Get those Saving Private Ryan GIFs at the ready, folks, because it’s time to feel old. 10 years ago today (yes, ten), Pokémon GO began its global rollout, taking the whole world by storm as it went.
6th July 2016 marked the AR ‘mon’s arrival in their first regions (Australia, New Zealand, and the US), before launching in Europe, Japan, and just about everywhere else in the ensuing weeks.
As if you need reminding, PGO was huge at launch. It’s still quite the beast today, of course, but nothing compares to those early days. For a time, everyone was playing. The app quickly jumped to the top of download charts, swept up multiple Guinness World Records, and pulled in almost a billion dollars in revenue by the end of 2016 alone. That’s not to mention the mass stampedes we saw around the world whenever a rare Pokémon appeared.
In short, we have rather fond memories of the launch. Below, Team NL has shared what we were up to on launch day, and you can do the same in the comments below. Time flies, huh!
Pokémon Go (De)Tour (Ollie Reynolds, Reviews Editor)
I actually have very few memories of the launch day itself. I was working at GAME at the time and I seem to remember it being quite a hot day. Even with the air con at full blast, it never made much of a difference. Anyway, my colleagues and I downloaded Pokémon GO, mucked around with it for a bit, and then got on with our shift. See, when you’re stuck in one location for most of the day, there’s only so much you can do.
What sticks out to me more is how addicted my older brother got. Keep in mind, he never gave a hoot about Pokémon until this point, so it was very strange to see him play it so much. We went on a family trip to Llandudno shortly after the game launched, and I remember him forcing us into really weird routes back to our hotel so he could hit those PokéStops.
Sneak Peek-achu (Matthew Reynolds, Acting Deputy Editor)
I was working for Eurogamer’s guides team at the time, so my perspective was one of editorial fervour and how to make the most out of this phenomenon that came seemingly out of nowhere.
I played it before the UK launch (there were methods!), so my main ‘launch day’ memory was was one of relative calm; I took a relaxed stroll around a nearby park trying to make sense of it — figuring out Incubators were, what Pokémon were rare and what weren’t — unaware I’d soon end up spending countless afternoons and evenings there with fellow players over the years, nor realising as I returned to my desk to write up the first of many guides, that it would become one of my main professional beats in the decade to come.
It Hurt Itself In Its Confusion (Gavin Lane, Editor)
I spent Summer 2016 in Hong Kong, with plenty of time on my daily commute and hops between air-conditioned shopping malls to begin catching, er, some of ’em. Catching ’em all felt unfeasible from the start, but as an old-school 151-er, I was very happy lobbing Poké Balls at anything I recognised.
It became incredibly addictive, and I ended up hiking through high humidity to track down new ‘mons – to the point that I ended up doing myself a mischief.
In those early days, I understood that you could put spin on a Poké Ball to improve your catch chances, but I thought it was the result of a fancy, curved thumb flick. I didn’t realise you could just use your index finger to rotate a ball indefinitely before throwing at your leisure.
It was weeks before I realised my error, by which time I’d RSI-ed my right thumb into oblivion by repeatedly trying to pull off an awkward curved flick for a good six weeks. To this day, I can’t text with my right hand without my thumb twinging.
Pokémon, Snapped (Mai Ladyman, Video Producer)
I have somewhat similar experiences to a couple of my colleagues, funny enough! Like Ollie, I was working at GAME when the app launched, and much like Matthew, I played it early on my trusty iPhone 5s.
I was living in London at the time, so I recall playing it on my walk to work through Stratford during a scorcher of a day. When I started my shift, though, I was encouraged to play it and see which Pokémon I could catch and Pokéstops I could spin in the busy Westfield branch. It was game-related after all! I found a Rattata on the disc cleaning machine, a Drowsee as you entered the store and even a lonely Weedle hanging out by the Amiibo section. These photos randomly pop up whenever I’m clearing my cloud storage, but it’s always a joy to see.
I continued to play Pokémon GO throughout that summer, discovering local gyms, battling after long shifts at work and even taking it as far as Cape Town on holiday. It’s been a while since picking it back up, but it always makes me smile to see a group of people playing in my local park. Maybe it’s time to jump back in?
Oh No! The Wild Jim Fled (Jim Norman, Features Editor)
I was obsessed with the Google Maps April Fool’s Day prank that got the ball rolling on Pokémon GO, so as soon as I caught wind of the AR game, I was counting down the days.
It launched a little later here in the UK (14th July), and I remember devouring all videos I could as I watched those across the pond start catching ’em all. When it arrived, I was at Sixth Form. It was a quiet lunchtime, and my friends and I squealed with delight when we saw the announcement. We immediately left the school building and started walking around a nearby park to track down as many ‘mon as we could.
I was a good student and never skipped school, but I do recall us all noticing that break time was over and deciding to stay out and keep playing, all the same. One of my friends left his class under the guise of “May I use the toilet?” and stayed out for the rest of the hour with us.
While I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone today (seriously, don’t skip classes, kids), I clearly remember the grip PGO had on me. I walked the long way home that evening and went out again after dinner to catch more. I don’t think a mobile app has ever had me that hooked right from the jump.
10 glorious years, eh? What are your launch day memories of the mobile phenomenon (phoneomenon?), and are you still playing today? Let us know in the comments below.
