In the future, players of Pokémon GO should not only stare at their phones but also look up.
The year 2016 was particularly successful for Pokémon GO. The hype that the game generated at release lasted for several weeks and still attracts many players into the Pokémon craze today. Dennis Hwang, one of the developers of Pokémon GO, even considers the game one of the greatest highlights of his career. Alongside the many successes and Guinness Book entries for Pokémon GO, the developers continue to think about how to improve the game.
Fewer players with “Hunchback”
In an interview with The Verge, Dennis Hwang spoke about the potential of Pokémon GO as a social network. Even though the hype around the game has passed for many players, Pokémon GO still attracts players back into the game with small changes. The Halloween event of Pokémon GO was well received by the community and even convinced former players to reinstall the app. According to Hwang, the next challenge for the developers is to get players to look up more often while playing Pokémon GO.
One of the biggest elements that needs improvement is called Heads-Up Play. “It makes me sad when I see so many people outside walking hunched over,” says Hwang. Although people are outside and having fun, the developers at Niantic want more direct interaction with the nearby environment. Improvements in this regard are expected in the future. For instance, some functions within Pokémon are currently written so small that players often have to hold their phones closer to their eyes to read the information. Possible improvements could include larger font sizes, different animations, or even auditory cues that can convey this information to players.
This could also positively impact the safety of players. In traffic, it is common to see players who only stare at their phones and forget their surroundings. However, this is not solely a problem of Pokémon GO. Interesting conversations on WhatsApp or funny YouTube videos can also easily make smartphone users forget the things happening around them.
Also interesting:
