Just how long is it supposed to take to hatch those eggs?
Pokémon Go has officially become a worldwide sensation. It’s not only fun, it’s also a great way to get outside and interacting with others.
You’ve probably already gotten and hatched a few eggs, one of the goodies you can get from swiping nearby Pokéstops. They come in three varieties: two kilometers (1.24 miles), five kilometers (3.1 miles), and ten kilometers (6.21 miles). The more you walk while the game is in use, the more eggs you can hatch.
But exactly how fast, on average, can you hatch a five kilometer egg? In more rural areas, where you probably travel a lot by car, it can be tough to get those five kilometers in just one day unless you go out of your way to do it. In cities where public transportation and walking are more common–say, in Tokyo–you might even be able to hatch one of those babies a day just by going about your daily business.
▼ So, why five kilometers? Twitter user @Toku_Hero points out this interesting factoid.
多分日本人の87%が「ポケモンがスマホで遊べる」という認識で、まさか「モバイルバッテリー常備が必須で一日5km徒歩が当たり前」なIngressをベースに作られたゲームと理解してない人が多い方に50ピカチュウ
— Toku_Hero (@Toku_Hero) July 20, 2016
“I think about 87% of Japanese people just think of Pokémon Go as a mobile game. I’d bet 50 Pikachus that most don’t realize that it’s based on Ingress. Ingress was created based on the idea that as long as you have your battery fully charged, it’s easy to walk five kilometers in a day [for the game].”
That’s right. Remember Ingress? It’s the hit game by Niantic and Google that preceded Pokémon Go. The idea was to reach portals placed at real-life locations and connect them to each other. Just like Ingress, Pokémon Go is based on a real-life map.
▼ That’s when another Twitter user responded to @Toku_Hero’s discovery with something equally profound.
一時間歩いておよそ4kmです。「皆さん、ゲームの為に毎日75分間歩きますか?」と質問されてるようです。
— holycowboy2099 (@holycowboy2099) July 20, 2016
“The average person can walk about four kilometers in one hour. [Niantic] is basically asking, ‘Can you walk for 75 minutes a day to play a video game?'”
There you have it. Along with having fun, Niantic wants you to get moving by playing their games. But, hey, we’re not complaining! (Okay, maybe our feet are.)
Here’s what some other internet users thought of the discovery:
“I envy students. I want more free time…”
“I’ll walk as much as it takes to get my favorite Pokémon.”
“It’s pretty difficult to walk that much in the blazing heat, snow, or heavy rain…”
Despite all odds, how many eggs can you hatch in a day? Try timing your personal 5K and put yourself to the 75 Minute Challenge!
▼ “There had better be a rare Pokémon in this egg…”
Sources: Jin 115, Wikipedia, Twitter/@Toku_Hero, Twitter/@holycowboy2099
Images: Flickr/fdecomite, Flickr/Andrew Bowden
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