Pokémon Night Out underlines why Location Backgrounds are fantastic for Pokémon Go fans
Pokémon Go has a lot of specific, in-person events. Things like Into the Wild which is coming up this weekend (which had previous locations in Lisbon) or Go Fest that happens each year. Beyond these location-heavy events, where there are lots of smaller set up, specific installations of Pokémon branding around: We've seen a bunch of lower-key events like the National Trust and Space Centre collaborations. None of these were quite the same as Pokémon Night Out, though.
In a Go Fest or Into the Wild-type event, everything is targeted towards in-game usage; getting players in person, together, for a set amount of time. On the other hand, the National Trust and Space Centre collaborations are long-running,with minimal in-person activities, and real dependence on the app. Pokémon Night Out was something different altogether; there were tons of in-game things to do for people in the area interested in Pokémon Go, but there was also a huge concert for Pokémon fans in general.
I have never considered going to an EDM Concert and really didn't know who Alison Wonderland or Marshmello were, but I was pumped to go along to this! When we entered the O2 in London, we could see loads of people walking around, staying out of the rain, wearing Pokémon clothing. They were raiding, chatting and hanging out! You see, this event space had a really cool postcard that appeared in-game, some research questlines, and tons of raids. These raids included Pikachu and Gengar with a nighttime London background.
They are specifically in-person raids, so many people came to the area to both Raid and pick up these questlines. There was also a merch stand outside the O2, with a less busy one beyond where the tickets were scanned. Going into the actual area beyond ticket scanning had a different vibe. There were some people playing Pokémon Go, but also some Pokémon fans and cosplayers there, excited for this sort of event. Pokémon had set up some photo areas and handed out a tote bag, with a poster and bracelets in it. A lot was going on!
We found our seats quite quickly and were happy with our spot, quickly getting to know our neighbours. One of the most interesting things, however, was that there were so many people playing Pokémon Go - below us on the stairs, next to us, around us. These people were all after a Shiny with the London background. Backgrounds had always been cool, but as Pokémon has added the ability to show off that background around your player's profile, there is even more of a drive to have these less common location backgrounds. Although there were plenty of Raids, this event was less than a day long. Equally interesting was the fact that this was never really listed as a Pokemon Go event, so it was unlikely many of these (hundreds) of players actually booked tickets for this extra layer of gaming.
This really goes hand in hand with what Ed Wu, President, Games at Scopely said to me earlier in the year, "We are trying to inspire people to explore the world together through the magic of making Pokemon real in the real world." Memories are one of the core pillars of Pokemon Go, so knowing that all of the people catching would see that background on their Pikachu and Gengar's in future, surely means that Scopely Explore are already starting to deliver on that pillar.
The show itself was fantastic - such a unique and interesting experience with a Rave Pikachu and Mimikyu coming on stage, with tons of visual effects and nods to retro Pokémon games. This just felt like a big, maybe slightly strange to me, celebration of all things Pokémon. I find it really fun when Pokémon Go is used alongside Pokémon events in this way, feeling like it's part of the drive of what brings people together, without the event being specifically Pokémon Go-themed. I look forward to seeing who on my friends list has backgrounds around their avatar showcasing some of the other EDM locations and who has backgrounds from other events that I have attended, as it helps this already social-friendly game give an extra something to share and discuss.
