Pokemon Go Needs More In-Person Events

thegamer.com:

The best part of Pokemon Go, for me, is the socialising. I mostly play day events (or, as they now are, half-day events) like Community Days with my brother, which is a nice chance to hang out as we get older and lead increasingly busier lives. The highlights of Pokemon Go, though, are the Go Fests and Safari Zones – specifically those where you can attend an in-person event at a park or city. No offence, Pete.

There’s something about having common cause with a large group of people that’s so exciting. It’s why I walk to Anfield when I watch Liverpool rather than taking the bus. Slowly but surely as you get closer to the ground, more and more red shirts join the path, all with a common destination. You don’t need words, you all know you’re in this together. It’s also why, I assume, throngs of superhero nerds descend on Comic-Con; there’s a delight to being surrounded by people who like things you like.

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I’m not a superhero nerd, but I am a Pokemon nerd. Where some people find their people at Comic-Con, I find mine at Go Fest. But these days, there aren’t enough opportunities to get together with fellow Pokemon fans, even for the biggest events of the year.

Raids are shit now. This isn’t Niantic’s fault, the pandemic forced players indoors and Remote Raid Passes were a great alternative. Still, I can’t help but miss that feeling of a group of players strategically working its way through a city, hitting as many raids as possible in a Raid Hour. I lived in Brighton when Giratina was released, and no less than a hundred players made their way through the streets in the wake of an especially organised community veteran. We chatted, made friends, compared