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Why Call of Duty & Pokemon Are More Alike Than You Think

Why Call of Duty & Pokemon Are More Alike Than You Think

What do Pokemon GO and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare have in common? This isn’t a joke, I’m here to talk about teams, and how a meta-game can do so much to generate enthusiasm for and loyalty to a video game. So what’s the big deal about teams? What am I even referring to, what what does this have to do with Pokemon GO and Infinite Warfare?

There’s just something about rooting for a team. It’s ingrained in us – it goes back to our tribal origins. It’s why we love to pick sides. It’s why partisan politics are never going to go away in the United States. It’s why little kids end up loving random football teams from different cities that they have no logical tie to; I was a huge Broncos fan growing up, and I’m from Nashville, TN.

Rooting for a team is like belonging to a club. It creates an immediate common ground between you and all other members / fans. Sometimes video games can create teams and factions that transcend their virtual worlds and spill over into the real world. We’ve seen it happen in EVE Online for a while now, where political and economic disputes between factions, sometimes months ongoing, create strong bonds between people in the real world who have never even met each other in person.

Nowhere have I seen a meta-game camaraderie more firmly established than with Pokemon GO . Team Valor; Team Mystic; Team Instinct… which one do you belong to? I rep Team Instinct, and when I first started playing Pokemon GO that meant a lot to me. Walking around parts of the city I’d see certain stores jovially offering discounts for certain teams. When driving I’d see the Team Instinct decal on the back of a car and smile, or alternatively see another team decal on the back of a car and assume that they were out to take over a gym. I even got a free beer at my local pub when the bartender found out that I was a fellow Team Instinct trainer.

For non-serious trainers like myself, the team affiliation is what kept Pokemon GO a part of my day-to-day nerdy conversations. Even after I stopped playing as much and didn’t have any captures to boast of, it was still fun when talking to someone playing the game to ask which team they belonged to. That kind of small talk is more valuable than the most expensive TV commercial. Show me some cool gameplay and I may be tempted to buy your game, but make me feel like I need to belong to a group and I’ll feel like I need to buy your game. Plus – it’s just fun.

Why Call of Duty & Pokemon Are More Alike Than You Think

I’m hoping that some kind of meta-game can be established with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare . In Infinite Warfare you have “Mission Teams,” which basically serve the same purpose as the trainer teams in Pokemon GO . If anything, they’re even more useful because you actually get unique missions and rewards from each Mission Team. You can see another player running around with a tricked out weapon with its own unique perks and skin and you know: that guy is a die-hard JTF Wolverine. We belong to the same club, and he’s really put in his hours and reaped the rewards.

I can see clans forming around certain Mission Teams, with the elite ranks occupied by those who have completed the most challenging missions and unlocked the craziest exclusive gear. I’d love that – it’d give you an entirely separate faction to rep, one that you know millions of other players are representing and celebrating as well. When I think about what can be done to innovate the Call of Duty multiplayer formula at this point, not much comes to mind in terms of gameplay. A strong meta-game with factions that we care about could certainly do the trick, though.

Do you care about game factions, and are there any that you love to represent? Have you ever had any meaningful real-world experiences or funny interactions with people who belonged to the same Pokemon GO team as you? Would that kind of experience lure you into Infinite Warfare ‘s multiplayer? Why or why not? Let us know what you think in the comments. Go Team Instinct!

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