Pokemon Go, going, gone

By Cheryl Tee, Sophia Tan

NTU houses 88 Pokestops on campus, where players can collect in-game items such as eggs and potions. PHOTO: VALERIE LAY

GRADES are far more important than “catching ‘em all”.

Many students the Nanyang Chronicle spoke to said they are not casting their assignments aside for new gaming app Pokemon Go, as grades are a far higher priority than doing well in the game.

“I prefer to use the limited time I have for more constructive purposes,” said Lee Ming Rui, 23, a third-year School of Art, Design and Media student. “I don’t want to let the app take control of my life.”

The popular app was released shortly after the new semester started.

Second-year Nanyang Business School student and Pokemon fan Marcus Ong, 22, has clocked considerable hours on the game during his leisure time.

But he said he stows his phone away during lectures in order to stay focused.

Others, like Ng Jing Xi, 21, a second-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said the game has not been a distraction during lessons simply because there are no PokeStops near any of his classrooms.

At such PokeStops, players can obtain free in-game items that advance their progress.

Experts said that gameplay on campus is limited because of the app’s design.

“Pokemon Go has a simple game design without features that facilitate addiction, and Pokemon choices are limited on campus, so it is not difficult for students to disengage,” said Assistant Professor Vivian Chen from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

“This is unlike games such as Defense of the Ancients (DotA), which have longer gaming cycles and focus on repetitive actions from the user to gain reward,” she added.

Wheeliz Gourmet, an eatery at the North Spine Plaza, has tried placing Lure Modules — which make Pokemon appear in the vicinity — at a nearby PokeStop during different times of the day to attract more customers.

But owner Wayne Koh, 39, said it has had little effect.

“Afternoons pull in the biggest crowds, but it’s also when most students are done with their classes,” he said. “I don’t think they come here because of the Lure Module, but because they happen to have lectures nearby and need to eat.”

Even so, students who used to play the game religiously have already begun to tire of it.

Goh Pog Siew, 20, used to play Pokemon Go on campus all the time, but recently found himself spending less time on it as the novelty wore off.

Goh, a first-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, said: “Getting really good in the game requires a lot of dedication and commitment. You need time to gain levels, and that is something most people in university don’t have.”