Games people play

Pokemon GO will have far-reaching implications

The new augmented reality game, Pokemon GO, is giving rise to tweets that are scary. One such tweet goes like this: "I'm 31 years old. I just walked into a traffic light playing Pokemon GO". The new game, released on July 6, uses the camera and global positioning system (GPS) of smartphones to superimpose the virtual "pocket monsters" of Pokemon GO onto real-life locales. It is addictive and immersive. It appeals to a wide demographic including older people. It is also dangerous. Players wander around and "capture" Pokemon by hitting them with (virtual) balls. Pokemon "eggs" are also "hatched" by walking stipulated distances. The hundreds of different Pokemon have their own strengths and weaknesses. Players set up teams to fight each other. They also "evolve" Pokemon, giving them new powers.

This is not the first augmented reality game. Predecessors like Ingress from the same company, Niantic, have used similar methods to impose fantastic graphics onto real locales. Defence forces use similar games as training tools. But Pokemon GO is the first smash hit game in the genre of augmented reality. The user-base is growing at a speed that suggests it could overtake Twitter. Pokemon GO is also a killer application in terms of attention spans. The average player spends 43 minutes a day playing it, compared to 30 minutes a day on WhatsApp and 25 minutes on Instagram.

The initial Pokemon version was developed by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995. He wanted to inculcate an interest in insects. The GO version leverages the capabilities of GPS, high-resolution cameras and fast data networks to take players outdoors. The virtual creatures are linked to the environment. Water Pokemon are found near lakes and desert creatures in deserts.

At first glance the game may seem a harmless escapist fantasy, which encourages exercise. But Pokemon GO has already proved dangerous in multiple ways. First of all, players wander around in public spaces while paying little attention to their surroundings. Second, the game accesses extremely fine-grained locational data and it also has access to masses of other private data on the players' smartphones. The physical risks to wandering around in a daze in public spaces are obvious. There have already been reports of multiple accidents and injuries and at least one instance of robbers using the game to lure players to a secluded spot to attempt mugging. Some players have stumbled upon corpses or walked into high-security areas. Several police departments have already issued warnings about such possibilities.

The application gathers data about where players are, how and when they got there, how long they stayed and who else was present. Given such details, it is relatively easy to extract information on players' habits, friends and employment. The location data can also be tied to more details drawn from the players' emails and Google accounts. This would, in many instances, include read and write access to emails, implying possibilities of misuse or impersonation. Niantic, which is part-owned by Alphabet, is said to be looking to cut back on its own access to such data. Developers would look to sell that data, or use them in some other way to generate revenues. The game is free but revenue is generated by selling tools for developing Pokemon strengths. The game servers will also surely be targeted by hackers looking to access this treasure trove of personal data.

Pokemon GO's huge success guarantees that there will be more augmented reality games and these will become more sophisticated as technology improves. Such games will have to tackle new questions about physical safety and data security. New standards to ensure such safety must be evolved. The implications are far-reaching.