By Andrew Dodson on March 31, 2014 at 4:59pm
Google is well known for its clever little tricks and games that it plays on the public on April Fool's Day. GooglePaper, in 2007, had us believe that Google was starting a paper, snail-mail service. GoogleGulp, in 2005, made us think that they were getting into the energy-drink-filled-with-neurostimulators business. Just last year in 2013, we were informed that YouTube was actually a massive video contest and it was now closed for submissions (I'm pretty sure those judges are still working on that one....).
This year, however, Google is sending us out into the world on our Pokemon adventure. I think I speak for anyone who happened to be about 10-12 years in the late 90s, early 2000s, when I say: "Finally."
So, if we take that video seriously, as we should, Google is looking for a Pokemon Master to join its ranks as an employee. All you have to do is climb dangerous mountains, sail out into the lonely sea and drive across vast fields in order to catch Pokemon using what looks like an insanely awesome augmented reality game that utilizes our phones/tablets. You catch all 150, you go to the Googleplex and battle your way to your new job at Google.
Again, speaking for 10-12 year olds that were alive in the late 90s, early 2000s, we have literally been training our entire lives for for this.
Sadly, the game is not an awesome augmented reality system that uses our phones and forces us to leave our comfortable homes for the dangers of a Pokemon-filled wild. It is, instead, more of a "scroll-around-Google-Maps" kind of game, and when you see a Pokemon, you tap it and push "Catch." Really easy, and more than a little disappointing.
It's still fun exploring new places on Google Maps, and if I happened to catch a Charizard or a Farfetch'd while doing it, well, that'll be just fine.
So, before you embark on your Google-fueled Pokemon Adventure, I'll quote the great Professor Oak and ask: "Are you a boy or a girl?"
