Pokiemon Goat historic sites

kepi · Aug 19, 2016

What is your opinion of Pokiemon Go at historic sites and especially Civil War sites?

Hiroshima requests removal of Pokémon GO facilities from Peace Memorial Park
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/07/...kemon-go-facilities-from-peace-memorial-park/

matthew mckeon · Aug 19, 2016

I think its an opportunity.

When the first Pokémon players showed up at my SO's library, she got all the Pokémon material she had and organized a special display, and send out a staffer to buy more with some money she had available. Many of the people coming through the front door had never been in the library before and some got library cards.

civilwarincolor · Aug 19, 2016

I think if the Pokemon was placed at a National Cemetery (or memorial park such as Hiroshima) that would be wrong and disrespectful, but I am in agreement with @matthew mckeon if the Pokemon was placed on the battlefield of near the visitor center, good opportunity. I would suggest trying to work with the creators and see if they could create a "special edition" that featured Pokemon in a Union or Confederate uniform or kepi.

I have also thought that the same type of technology could be used to have your phone/tablet display a period image of the location as you arrived at that spot. It would be so great to be on the battlefield and to have a notification from your phone that you had found the location for an original photo and that you could display it right then!

Copperhead-mi · Aug 19, 2016

Although not an historic site...
St. Clair Shores couple files lawsuit against Pokemon Go

Copperhead-mi · Aug 19, 2016

From thread title Pokemon "Goat"

kepi · Aug 19, 2016

civilwarincolor said:
I think if the Pokemon was placed at a National Cemetery (or memorial park such as Hiroshima) that would be wrong and disrespectful, but I am in agreement with @matthew mckeon if the Pokemon was placed on the battlefield of near the visitor center, good opportunity. I would suggest trying to work with the creators and see if they could create a "special edition" that featured Pokemon in a Union or Confederate uniform or kepi.

I have also thought that the same type of technology could be used to have your phone/tablet display a period image of the location as you arrived at that spot. It would be so great to be on the battlefield and to have a notification from your phone that you had found the location for an original photo and that you could display it right then!

You both make excellent points. I think the crux of this issue is differentiating exactly which sites are appropriate and which are not. For example, would Andersonville be appropriate for this game? What about the location where Stonewall Jackson was shot or where Lincoln died? Mathew is right in that there is an opportunity here. Maybe it's just a matter of properly threading the needle.

Aside from the game, this technology does offer a fantastic educational opportunity. Perhaps someone will develop an app that displays historical figures recreating the events of the past. Think of it as a Cyclorama on your phone.