Nintendo Co., Ltd (ADR) NTDOY’s stock is surging more than 35 percent in Monday’s session as the company’s hit new mobile game Pokémon GO has exploded in popularity in recent days. The game is classified as “augmented reality,” meaning that it incorporates elements of real life and computer-generated virtual content.
Pokémon GO and other augmented reality games that encourage users to get up and explore the real world are a far cry from traditional video games and their reputation for sedentary and unhealthy game-playing environments.
It’s not just users’ physical health that can potentially be impacted. A 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that 90 minutes of walking in nature led to a significant reduction in negative thinking among test subjects.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that there was a connection between walking and creative thinking.
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While it’s unclear if people get the same kind of mental and emotional benefits reflected in the studies if they are focused on playing a game, there’s no question that getting your heart rate up from a walk is healthier than staying seated all day long.
Augmented reality games can offer a brand new type of gaming experience for players in which they are moving and interacting in the real world. Video games were once the enemy of parents who wanted their kids to get outside and play. Pokémon GO and other augmented reality games are now breaking down the wall between digital gaming and real-world physical activity.
Disclosure: The author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.
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