Pokémon GO is celebrating its 7th anniversary, but is also experiencing a controversial year. What’s next? MeinMMO author Max Handwerk and MeinMMO author Franzi Korittke look at the topic.
Happy birthday, Pokémon GO! One should definitely note: 7 years is a damn long time in the gaming world. To keep so many players engaged and provide them with wonderful moments for so long is truly an impressive achievement.
And sure, even though the massive hype of the release in 2016 has never been reached again in this form: Pokémon GO has managed to maintain a passionate player base.
Even during pandemic times, which were actually contrary to the idea of the game, Pokémon GO managed to stay alive.
For me, the game has been a constant presence on my phone since 2018, and I wouldn’t want to miss it.
Big events still manage to draw many players to parks. During raids, one can still encounter groups of players wanting to catch a rare monster. And to this day, the game manages to evoke a plethora of emotions among Pokémon fans. For that, it can pat itself on the back.
But the truth is that the emotions of the players have not only been positive this year. Pokémon GO is celebrating its 7th anniversary – and the myth of the cursed seventh year, in which a relationship can suddenly become complicated, seems to apply to the relationship between Pokémon GO and its community as well.
Pokémon GO turns 7 – What does the future hold?
Waves of Pokémon, gym battles, raids, mega raids, crypto raids, the battle league, new features, new monsters, unforgettable events: Pokémon GO has done a lot right in the past years. Otherwise, the game probably wouldn’t have survived this long, Pokémon or not.
But at the same time, there have always been problems that dealt harsh blows to the game’s mood. This primarily concerns communication between the community and developers.
Some recent examples:
- In March, Pokémon GO changed the prices of remote raid passes and set a daily limit. This angered many players.
- Players called for an explanation, but that took a while.
- A popular change, however, was the adjustment of the catch radius, which many players liked so much that they initially thought it was a bug.
- Then a message came through that it was indeed an intended change.
- Until Niantic backtracked and clarified that it was indeed a bug. This back and forth caused frustration in the community.
This year, 2023, is a prime example: The unpopular decision regarding remote raids frustrated loud parts of the community, leading to even calls for boycotts that were partly implemented.
Additionally, community-driven projects collapsed, like the Pokeminers or most recently the research center
TheSilphRoad. That so many elaborate fan projects are turning away from the game can’t be a good sign.
The initially missing communication from the developer on this topic further fueled discontent, before interviews explained that they understood the frustration but wanted to pursue the path in line with their own vision.
Nevertheless, Niantic remains optimistic. They want to excite the community with new features, as stated in an interview with Game Director Michael Steranka. If this works out, great. But they’ve also put themselves out there quite a bit, and mistakes will be scrutinized even more critically by the community.
New features – or improvements to the player experience – Niantic will have to bring in one way or another. Because every game eventually wears out if no new stimuli are set.
The very fundamental principle of Pokémon GO has already changed over the years – shifting from release waves full of Pokémon to an event-driven calendar, which distributes new monsters more in small portions. This keeps players engaged, but also carries the risk that long-term players simply don’t have much to discover.
There are many such examples. Just recently, the event “Dark Flames”, featuring the new monster Tortunator was introduced. However, it didn’t spawn in the wild at all but was hidden behind raids. Meanwhile, there was nothing new to discover in the wild – and generally in other events, Pokémon GO usually offers only single monsters.
The release of actual waves
of monsters, from which one can feast for days to weeks by finding fresh monsters in the wild – that has been a long time ago.
Accordingly, Pokémon GO has to succeed in convincing with other aspects of the game. Recently introduced were the crypto raids, and the just released showcases aim to bring fresh wind into the game.
Moreover, Pokémon GO now has the opportunity in good summer weather to convince players that “playing outside together” is really worth it, as emphasized in Niantic’s vision. This opportunity should be seized to regain the goodwill of the fans – through fun features, but also through better communication with the community.
Events like the GO Fest with Mega-Rayquaza are meant to excite players:
Now there is the possibility to build a base – and then create excitement again. After all, in the end, everyone just wants to have fun with the game – and that would actually be a good birthday wish.
Also, the Pokémon GO expert from MeinMMO, Franzi Korittke, has an assessment:
Pokémon GO needs to take the right path
Pokémon GO has become a kind of balance for me, which is why I have been playing the game daily since 2019. Especially new Pokémon and cool events make it interesting for me, and I still have a lot of fun catching the monsters. I particularly find the new crypto raids cool as they seem to bring the local communities closer together again. But I’m also really looking forward to the new features, such as the “Ready” button in raids, new routes, and the competitions at PokéStops. Here, Niantic has definitely headed in the right direction.
However, I find the remote raid changes unfortunate. Even though I enjoy participating in raids locally, I have really enjoyed raiding regularly with foreign friends over the past few years. This has significantly decreased due to the price increase and limitations, which I find incredibly unfortunate. For the future, I hope that Niantic takes more into account the wishes of the community and allows them to help shape the game to a certain extent.
Franzi Korittke
MeinMMO author for Pokémon GO
What do you think about the current state of Pokémon GO? How should the game evolve for you? Tell us in the comments!
