In:
New Media & Society, SAGE Publications, Vol. 25, No. 5 ( 2023-05), p. 963-979
Abstract:
Pokémon Go is the most popular location-based game worldwide. As a location-based game, Pokémon Go’s gameplay is connected to networked urban mobility. However, urban mobility differs significantly around the world. Large metropoles in South America and Africa, for example, experience ingrained social, cultural, and economic inequalities. With this in mind, we interviewed Pokémon Go players in two Global South cities, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Nairobi (Kenya), to understand how players navigate urban spaces not only based on gameplay but with broader concerns for safety. Our findings reveal that players negotiate their urban mobilities based on perceptions of risk and safety, choosing how to move around and avoiding areas known for violence and theft. These findings are relevant for understanding the social and political aspects of networked urban spaces as well as for investigating games as venues through which we can understand ordinary life, racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1461-4448
,
1461-7315
DOI:
10.1177/14614448211016400
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1476527-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2684519-2
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2016312-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2686704-7
SSG:
24,1
SSG:
3,4
SSG:
3,5
