Just before Christmas, such a controversial decision is a big topic in the community. Many players hope that Niantic will apologize for this experiment and put a good, free box in the shop. Others believe that this is only the beginning and that the developers are planning more experiments of this kind.
Moreover, the dragon event is currently causing mixed feelings among trainers. Many celebrate the new Pokémon Shardrago, but the low dragon spawns and hiding in raids are causing frustration.
The idea that Niantic is conducting this action to test how much a box is still interesting for players was shared by many players in the community.
These statements are from Niantic
This is new: On December 9, two accounts linked to Niantic spoke up on Twitter.
- YouTuber Zyonik writes (via twitter.com): “Niantic told me that they introduced the lure module boxes with different prices as a test to improve the game experience. They decided not to announce it because that could have distorted the results.”
- The Twitter account “GOStadiumPvP” writes (via twitter.com): “Update from Niantic on the price differences for lure module boxes. In this specific test, the team ultimately decided to remain silent about it, as widespread knowledge of the test could influence the results. They are aware of the frustration this causes in the community and will seriously consider the feedback regarding improving transparency and communication.”
This is how players react: Niantic’s explanations are not well received in the community. Especially since the Pokémon GO team had just minutes ago faced criticism and promised to act more transparently and communicate better.
- “Didn’t they promise to act more transparently at the end of summer? Uff,” writes ChartreuseMage on reddit
- “Wait, they decided to *remain silent about it, as widespread knowledge of the test could influence the results’. Do they think the player base is as bad at communicating as they are? And that we don’t have the internet?” asks GhostHarvester on reddit.
- On Twitter, makeshift95 writes (via Twitter.com): “I understand the experiment and that they want to test the limits. But at a time when the community is upset that the dragon event puts players behind paywalls, I don’t know if that was the best timing and to hide it from players.”
Just before Christmas, such a controversial decision is a big topic in the community. Many players hope that Niantic will apologize for this experiment and put a good, free box in the shop. Others believe that this is only the beginning and that the developers are planning more experiments of this kind.
Moreover, the dragon event is currently causing mixed feelings among trainers. Many celebrate the new Pokémon Shardrago, but the low dragon spawns and hiding in raids are causing frustration.
The lure module box costs in the shop for Pokémon GO for some players 3 to 4 euros more than for other players. However, there was initially no explanation. Now there are statements from the developers.
This is the controversy: For a few days now, you can find a bundle with various lure modules in the shop of Pokémon GO, which is called “lure module box”. Trainers quickly noticed: For some, the box costs 350 coins (about €3.50), while for others, the box costs up to 700 coins (about €7). Initially, the community thought it was a mistake, but more and more players reported differing prices.
Niantic remained silent about this for days. Now they say that they did it intentionally and didn’t want to announce anything at first.
Lure module box with different prices for different players
This is the box: In the Pokémon GO shop, you can find the box under the “Limited Time Only” tab. It contains
- A rain lure module
- A magnetic lure module
- A moss lure module
- A glacier lure module
What prices are there for the box? It is unusual for players to pay different prices for the same box in Pokémon GO. It is known that there are different prices for tickets and coin purchases depending on whether one buys in the Samsung Galaxy Store or through Google Play. However, such huge differences as with the lure module boxes were previously unknown.
On reddit, user VolksDK asked on December 6 how many coins the lure module boxes cost players. Over 600 people responded in the comments, naming the following prices for the same lure module box with the same contents:
- 350 coins
- 400 coins
- 450 coins
- 500 coins
- 550 coins
- 600 coins
- 650 coins
- 700 coins
Players tried to find a pattern, but the prices seem to be randomly selected. Some players living in the same household have different prices. It is therefore not dependent on the region.
“I believe the price differences are random. They are just testing to see how many boxes are sold at which prices. I wouldn’t pay my price [650 coins]. I might have bought it at 350.”
The idea that Niantic is conducting this action to test how much a box is still interesting for players was shared by many players in the community.
These statements are from Niantic
This is new: On December 9, two accounts linked to Niantic spoke up on Twitter.
- YouTuber Zyonik writes (via twitter.com): “Niantic told me that they introduced the lure module boxes with different prices as a test to improve the game experience. They decided not to announce it because that could have distorted the results.”
- The Twitter account “GOStadiumPvP” writes (via twitter.com): “Update from Niantic on the price differences for lure module boxes. In this specific test, the team ultimately decided to remain silent about it, as widespread knowledge of the test could influence the results. They are aware of the frustration this causes in the community and will seriously consider the feedback regarding improving transparency and communication.”
This is how players react: Niantic’s explanations are not well received in the community. Especially since the Pokémon GO team had just minutes ago faced criticism and promised to act more transparently and communicate better.
- “Didn’t they promise to act more transparently at the end of summer? Uff,” writes ChartreuseMage on reddit
- “Wait, they decided to *remain silent about it, as widespread knowledge of the test could influence the results’. Do they think the player base is as bad at communicating as they are? And that we don’t have the internet?” asks GhostHarvester on reddit.
- On Twitter, makeshift95 writes (via Twitter.com): “I understand the experiment and that they want to test the limits. But at a time when the community is upset that the dragon event puts players behind paywalls, I don’t know if that was the best timing and to hide it from players.”
Just before Christmas, such a controversial decision is a big topic in the community. Many players hope that Niantic will apologize for this experiment and put a good, free box in the shop. Others believe that this is only the beginning and that the developers are planning more experiments of this kind.
Moreover, the dragon event is currently causing mixed feelings among trainers. Many celebrate the new Pokémon Shardrago, but the low dragon spawns and hiding in raids are causing frustration.
