokemon Go are still running around the world and being hunted by armies of fans.
Among those taking part in this hunt is a die-hard fan in his 40s who has played the game every day since it came out.
"At first it was just a journey to collect Pokemon, but over time more and more ways to play were added, such as different types of Pokemon battles," said the man living in the suburbs of Tokyo. He captured more than 200,000 named monsters.
"It's still the same game every day, but I don't get bored," he said.
July 22 marks the 5th anniversary of Pokemon Go's launch in Japan, where it still has more than 3 million regular players. This is seen as a testament to the staying power rarely seen in the mobile gaming world.
As an AR game, Pokemon Go overlays virtual elements on the real world, as players visit parks and landmarks to collect Pokemon and items. Although the scene of crowds gathering to capture rare creatures is no longer common, that does not mean that this game has lost its appeal.
The game is developed by San Francisco-based company Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo.
According to Tokyo-based data analytics firm Values, as of June this year, Pokemon Go had 3.6 million players in Japan. This number is much lower than 11 million players immediately after launch, but still enough to make Pokemon Go the second most played mobile game in the country. Most games lose 70 to 80% of their initial player count in the first week.
Hirokazu Hamamura, former editor-in-chief of gaming magazine Famitsu, said Pokemon Go "capitalized the unique characteristics of popular characters and offered more ways to play, creating a catalog of location-based games. new".
By adding more than 800 monsters that appear in Nintendo's Pokemon series, Pokemon Go keeps players motivated to complete their collection in the long run. And because Pokemon Go can completely complete levels without necessarily paying upgrade fees, it is accessible to many fans.
However, quite a few players spend money on it. According to Sensor Tower, as of June, Pokemon Go has grossed $1.4 billion from global users in 2021, $300 million more than the first year of launch and higher than the developer's annual revenue. Japan's leading game developer Capcom. The total revenue of Pokemon Go in the past 5 years reached 5 billion USD.
Meanwhile, the game also strengthens the expansion of partnerships. From the very beginning, Niantic signed sponsorship deals with retailers and restaurant chains to attract Pokemon Go players. This past March, Niantic also announced a contract with Sumitomo Life to provide in-game items to members who purchase the company's Vitality insurance to meet certain physical activity goals.
Sumitomo Life's head of strategy said: "Exercise can get monotonous, but by adding game elements, we hope to help members improve their health. ".
Kaori Saito, a representative of Niantic Japan branch emphasized the diversity in the way to enjoy this game. "There are people who play for hours a day, but there are also people who combine it with walks," Saito said.
Its close connection to everyday life means that the game must evolve as lifestyles change. During the pandemic, Pokemon Go has adjusted by making it easier for you to enjoy monster battles at home.