Above: James McLaughlin, left, and Mikkael Pierce play “Pokemon Go” at Mechanics Park in Biddeford late Wednesday afternoon. Right: Mechanics Park in Biddeford, as it looked from the “Pokemon Go” game on Branden Ouellette’s phone Wednesday.
Heads down, phones in hands, staring intently at something on their screens and appearing to wander around a bit.
The small riverside park on Water Street is a “Pokestop” in the “Pokemon Go” game, the biggest phenomenon to hit mobile devices since “Flappy Bird” and cat videos. Well, since “Flappy Bird,” anyway.
Here’s how it works:
The “Pokemon Go” app is downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet for free, although virtual items to assist game play can be purchased. Players create an avatar – a computer character – which is then displayed on a map.
The map shows locations of Pokestops, like Mechanics Park, where players earn “pokeballs” to capture Pokemon, the cute little monsters made popular 20 years ago in a game for the Nintendo Game Boy System.
Players walk to different locations to find where the Pokemon are located. When found, the Pokemon appear on the screen, allowing the player to fling a pokeball at them.
On the screen, that is. Not in real life.
The game was released in the United States on July 6, and uses augmented reality: technology that superimposes a digital facade onto the real world.
“This is the local hot spot,” said 24-year-old Ryan DellaCioppa, who was among a group of gamers sitting on the gazebo steps playing the game at Mechanics Park around noon Wednesday.
There were about a dozen people at the park playing the game, and Branden Ouellette, 25, noted that on a recent night, there were over 35 players. Another time, someone brought coffee and doughnuts to share with others.
“Families come and play it … all kinds of people from all walks of life,” he said.
For the most part, none of the gamers had met before playing the game. However, there was an obvious camaraderie, with people sharing tips and friendly ribbing each other.
“The day it launched is the day I started,” said Ouellette. “I love this game, because it actually got me out of my apartment.”
Ouellette said he typically would socialize online, but now he’s found himself out and about. In four days, he walked about 40 miles, he said.
A jaunt out to play “Pokemon Go” can take hours, so Ouellette makes sure to pack a bag with essentials – drinks to stay hydrated, candy and food to ward off hunger, and a power brick to recharge his phone when the battery dies.
“You’ve got to have a power brick,” he advised.
DellaCioppa, who delivers pizza, said getting off work in the early hours of the morning caused him to become somewhat of a hermit. Like Ouellette, “Pokemon Go” has gotten him outside more, and the game bridges the gaps between a lot of cliques, he said.
“This has definitely brought a lot of people together,” DellaCioppa said.
For people in their 20s, like Ouellette and DellaCioppa, part of the appeal of the game is the nostalgia aspect, as they remember playing “Pokemon” on Nintendo systems during their childhood.
For 22-year-old Mikkael Pierce, who has been a Pokemon fan since he was 6 years old, “Pokemon Go” is a dream come true. Pierce was sitting in the shade at Mechanics Park Wednesday late afternoon playing the game with his husband, 34-year-old James McLaughlin.
Pierce said one of the fun aspects about the game is that you can play it anywhere, and the location affects what kind of Pokemon you can find.
“It also forces you outside,” he said .
McLaughlin agreed. He now finds himself walking to the post office or on different errands instead of driving, just so he can play “Pokemon Go.”
McLaughlin did not play “Pokemon” previously, but said he found the concept of augmented reality interesting. He decided to try the game out – and 10 minutes later, he was hooked.
“I was ready to go on Pokemon adventures and catch them all,” he said.
McLaughlin said he really likes the interactive aspect of the game, and that it requires the player to walk around outside and not just sit on the couch.
“I play pretty much anytime I have free time,” he said.
All players interviewed said they see the game as more than a passing fad, although Pierce and McLaughlin said they’ve mused whether people will be trampling through snow in the winter to catch Pokemon.
Some area police departments are giving out safety tips after seeing many young people wandering around with their phones.
The Sanford Police Department posted something on Facebook, advising people that city parks close at midnight, cemeteries close a half hour before sunset, and the city curfew is midnight for those under 18.
“While walking on sidewalks and roadways, look up every few seconds so that you don’t fall into a hole, hit a car, utility pole, step on an animal, etc.,” posted Sanford police.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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