Tens of thousands traveled to Seattle this past weekend in search of one common goal: to catch all the Pokémon.
Niantic, creators of Pokèmon GO, chose Seattle Center as the first personal Pokèmon GO Fest venue in the US since 2019.
Launched in 2016 to worldwide fanfare, Pokemon GO has become one of the most successful mobile augmented reality games, racking up $6 billion in player spend to date, including $1.3 billion in 2021, according to data from SensorTower. It has been downloaded more than 678 million times worldwide.
The game spawns Pokémon in the real world. Players can catch Pokémon by finding them on a map; they can also trade or fight with others as they gain experience and increase their player rank.
The area below the Space Needle in Seattle Center has been transformed for Pokémon GO Fest. The event blended virtual and real environments by giving ticket holders access to exclusive in-app missions and Pokémon in real habitats created by Niantic.
The event featured in-app missions that allowed Trainers to explore four environments throughout Seattle Center and the wider downtown area to search for special Mythical Pokémon such as Sky Forme Shaymin and Buzzwole. The area was filled with trainers wearing GO Fest T-shirts and keychains of their favorite Pokémon.
Pokémon’s appeal spanned generations as children, teens, older adults, and entire families scoured the city streets in hopes of encountering a rare mythical Pokémon. Fans weren’t just there to take pictures with Pokémon like Eevee and Pikachu. Trainers were there for the community; everyone I encountered quickly asked to swap friend codes.
Humberto Kam, director of global live events Pokèmon GO at Niantic, said Niantic’s goal is to “make people discover the world”. Kam was excited to see other trainers in person and the excitement on players’ faces when they encountered the exclusive Pokémon for the event.
“That’s what it’s all about, getting those Pokémon that people have been waiting for and are just excited about,” Kam said.
Niantic, which has an engineering firm in Bellevue, Wash., raised $300 million last year at a valuation of $9 billion and said it wants to build a “real-world metaverse.”
Niantic’s vision for GO Fest aligns with Pokémon’s enduring philosophy of “bringing the world together through Pokémon.” Trainers could interact with others by advertising Pokémon they wanted to trade. They also took part in player-vs-player battles at the Battle Ground, with special guests such as former Seahawks star Richard Sherman.
Every area of Seattle Center was bustling and full of activity at all times of the day — from the team tents to the food court and merchandise line.
The game environment was fluid and immediately started my Pokémon GO Fest quest without any problems. I was told a short story about the Ultra Beasts and was able to catch Pokémon that I wouldn’t normally see in the game, including more Unown than I’d ever seen in my life playing Pokémon games.
While I enjoyed seeing how Pokémon GO had grown since I first downloaded the game, I left with two critiques of the event that I’d love to see implemented in future GO Fests. Unlike the trading card and video game, players usually move while playing Pokémon GO. I found myself accidentally bumping into others while trying to follow the virtual map and my real world environment.
It would be easier to encounter Pokémon in crowded areas if the game had the functionality to focus on a specific Pokémon and automatically start a battle when they are encountered, allowing trainers to keep an eye on the real world instead of struggling to select their desired Pokémon.
In addition, it would have been nice to see the in-game quest over all three days instead of a few hours. This would encourage trainers to spend more time in the Seattle Center rather than rushing to complete tasks in time to encounter mythical Pokémon.
Despite these shortcomings, Pokèmon GO Fest was a refreshing event that brought people from different backgrounds together for one common interest – a sight rarely seen outside of sporting events.
Niantic held an in-person GO Fest event in Berlin earlier this month and will head to Sapporo, Japan next week. It will host a Pokèmon GO Fest final event on August 27 with special Pokémon.
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