By STEVEN VIERA
Staff Writer
Businesses across Monomouth and Middlesex counties hope that Pokémon Go can help them to catch ’em all — customers, that is.
Capitalizing on the success of the game, many local businesses, community organizations and even politicians are incorporating Pokémon Go as a way of reaching out to the public, although certain businesses and police agencies have raised concerns about how players behave.
Pokémon Go is an augmented-reality mobile app that uses a smartphone’s camera to project on-screen images of the titular magical creatures, like Pikachu and Charizard, making it appear as though Pokémon characters inhabit the real world. Players can then capture and battle with their Pokémon just as they do in the popular video game franchise of the same name.
The app uses real-world maps, and different species of Pokémon are available in different regions. Water-type Pokémon such as Squirtle, for example, are more commonly found along waterways or at the beach, so players must explore the world around them in their quest to capture each of the 151 Pokémon currently offered.
Within a week of its July 6 release, Pokémon Go took the crown for the fastest app to reach the top spot of the App Store and Google Play for iOS and Android devices, respectively, as well as the most active mobile game ever in the United States thanks to its whopping total of 21 million users.
That’s popularity that Nintendo, which owns a 33 percent stake in Pokémon, can take to the bank — in its largest weekly gain ever, the company’s stock price skyrocketed by 71 percent following Pokémon Go’s release.
The app has enjoyed success among both children and adults, many of whom may have grown up with the series and been kids themselves when the first wave of Pokémania hit the United States with the release of Pokémon “Red” and “Blue” in September of 1998.
“I had a customer on a date with his girlfriend and he said, ‘Do you understand how hot of a spot this is for Pokémon?’” said Anna DiSimone, a bartender at The American Hotel in Freehold. “And I said, ‘Yep.’”
The American Hotel is a Pokéstop, a real-world location designated by the game as a point where players can gather in-game supplies, like Pokéballs, for free. Along with Pokéstops, players can visit Pokémon Gyms, where they can train and battle their Pokémon, which are also associated with various real-life destinations.
Niantic Labs, Pokémon Go’s developer, did not consult with businesses and property owners before designating them as Pokéstops or Gyms, but instead drew upon user-submitted data from Ingress, a previous game it developed, as the basis for deciding which real-world real estate would become digital markers within the app.
With countless people taking to the streets in search of Pokémon and wandering through the restaurants, shops and other locations that comprise Pokéstops and Gyms, a number of businesses and community organizations are aiming to translate the success of Pokémon Go into success for themselves as well.
“We love it when [Pokémon Go players] come,” Treasurer of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Kirk Bonamici said. “It’s a chance for them to see our beautiful church.”
St. Peter’s, located in Spotswood, is a Pokéstop, and numerous Pokémon can be found on its grounds. The church has used the steady stream of would-be Pokémon masters onto its campus as a way of increasing awareness of its services and its ministry, which it offers six days a week.
“We’re part of the community, so anything that gets people in here is a plus,” St. Peter’s Warden Laura Bonamici said.
Businesses in Red Bank are also tuned into the Pokémon phenomenon.
“There were 50 kids out there this morning,” said Melanie DeMarco, owner of the bakery, Little Cutie Pops.
DeMarco has begun offering Pokémon cake pops which feature Pokéballs and the series’ mascot, Pikachu, in response to the mass popularity of Pokémon Go. She noted that they are more popular among adults, who buy them for a sense of nostalgia, than among kids.
Red Bank’s RiverCenter even sponsored a Pokémon Go Night Out on Thursday, July 21, where it dropped lures — items which increase Pokémon activity for all players in a given area for a short time — to incentivize people to explore the town’s businesses, many of which offered discounts, as well as featuring live music.
RiverCenter also dropped lures throughout the week as part of its Pokémon Go Photo Contest, where players had the opportunity to post photos of their close encounters of the Poké-kind on social media for the chance to win prizes and gift cards.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance (MDA) transformed its community into “Pokétown” from July 16-23, which coincided with Metuchen’s Restaurant Week. MDA dropped lures around town, and participating businesses offered discounts to players. Patrons without the app could get in on the fun by finding the owner and asking a question about his or her business to obtain a Pokémon figurine; once they obtained 10 facts, they had the chance to enter to win a gift certificate to a downtown store.
“We really feel like having a main street and being part of a downtown is something we really want to get people reengaged to,” Co-Chair of Promotions for MDA Bobbie Fawcett said. “We wanted to create an opportunity to speak with the business owners.”
Fawcett added that Pokémon Go helps meet this goal because it’s something “to build some excitement around.”
On Wednesday, July 20 in Somerville, Democratic candidate for Congress Peter Jacob held a campaign event where participants spent a half hour catching Pokémon via the app before going out to canvass the town and, hopefully, catching some voters.
“I want to get the community involved, especially the younger members of our society,” Jacob said in a press release.
The app is even bringing history to life in addition to Pokémon, as New Jersey’s Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area (CARNHA) noted higher attendance at a number of historic sites it operates around the state, such as the East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway, since the release of the game. The Crossroads area has embraced its new guests, both people and Pokémon alike, and established a webpage that lists the Pokéstops at its various historic sites.
“People are showing up to capture Pokémon or find Pokéstops and end up exploring stories of their Revolutionary neighbors and the beginning of our democracy,” Crossroads Executive Director Noreen Bodman said.
But while it has been helpful for some, Pokémon Go has not been a blessing for all businesses or community groups.
“Here, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” said Amanda Pallitto, a hostess at The Dublin House in Red Bank. “People walk in and out of the gate. Not that it bothers me, but it’s very obnoxious in a restaurant.”
Pallitto explained that oblivious players often wander onto the restaurant’s property in search of Pokémon and get in the way of waiters, who may be carrying heavy platters of food, as well as potentially bothering patrons.
Police agencies have also weighed in on the app’s popularity because of potential safety issues. Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez of the Howell Police Department pointed out that people “have been playing all over the place at all hours of the day and night” and often wind up trespassing on private property as a result, albeit accidentally.
“We want people to enjoy playing the game in a safe and responsible manner while being considerate of their fellow citizens and their property,” he said.
In Freehold Township, Sgt. Scot Hall said the police department had responded to two documented incidents related to Pokémon Go that originated as calls for suspicious activity, and he urged “safety first” to any players.
Despite these issues, however, Pokémon Go players don’t seem dissuaded.
“It makes you exercise and want to go outside,” said Thomas Friedman, who was playing Pokémon Go in downtown Red Bank. “And it’s fun.”