Like people, dating apps come in all shapes, sizes, and preferences. So that’s probably why it only took a couple of weeks for someone to turn what’s already a fun dating activity — catching Pokémon at the park — into Pokédates, an online dating service with the tagline:
Gotta catch ’em all, together!
The service was created by Project Fixup, a dating service that focuses less on online profile swiping and more on actual activities and meet ups between singles that they arrange. For that reason, using the popularity of Pokémon GO as an activity catalyst must have been a no-brainer, as the website actually goes far enough to say that the new app is “the best idea of the 21st Century.”
To find the Misty or Ash to your Ash or Misty, trainers have to answer a few short questions, send their availability schedule to Pokédates, then wait to be set up with a “match” they will meet to start hunting Pokémon with. And even if you’re not so sure about the service, Project Fixup offers your first “date” to be free.
What I find the most fascinating about all of this is the sheer creativity people are having in reaction to a phenomenon. A lot of it has to do with how far technology, communication, and culture have come since the last time something as big as Pokémon GO has captured everyone’s attention.
We now have devices that let us instantly connect with people all over the world, hail a car, stay the night at a local hotspot, and share all of the moments of our lives behind poppy filters. Of course people are turning mobile games into ways to find their soul mates, and maybe lure some new customers to restaurants next to Pokéstops.
Pokémon GO isn’t really lightning in a bottle. It’s the kind of idea that makes you wonder why it took so long to happen.
*Note: This is not a sponsored post or endorsement of the service, which I’ve never used myself. And I was not asked to write any of this. I simply wanted to share what I think is a unique idea.
