With over nine million active users, Pokémon Go is one of the biggest gaming apps we’ve seen to date. The game has made the news for the last few months with reports of injuries, robberies, and careless players trespassing on private property.

But, out of the hundreds of unfortunate incidents that have surrounded the game, millions of people are still obsessed. I spoke with multiple people on campus about how they felt about the game. What was most interesting was just how positive the game was for so many people. There were countless reports of people losing weight just by being outside more often to catch the elusive Pokémon. Other people said it was a way to spend time with friends and family.

One woman commented “I play it with my son on his walk to and from school. It’s a bonding moment for us. Gives us something fun to talk about.”

More than a few people commented that there has been an unintentional side effect to the game. Since more people are going out to play, more people are socializing.

They trade tips, talk about what they’ve caught, and where the best catching sites are. It is not unusual to be asked “What team are you on?” before a conversation is sparked with a stranger.

The majority of people I have spoken to had positive experiences with Pokémon Go. The naysayers are usually the ones who have not tried it. If you are one of the latter group, may I suggest a walk near the Capital, where there are so many Poké stops you’ll never run out of Poké balls.

This is a free app, available on the iTunes store and Google Play. It’s worth checking out.

For people who are already playing, keep your eyes open for the new Pokémon Go Plus that will be available in the United States soon. This little accessory will connect to your device and allow you to be notified of Pokémon and attempt to catch one without the use of your phone screen.

A few tips for all the players around campus. There is the obvious one, be aware of your surroundings and be safe. There are multiple places online that uses Google Maps to show spawn locations of certain Pokémon.

This could be helpful to those that wish to hunt down a particular Pokémon in a particular area. We all know how hard it is to catch the amount of Magikarp we need for evolution, so any information will be helpful.

And finally, the super-secret I will only be giving to readers of the Clarion who play Pokémon Go. There has been multiple spottings of the Pokémon Lapras around State Street. For those of you on the hunt, I suggest you start there.

See you at the PokéGym!