You might recall a time when people were walking the streets with their mobile phones trying to find Pokémon GO characters in the wild.
Parents were driving their children to Pokémon hotspots, guided by the Pokémon GO app.
The phenomenon began on July 6, 2016, when the interactive game was launched in Australia, New Zealand and the US. The rest of the world caught up the following day.
Newcastle gamer "Zoë Kinder", who goes by the name ZoëTwoDots online, has been playing Pokémon GO since day one. She's now 33 and mum to a one-year-old.
"I remember my colleague and I had been discussing the upcoming release and on the day it came out he ran to my desk to tell me it had launched early in Australia. I raced out to play on my lunch break and haven't stopped playing since," she says.
"I've been a lifelong fan of Pokémon so a way to play Pokémon every day from the convenience of my phone was a no-brainer."
Pokémon GO uses your phone's GPS and clock to detect where and when you are in the real world and makes Pokémon "appear" around you on your screen so you can go out and catch them.
When you are close enough to a Pokémon, it will appear on your device's screen. You tap on it and use your smartphone's camera to see it in your real-life environment, and then you can attempt to catch it.
Computer games have long been associated with physical inactivity. Pokémon GO actually encourages players to get outdoors and get moving.
It was particularly popular during COVID-19 lockdowns when people were confined to their homes. Pokémon GO pivoted to accommodate the "new normal", allowing players to participate in raids, and trade, from home.
"I've never walked so much in my life before Pokémon GO," Kinder says.
"I have always been a fairly sporty person, but I didn't care much for just 'going for a walk'. Now I love it. Even when I'm not playing the game I enjoy walking a lot more now.
"My husband Alan and I welcomed our baby boy into the world last year, and taking him on walks in his pram while we play a little bit of Pokémon GO has been fun. It's been a running joke for us that Alan is a very casual player compared to me but always has far better luck.
"I also did a lot of live streaming of Pokémon GO from home during lockdown to entertain others. Being able to bring people together online during a time when we couldn't physically be together was really important and emotionally rewarding too."
During Pokémon GO's first week, Kinder discovered a community garden near a local supermarket she has shopped at for many years. She's since found hundreds of hidden or tucked away locations through Pokémon GO.
She has found new friends through playing Pokémon GO, too, and a new career. Kinder creates content about Pokémon GO online, primarily on YouTube, sharing tips and tricks, and identifying bugs in events.
Pokémon GO events tend to be rolled out in Australia first, which gives her a head start.
"This has been my full-time job since 2018," she says.
"When Pokémon GO came out, all I needed to create content was a phone and a camera."
A player who trains their Pokémon and cares for them is called a trainer. Being a trainer who creates content has taken Kinder all around the world.
"There are lots of different ways to be a Pokémon trainer; maybe you prefer battling alongside your Pokémon in raids; going on long walks to hatch Pokémon from eggs; taking AR photos of your Pokémon; trading your Pokémon with other trainers; or simply catching new wild Pokémon wherever you are in the world," she says.
"I've been so lucky to meet and play with community members in New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, France, England and the US.
"I love the in-person events like GO Fest or Safari Zones/City Safari because the energy of thousands of excited trainers in one area is electrifying. Everyone is in a fun mood, exploring a new city or sharing their own city with new friends."
Kinder also participates in raids closer to home, at Wallsend and Speers Point, which typically involve upwards of 50 Pokémon players.
"We have people coming from all over, wanting to meet up with the Wallsend group, because they know we have big raid days," she says.
"The official Pokémon GO app now has a companion app called Campfire, which is great. People can open the app and it will show you on a map where all the different groups meet up, and when.
"One of the really cool things about Pokémon GO is the wide age demographic. I've genuinely met 80-year-olds playing and have had some amazing interactions with them."
