Locating Mobile Media Audiences: In Plain View With Pokémon Go

Abstract

Mobile media audiences are a central part of understanding audiences in a digital world. In this chapter, I approach the apparently new development of Pokémon GO via a broader thinking of what mobile means in relation to digital audiences. To provide a context for understanding Pokémon GO, I discuss the emergence of mobile media audiences, and the increasingly prominent role location has played in these formations. I trace the emergence of Pokémon GO, placing into the recent history of mapping, locative media, and augmented reality (AR) technology, and discuss the case of Pokémon GO against the histories of mobile gaming. I conclude with some remarks on the discursive, business, technology, and design strategies evident in Niantic’s effort to configure and sustain the phenomenal success of its Pokémon GO launch.