The impact of Pokémon Go to be explored at free public lecture

The social impact of viral augmented reality game Pokémon Go, which became a cultural phenomenon in 2016, will be explored during a free public lecture at our University on Wednesday 8 February between 4:00PM – 5:30PM.

The lecture, which will delivered by Dr Tom Phillips from the University of East Anglia, uses interview data to unpack players’ thoughts and opinions on the impact of the game: how it can function as a method of social cohesion, and how it can provide a powerfully nostalgic fan experience.

Last year Leicester experts from the Diabetes Research Centre suggested that Pokémon Go could ease the Type 2 diabetes burden.

Students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy also calculated the most powerful Pokémon companion and how fast you realistically could ‘catch ‘em all’.

The lecture, which has been organised by our School of Media, Communication and Sociology, will reflect on how Pokémon Go provides players an opportunity to reconsider the landscape in which they are playing.

The lecture, titled ‘The Geeks Come Out at Night: Understanding the Impact of Pokémon Go’, takes place on Wednesday 8 February 2017 between 4:00PM – 5:30PM in the Bankfield House Seminar Room, 132 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7JA.