We are hiding in the shade of the \u2018press and partner\u2019 area, surrounded by branded bunting, hard-working parasols and a constant loop of Pok\u00e9mon music. A human-sized Pikachu was here just now for a photo opp (see above).<\/p>\n
Steranka goes on to describe the event, which RadioTimes.com<\/a> has been flown out to attend, as \u201cthe epitome of the Pok\u00e9mon Go experience\u201d.<\/p>\n He explains: \u201cWe really take all of the game\u2019s pillars of exploration, exercise, real-world social, and we turn it up to 11 at our live events, and especially Go Fest.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so if you\u2019re interested in those things, and Pok\u00e9mon Go, there\u2019s really not a single better time to play the game than at one of these Go Fests.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you\u2019re exploring a brand new location that you may have never been to before. You\u2019re getting lots of exercise throughout the day, walking many kilometres in the summer sun. And then you\u2019re meeting 1000s of other trainers who love this game just like you do, and you can celebrate in that together.\u201d<\/p>\n So, with the introductions out of the way, with our phones charged, our water bottles filled, our sun cream liberally applied and our shades affixed to our faces, let\u2019s leave the comfort of the backstage area and see what Pok\u00e9mon Go Fest is all about.<\/p>\n The easiest way to explain Pok\u00e9mon Go Fest<\/a> is to split it into two parts \u2014 there\u2019s the part that happens in real life, and there\u2019s the part that happens in the game itself.<\/p>\n In real life, the Pok\u00e9mon Go community descends on a park, in this case the beautiful Parque Juan Carlos I on the outskirts of Madrid. (This year, there were also Pok\u00e9mon Go Fests in New York and Sendai, Japan \u2014 there tends to be a European, American and Asian leg of the event each year.)<\/p>\n Around the park, the Pok\u00e9mon Go Fest organisers have arranged numerous fun things to entertain the fans. There are photo opportunities galore, with a mixture of actors in Pok\u00e9mon<\/a> costumes wandering about (Disneyland-style) and giant Pok\u00e9mon inflatables placed in eye-catching spots. The massive blow-up Snorlax sleeping in the sun was my personal favourite (see above).<\/p>\n One of the big real life attractions is the giant merchandise tent \u2014 check out my first-hand footage of all the Pok\u00e9mon goodies on TikTok<\/a> \u2014 where there\u2019s a mix of plushies, clothes, accessories and exclusive items that will only be available at Go Fest.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to mention that you can grab lunch at the food trucks (shoutout to the yummy burgers), top up your water bottle at the many \u2018hydration stations\u2019, or simply sit around in the sun (or the ample shade) to socialise with other players. It is, essentially, a celebratory meet-up for the Pok\u00e9mon Go community.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not unlike a Comic Con or a Star Wars Celebration, but with the benefit of being outside in nature instead of cooping everyone up in a conference centre.<\/p>\n At times, it even makes me think of a Scout camp, one of those big summer ones where groups from all around the country come together for some fun in the sun.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the part of Pok\u00e9mon Go Fest that happens in the game itself. The first time I opened the app at the event, I was truly blown away with the number of Pok\u00e9-Stops and gyms that have been dotted around the virtual version of the park.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my gosh, I don\u2019t know the count off the top of my head,\u201d says developer Michael Steranka, when I ask just how many of those spinning blue Pok\u00e9-Stops have been added to the park for the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s got to be, you know, at least, like 150 or more, maybe. I\u2019d have to check with our game designers who spent the last week meticulously walking through and testing the experience, end to end, over and over again, and doing these micro adjustments of like, \u2018Oh, well, I think we added too many Pok\u00e9-Stops over here. We\u2019re going to remove them a little bit so that you have more visibility on the map.’\u201d<\/p>\n The effect, for players in the game, is that there\u2019s something to do in every corner of the park. You\u2019ll see people gathering in certain places throughout the day, for in-game reasons like battling a powerful Pok\u00e9mon that is appearing in raid battles, or finding a rare spawn in the wild, or ticking off objectives that require them to visit certain areas, spin a number of Pok\u00e9-Stops or catch a particular Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n At each of these events, attendees have a chance to catch a select few critters before they are widely released to the global community of players. At this year\u2019s Go Fests, for example, the legendary Necrozma<\/a> is available in raid battles and research tasks. Catching my first one was a proper highlight of the weekend.<\/p>\nWhat is Pok\u00e9mon Go Fest?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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