Yesterday in a Press Conference, President and CEO of the Pokémon Company Tsunekazu Ishihara dropped some bombs on what the company is launching in the coming months. Riding the tail of the Detective Pikachu success, they are keeping the momentum going. Well kind of.
They plan to take over the market with new titles across platforms including “Pokémon Masters Masters”, a battle game for iOS and Android. And a new Detective Pikachu series for Nintendo Switch with a conclusion to that story.
They also announced the addition of Pokémon Home, which is the cloud service for the modern Pokémon games. Pokémon Go, Pokémon Let’s Go, the upcoming Sword and Shield, and the previous 3DS cloud platform, Pokémon Bank will all be accessible on the new service.
With the craze of Pokémon Go 3 years ago that flooded streets rural and urban alike, you would think the Pokémon Company would have something epic to announce? They sort of did, an epic failure. Pokémon Sleep. Seriously?
Pokémon Sleep
At least Pokémon Go got gamers out of the house and active. However, annoying it was to try and get around town during the heightened craze of catching Pokémon. But Pokémon Sleep “aims to turn sleeping into entertainment,” The Pokémon Company said in a statement. Sleep isn’t supposed to be entertaining, it’s supposed to be restful and relaxing.
The app will track your sleep and sleep patterns, and let you catch Pokémon while you sleep. This just in, I don’t want to catch Pokémon while I sleep, the only thing I want to catch are some Z’s.
The app will track the number of hours players spend sleeping and when they wake up. That information will have an effect on game play. An external device called the Pokémon GO Plus + that comes with the app will send sleep data to users’ smartphones. So, they are trying to make even more money off of you by selling you a sleep tracking device all while coaxing you into believing it is for your “entertainment”.
All that’s missing is the Pikachu Sleep Number Pillow and the Charmander Gravity Blanket.
Harms of Pokémon Sleep
Teenage cell phone addiction is a serious issue and already a battle in and of itself. Creating a game where you have to check in before bed and as soon as you wake up is enforcing really unhealthy habits.
The pressure to get to sleep every night in order to catch Pokémon can create insomnia for a young teen. The added device shouldn’t be brought to bed. No devices should be in bed in order to get a good, restful night of sleep.
Waking up and immediately looking at your phone is a really unhealthy habit linked to anxiety and depression. Creating a game that promotes checking your phone to see how your performed last night as soon as you wake up is setting you up for mental illness.
What’s Next?
What’s next, Pokémon Yoga? Some things are just not meant to have technology and entertainment involved in them. Peace, quiet, and relaxation apart from stimulation are good for the mind. Keep Pokémon out of my sleep even if it is Sleeping Snorlax.
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