
The Augmented Reality of Pokemon Go
Chronotopes, Moral Panic, and Other Complexities
Lexington Books (Publisher)
Published on 8. February 2019
Book
Hardback
148 pages
978-1-4985-7491-4 (ISBN)
Description
What happens when a group of people see things that others do not and begin acting accordingly? The Augmented Reality of Pokemon GO: Chronotopes, Moral Panic, and Other Complexities explores this question by examining what happened after Pokemon GO, a smartphone augmented reality game, was released in July, 2016. The game overlaid the world of Pokemon onto the "real" physical world, drawing 30 million players in the first two weeks. Pokemon GO has created new ways of sensing the environment, reading things around us, walking the street, and dwelling in certain areas, i.e., inhabiting the world. Through detailed text analyses of the game and auto-ethnographies of the contributing authors' experiences playing the game analyzed from anthropological perspectives, this volume provides nuanced analyses of this new way of relating to the world: the augmented reality world of Pokemon GO. Each chapter focuses on specific aspects of this new experience of the world: the cosmology of the world of Pokemon and the multifaceted ways we relate to our environment through Pokemon GO; the notion of space and time in Pokemon GO and its interface with that of real world as it guides our actions; the phenomenology of Pokemon GO in urban walking with its complex relationships to public space, "nature" as constructed through modernity, cell phone infrastructure, and urban landscapes where insects, animals, birds, human, history, transportation infrastructure, and trash all intermingle to create its ambiance; and the game's link to the wider social issue as it gets appropriated for "friendly authoritarian" goals of civil society, imposing various ideologies and accruing commercial gains. Through "participant observation" -all contributors have been avid Pokemon GO players themselves-this volume offers snapshots of the Pokemon GO effect from its initial stage as a social phenomenon to Spring 2018.
Reviews / Votes
The global treasure hunting game Pokemon GO, in which players collect cute virtual monsters in real world locations, comes under scrutiny by top anthropologists who play with, puzzle over, and thoughtfully analyze the trend and all its fascinating gamelore. The Augmented Reality of Pokemon GO will surely delight all readers, from fans to other scholars. -- Laura Miller, University of Missouri-St. Louis This dense and delightful book demonstrates that Pokemon GO is more than a popular game and top news story. Instead, as a cross-cultural product creatively using world places, Pokemon GO provides valuable insights into society, politics, history, geography, and notions of nation and home. It shows how digital media influences our interaction with the lived environment. These seven essays apply critical theories to analyze Pokemon GO, providing academic models, and prove that playful popular culture teaches serious lessons. Gotta read them all! -- Alisa Freedman, University of OregonMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
378 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4985-7491-4 (9781498574914)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Neriko Musha Doerr | Debra J. Occhi
The Augmented Reality of Pokemon Go
Chronotopes, Moral Panic, and Other Complexities
E-Book
02/2019
1st Edition
Lexington Books
€38.49
Available for download
Persons
Neriko Musha Doerr is professor in the Salameno School of American and International Studies at Ramapo College.
Debra Occhi is professor of anthropology at Miyazaki International College
Debra Occhi is professor of anthropology at Miyazaki International College
Content
Foreword: Pokemonology on the GO by Anne Allison
Introduction: Analyzing the Augmented Reality World of Pokemon GO by Neriko Musha Doerr and Debra J. Occhi
Chapter 1: Pokemon and the Environment by Elle Sentry
Chapter 2: The Politics of Intersecting Landscapes: Chronotopes and Modes of Governmentality of Pokemon GO and the Real World by Neriko Musha Doerr
Chapter 3: Botanizing on the Asphalt: The "Poke-Flaneur" and the Virtual Urban Wildlife of Pokemon GO by Paul Manning
Chapter 4: Social and Affective Implications of Pokemon GO in Japanese Contexts: "Mind your Manners and Have Fun" by Debra J. Occhi
Afterword by Bonnie Nardi
Introduction: Analyzing the Augmented Reality World of Pokemon GO by Neriko Musha Doerr and Debra J. Occhi
Chapter 1: Pokemon and the Environment by Elle Sentry
Chapter 2: The Politics of Intersecting Landscapes: Chronotopes and Modes of Governmentality of Pokemon GO and the Real World by Neriko Musha Doerr
Chapter 3: Botanizing on the Asphalt: The "Poke-Flaneur" and the Virtual Urban Wildlife of Pokemon GO by Paul Manning
Chapter 4: Social and Affective Implications of Pokemon GO in Japanese Contexts: "Mind your Manners and Have Fun" by Debra J. Occhi
Afterword by Bonnie Nardi