Have you heard of Pokemon Go? Of course you have. It’s the biggest thing since, well, Twitter, and it seems like everyone and their mother (and father and sister and cousin and probably dog, in some cases) is playing it. It took like, two days for it to become as big as it did and it shows no sign of slowing down. In its first week after going live it has crossed over into MMA, been monetized by Japanese McDonald’s, and – the most important thing the game has accomplished – made such a strong impression that the promoters of San Diego Comic-Con have already upgraded its panel location to the legendary Hall H.
If you’re unfamiliar with the inner workings of San Diego ComicCon, allow us to educate you a bit on the legendary Hall H. It’s the largest panel room in the entire convention center. It’s massive. It’s where Marvel and DC make their big movie announcements, where Doctor Who debuts new trailers, and where The Walking Dead holds their annual panel that is now borderline infamous for being so difficult to get into (not that you can just saunter into any of the Hall H panels, mind you). Those people you hear about every year that are lined up around the building and camp for days on end just to get into one panel?
That panel is in Hall H. The point is, for something to merit a panel in Hall H requires an extensive period of time to build a fanbase and a reputation. Which is why it’s so impressive that Pokemon Go already has one. Admittedly, yes, being a part of a franchise that has been building its fanbase for over a decade helps. But keep in mind, this panel is exclusively for Pokemon Go. It won’t touch on the TV show, the upcoming Sun and Moon installments of the video game franchise, or the card game. It’s exclusively for the mobile game that recently caused two men to fall off of a cliff.
According to SDCC Unofficial Blog, the mobile game that has taken most of America (probably including you, statistically) by storm has, just a few short days before the convention begins, been upgraded from a panel in a room with a capacity of 480 people, to the big one, Hall H. Will people join the fervent Whovians and Game of Thrones fanatics in camping out overnight for a seat at the first-ever Pokemon Go panel? We can’t be sure yet, but we can definitely conclude that if they don’t, they’re not as good at the game as they think they are because that’s gotta be a prime opportunity to do some Pokemon hunting.
Via: SDCC Unofficial Blog