Dollar Tree being only a single dollar on everything.
I didn’t know Dollar Tree existed further back in the years like the 80s. But, I didn’t discover the store until like late 2000s. That store was a godsend for my then mostly broke ass. Sure the quality of products could’ve been better and the food selection could’ve been better, but they were there for me and others who’re strapped on budgets.
And it was a good 16 years while that lasted. It is a little annoying at times to shop there and know it is no different than Dollar General and Family Dollar. But it could’ve been worse.
Pokémon Go. Those first few weeks and months were nothing like anyone could have imagined from a mobile game. People were outside and enjoying a game with other people. I remember seeing videos of people all running because a rare Pokemon had spawned somewhere and everyone was helping each other to get to it.
The game itself was a simple affair anyone and everyone could play with no paywalls or subscriptions. Now it’s just paywalled events, Pokemon locked behind those events and it’s just a slog to play now.
I’m glad I got to be a part of those early days.
Reminds me of geochaching. I don’t think the website charged, a GPS wasn’t already in everyone’s hands, and the stuff we hid was good stuff.
Now they have Premium if you want to do it, and it just isn’t the same.
I never played it, but it looked like a good time for people into Pokemon for sure. Unfortunately on the flip side, I know of it being a problem in some specific areas too. A friend in Seattle wasn’t getting any sleep for weeks because idiots were ruining it for everyone by running loudly at 1 to 3 am near his apartment. I hope that if any other big AR game goes live, they enforce quiet hours.
What killed it?
I wasn’t super into the hype but I messed around on it and enjoyed talking to people about it
I am guessing enshittified?
For me, way too much being put behind a paywall. And not just big events. I get a real world event like the Go Fests should be, I even was going to go to one but Covid stopped it. But it got to the point where it seemed every in game event started to have a paywalled part to it. They started putting Pokemon behind them too and community days started to have them too. Was just too much.
My personal opinion is it has only gotten better. Like there wasn’t trainer battles or anything back in the first days. I could go without the new dynamax thing they’re just put out, but you don’t have to involve yourself with it if you don’t want
I remember my entire team going for a walk suddenly when someone realised there was an interesting Pokemon that had spawned nearby.