It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Since Pokemon Go dropped, we’ve had broken records, companion apps, dating apps (no, seriously), turf wars, car accidents, countless real and fake videos of people flipping out on the street and reams of people hitting town centres and other populated areas in packs to hunt and take gyms. Pokemon Go might just be the most interesting social experiment in gaming history, and it seems only right that it should have factored into SDCC in some way.
As it turns out, the way in question was utterly outstanding. Hundreds of intrepid trainers were recruited inside the convention centre during the day via Facebook, then gathered out front in the early evening. Their destination – San Diego’s famous Gaslamp Quarter, their aim – to catch/drink as many Pokemon/alcoholic beverages as humanely possible. That’s right, it was a Pokemon Go bar crawl. It was organised, unofficially, by aspiring trainer/party animal Caitlin Teasdale, who wasn’t expecting anyone to actually turn up, never mind a few hundred thirsty Pokemon fans.
A few bars were in on the whole thing, and had produced Pokemon themed drinks to coincide with the event (and, I expect, placed lure modules). Reportedly, it ended up being a brilliant social mixer for all the unconventional conventionalists in attendance, as they got an excuse to play the game without missing any of the SDCC fun, talk to people, and drink until the inevitable, involuntary Mr. Mime impersonation bubbled forth. According to some of those in attendance, many people had actually dressed for the occasion, either with attire which referenced the anime, or heads adorned with their chosen team’s emblem. In the latter case, Team Valor had the biggest turnout (woooooo! Not biased at all).
It gets better though, as some bright spark working for a portable phone charger company sent a crack team of sales reps to the event to hand them out, obviously very much aware that Pokemon Go is a ruthless battery killer. I sincerely doubt that this is the last ‘Pokecrawl’ we’ll see, I’ve seen dozens of groups mooching around town trying to track down an elusive Electabuzz in the daytime, it makes a certain amount of sense to start getting drunk in the process as well, if only as a means of merging two different kinds of dangerously addictive social lubricant.
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