Pokemon Go: Friend or foe to society?
The Pokemon Go mobile game has people everywhere reliving the ’90s or experiencing them for the first time through augmented reality. The gaming experience, however, has brought to light many questions about access to public spaces, the future of gaming and even safety issues. The USC experts below have spoken to media outlets about the phenomenon and are willing to discuss whether we should fear or welcome the new craze. And yes, according to social media, the USC campus is crawling with all sorts of Pokemon — gotta catch ’em all!
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Augmented reality: Digital and public spaces
Todd Richmond, a director at the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California, says a big debate is brewing over who controls digital assets associated with real world property.
“This is the problem with technology adoption — we don’t have time to slowly dip our toe in the water,” he says. “Tenants have had no say, no input, and now they’re part of it.”
Todd Richmond, director of advanced prototype development at the Institute for Creative Technologies, is an expert in VR and emerging technologies.
Contact: toddr@usc.edu
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The future of gaming?
“When Pokemon Go finishes maturing, when the creators learn how to serve not just an audience with an abundant amount of free time, but the parents of those players, a community in an old-age home and a group of commuters on a bus, then it will have revolutionized the way we consume media. When developers determine how to leverage properly our world, the digital world and different player motivations across societies, they will change the way we experience and tell stories.”
Sam Roberts, assistant director of the Interactive Media and Games Division of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, is in expert in game publishing and experiential games.
Contact: sroberts@cinema.usc.edu or via Twitter @ashtonesq
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Is your privacy worth a selfie with Charmander?
The Christian Science Monitor:
Given all of these unknowns, Clifford Neuman, director of the University of Southern California’s Center for Computer Systems Security, isn’t sure he’d play Pokémon GO at all. He isn’t into these games, he said. If he were, though, he would use a separate phone, and create a separate Google account, so it doesn’t access any more of his personal information.
“The problem with this, as well as the problem with all these other apps, is there isn’t a way, when you’re installing it, to say, ‘Well, it wants this permission. I’m going to deny it, but still install it,’ ” says Dr. Neuman. “That would be a much better way to do things from a security perspective. That’s where we really need to get to. Of course, app developers want unfettered access to just about everything.”
Clifford Neuman is director of the USC Center for Computer Systems Security at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. He can discuss individual privacy and security concerns related to the game.
Contact: (310) 448-8736 or bcn@isi.edu
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At least they’re going outside!
“If we want to pass judgment on whether it’s good or bad, we need to do it in the context of what it replaces,” Dmitri Williams, president of Ninja Metrics and associate professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication told me in an email. “If these people were previously staring at a screen indoors and by themselves, then this is a little more human. If they were all outside having a picnic and talking, then it’s a little less. My guess is that we’re looking more at the former.”
Dmitri Williams, associate professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, is an expert on digital social spaces and gaming metrics. As online gaming grows increasingly complex, it’s producing more data for companies to analyze and learn about player behavior. Williams can discuss how those insights can drive marketing and gameplay in the industry.
Contact: dcwillia@usc.edu
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Health and safety while gaming
Marientina Gotsis has a broad background in arts, design and engineering with a special interest in interactive entertainment applications for health, happiness and rehabilitation. She founded and has led USC’s Games for Health Initiative since 2007, connecting health professionals with innovation in various forms of interactive media. She can comment on health outcomes and safety regarding Pokemon Go.
Contact: mgotsis@cinema.usc.edu
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More social than Tindr
“It’s perfect as a dating game,” says Karen North, professor of digital social media at the USC Annenberg School. “You meet someone with a common interest, engage in that activity together, and get a new challenge for tomorrow and the next day.
“If you’re out and you see somebody playing, it’s like at a bar: it gives you a shared social situation,” says North. “Plus, it breaks through the awkwardness, by providing a natural pick-up line.
“Tinder has been able to lure in younger daters because people play Tinder before they date on Tinder,” says North. “They’re lured into using the app by playing the game.”
Karen North, director of the USC Annenberg School’s Program on Online Communities, is an expert in social media, digital privacy and psychological research.
Contact: (310) 650-5689 or knorth@usc.edu
