One of the most surprising side effects of the Pokémon Go craze has been the game's effect on relationships. This includes those that already exist (many people have taken to Twitter to lament boyfriends and girlfriends choosing to chase Pikachu over going out to dinner), as well as ones that form when players meet at one of the game's many Poké Stops.
Now, there's a more official way to find a match while playing the game. The startup Project Fixup just launched a service called PokéDates. You fill out a questionnaire online, answering questions about yourself and what you're looking for in your date, just as you would for a service like OkCupid. You also share when and where you're free to go hunting for Pokémon (naturally). Then, one of the company's "specialists" finds you a match and designates a meeting spot, based on both of your open times and locations.
The idea is a clever way to capitalize on the Pokémon Go hype, but at $20 per PokéDate (after the first free date), it's hard to believe that players would spend money to essentially do what they could already do for free — find someone to play the game with. Especially not when that $20 could go towards buying more Poké Coins.
But, for those who are sick of having conversations on Bumble, Tinder, and other apps that never lead to an actual date, Project Fixup may have found a solution by automatically providing users with a date activity: playing Pokémon Go.
It's only a matter of time before we start reading New York Times wedding announcements about pairs who have met as trainers playing Pokémon Go. Now, where's the dating service that pairs Pokémon Go haters?
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