The developers of Pokémon GO want services like PokéVision to be shut down!
Currently, things are not going well for players in Pokémon GO, as many would wish. First, there were many issues with server problems, and then there was the “Nearby Bug” that signaled false distances to wild Pokémon. To better find wild Pokémon, third-party websites were launched that could track down Pokémon. However, this will soon come to an end.
Update: We have just released a new app – Pokémon GO Map: Our Alternative to PokéVision and Co..
First services for tracking Pokémon already shut down
Websites like PokéVision showed where Pokémon are located, when they spawn, or how long wild Pokémon stay in one place. The Twitter account of PokéVision has over 645,000 followers. This clearly shows how important such a service can be when some functions in the game do not work smoothly.
In an interview with Forbes, John Hanke, the head of Niantic, said that he does not like websites like Pokéradar and is not a fan of them. Players who use such sites would only take the fun away from themselves. “The developers of these apps are trying to hack data from our system, and that is against our terms of use.” However, he finds it “funny” that various trainers find creative ways to hatch eggs in Pokémon GO (without having to move much). These trainers are just deceiving themselves.
The service from PokéVision is now no longer available. In a tweet, the operators of PokéVision wrote, “Hey guys, we wish we had news for you. Right now, we respect the wishes of Niantic and Nintendo. We will keep you updated.”
According to Kotaku, there were already similar problems with Ingress, Niantic’s last game before Pokémon GO. Ingress also had map services developed by fans. However, these services were too much of a burden on the servers, which worsened the player experience. At that time, Ingress had a significantly smaller number of players.
Great disappointment among Pokémon GO trainers
On one hand, you should understand that not all websites offering these services had “good” intentions for Pokémon GO players. Some were simply designed to work with bots to gain advantages in the game over other trainers. Various apps even offered a “live map” with the Pokémon, but charged $4.99 a month after a trial period. When you hear about such “scam apps,” it is clear that Niantic wants to do something about it.
Niantic has sent cease and desist letters against some owners of such websites and apps to quickly stop these services.
Unfortunately, there is no longer the footprint display that helped you track down Pokémon. In the latest update, the developers decided to completely remove this option from the game. Trainers currently have few ways to specifically find Pokémon, as there is simply no more function for that. You now have to rely on your own luck or on websites where the locations of wild Pokémon are still entered by hand.
YangCLio, who built PokeVision, does not believe that Niantic can keep players in Pokémon GO with this system for much longer.
Fans are largely expressing their disappointment on social networks. Of course, it’s Niantic’s right to have these third-party websites closed if they violate the terms of use. However, the developers should slowly incorporate an alternative for tracking into the game so that players can catch Pokémon again without having to aimlessly wander the streets hoping that a wild Pokémon crosses their path.
