Gowalla 2.0: There’s a new version, but what is it we’re playing?

March 12, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

March 12, 2010 – Chances are, if you follow social media, iPhone App releases, or just technology news, in general, you’ve heard of Gowalla. You may not have taken the time to read beyond the headline, but you, at least, know the name. Actually understanding what it is, though, is something different altogether. It’s really very simple and the tag-line on the Gowalla website actually communicates the general idea: “The easiest way to share places you go with your friends.” How does it work? What do you do? These are the questions will cover herein, in very general terms.

For veteran users and players of the game, this article will seem far too elementary for you, since you understand the intricacies of the game. For potential users of the application, which is available for the Apple iPhone, Android Phones, BlackBerry, and Palm smartphones, this will give you a very basic overview of how it works. Even if you don’t want to use it, you might as well, at least, understand it.

The gist of the game is the following. You go to a place. You open the Gowalla App. Your smartphone’s GPS locates you (Say hello to the stalkers and thieves!). If the location is already registered with Gowalla, you check in. If it’s not registered, you can register it. Then, you share a message about what you’re doing there. Finally, you pick up virtual prizes.

There are two ways to do it. You can do “Spots,” which is from random location to location and was described above. Alternatively, you can go on “Trips”. The Gowalla website Trips page lists popular ones, such as “London Pub Crawl”, “Never Been Here”, and “Chicago Championship Chase”. With trips, you follow a predefined map of GPS-pinpointed locations. You must go to each one and check in, after which you earn the associated badge. Recently, organized Gowalla events have taken place in cities like New York City (November 2009). These have been complete with corporate sponsors and included actual real prizes, such as coffee mugs, CSS layouts (Yes, odd.), and swag bags of Gowalla gear. Ultimately, Gowalla’s goal can be theorized to expand the game to involve more real businesses and prizes, since the publicity both receive is good for business.

Overall, just look at it as a big scavenger hunt, wherein you collect “stamps,” “icons,” etc. What is the point? Essentially, it is a badge of honor type deal, although, as mentioned above, there are some actual prizes to be earned, from merchants who are affiliated with Gowalla. The difference between Gowalla and another popular geo-location game, Foursquare, is that Gowalla is less sociable. You really have no friends, or, more aptly put, friends aren’t going to help you do better or worse. It is simply a scavenger hunt. If used in conjunction with other platforms, such as Twitter, there is the possibility to share your accomplishments with others and meet others who enjoy Gowalla, as well.

So, for whom is Gowalla a good option? Well, if you are sociable, like to travel around a lot, and are willing to geo-tag yourself, at a moment’s notice, this game is perfect for you. While the prizes might generally be virtual, the pride any accomplishment generates is very real. This is the same type of satisfaction many derive from accruing Twitter followers, Osnapz badges, or any other virtual prize associated with social networking.

Alternatively, for whom is Gowalla a bad idea? Here’s where you need to pay attention. If you are paranoid that the government, aliens, the mafia, or anyone else is tracking your movements, do not use Gowalla. If you are trying to avoid the paparazzi, do not use Gowalla. If you think that terrorists may be trying to determine your behavioral and daily travel patterns, do not use Gowalla. Finally, if you are a convicted felon violating your parole or a fugitive from the law, you probably do not want to use Gowalla.

On a serious note, though, if there is any possibility that an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, ex-husband/wife, or any other person who might wish to inflict bodily injury (or worse) upon you, do not use Gowalla or any other geo-tagging application that might be shared via a social networking site. Also, common sense says that celebrities, public figures, and publicly-recognized business people, as well as their family members, should be very careful when using these type of applications, since they can be used to plan for less than good deeds. While the U.S. may not have significant problems with kidnapping for ransom purposes, in other countries the practice is fairly commonplace.

Having laid it all out, you should now understand what Gowalla and, though we didn’t go into detail, what Foursquare are. This means you can make an educated decision whether or not you want to use it, as well as whether or not you want to let your children use it. You can visit the Gowalla website to find the downloadable version for your smartphone’s platform, as well as find out more information on trips, badges, and everything else that is Gowalla.