Not a week goes by, when I hear some doomsayer saying that it's all over for Apple, iPhone sales are going down or plateaued. But what they don't say is that Pokemon Go (the app taking the world by storm) won't run on anything less than an iPhone 5!!!




Think of all those kids whose parents, like me, gave them their cast off old iPhones. Typically I would get a phone every 2 or 3 years (depending on what's new) and give my tweens my old phones. But now, an old iPhone isn't good enough. My son's iPhone 4 (circa 2010) which still works well, won't run Pokemon Go because Pokemon Go requires iOS 8 which isn't supported on the iPhone 4.



So Pokemon Go has single handedly created a need for newer iPhones. Will this be translated into increased sales - you betcha!! Moms everywhere will be buying either new SE models or used iPhone 5/c/s for their kids - either way - translating into more iPhone sales for Apple.

How do I know this? Well, because I'm that mom and I bumped into another at the Telus mobile store. I don't want my kid playing Pokemon Go on my iPhone. So he gets his own used iPhone 5S with a 1GB data plan.

Apple is a winner here, as well as the phone carrier selling the data plan. And don't think this is limited to just Apple, Android phones have the same limitations (Android 4.4 to Android 6.0.1).

It's been two days since Pokemon Go was launched in Canada. My kids are totally crazy into the game and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. What interests me (as a systems analyst) is why nobody else thought of doing this sooner. You see, this concept isn't just for Pokemon, it would work for lots of other movies or game themes.



For example,

Wizard Go.
A game where you wander around collecting horcruxes and other magical items, including collecting magical eggs that hatch into magical creatures (like a baby Buckbeak). Where you go to Wizardstops to collect curses, spells and potions (like anti-freeze - a cure against freezing spells). Where you go to a Wizardgym and you choose (or are sorted into) a house and duel other wizards to win the gym for your house. Added features would be the wizard name generator where you given a name like Griselda Wagglybottom or Molly Buttertart, and instead of getting a free pokemon from Professor Willow, Olivander gives you a customized wand and you get to choose a cat, rat, toad or owl friend.



Or how about Minecraft Go.
A game where you wander around finding animals to milk, shear or kill, and get alerts when you are near buried treasure (diamonds, iron etc). Where you go to Craftingstops to craft your raw material into items and battle other miners at Minewars (like Skywars) where you are on a platform battling for your team. Added features would be "blockify" via the camera so the world looks blocky and zombie mode where zombies randomly appear to try to steal your collected items.



I am genuinely excited by the possibilities of the new interactive gaming platform and how immersive it is. It's a whole new level of gaming and bring AI to us without the usage of AI googles (something you won't find me wearing any time soon).