Less than two weeks since its launch in the United States, Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game for iOS and Android, has swept the nation. The mobile game has topped 15 million downloads, increased Nintendo’s stock by 25 percent and claimed the throne as the gaming app to most quickly become the No. 1 grossing app. Its rise to popularity has brought about a number of new concerns such as digital privacy, its success at physically bringing communities together and how to reconcile the conflict of sensitive real-world locations such as memorials and cemeteries being popular sites within the game.
Three experts from the University of Utah are available to comment on the digital privacy, cultural phenomenon and urban engagement aspects of Pokémon Go.
If you cannot reach your desired expert, please contact University of Utah communications specialist Annalisa Purser to schedule interviews.Annalisa Purser | office 801-581-7295 | cell 435-232-0312 | [email protected]
Pokémon Go monsters bolster urban revolution This week, augment reality game Pokemon Go surpassed Twitter users on mobile devices and changed the way we interact with our cities. University of Utah city and metropolitan planning assistant professor Ivis Garcia Zambrana compares the original 1990s Pokemon gamers who played from their couches in the suburbs to the same generation, now living as urban dwellers and members of the back to the city movement, also called the urban revolution. Zambrana argues the game creator’s bias towards cities as places of diversity, interaction and sociability. Ivis Garcia Zambrana | office 801-581-8255 | [email protected]
The digital allure of Pokémon GoEveryone wants to catch ‘em all! America’s biggest craze is also the fastest-selling mobile app in history. Nintendo’s new Pokémon Go — an augmented-reality game for iOS and Android — is sweeping the country, getting kids and even adults out of their homes, and mesmerizing millions as they hunt for these virtual cartoon characters. What’s the draw of Nintendo’s new pop-culture phenomenon? And what does it mean for the future of mobile gaming? Roger Altizer, co-founder and associate professor (lecturer) of the University of Utah’s No. 1 ranked Entertainment Arts and Engineering video game design program, can provide insightful comments on why this newest gaming hit is striking a chord with young and old alike.Roger Altizer | office 801-585-6491 | [email protected]
Is it safe to play Pokémon Go? The rapidly increasing popularity of the Pokémon Go app for Android and iPhone has created a number of security risks. These risks include the existence of fake and malicious versions of the app, the extensive permissions granted to the app on the mobile device (camera, contacts, GPS, storage, network activity, etc.), along with various physical security risks. The University of Utah’s Information Security Office encourages users to be cognizant and educated on the application’s privacy settings and permissions before downloading and/or using the app. Dan Bowden (pronounced BOW-den), chief information security officer for the U, is available for interviews.Dan Bowden | office 801-213-3397 | [email protected]
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