In recent weeks, the developers of Pokémon GO have faced harsh criticism repeatedly. We at MeinMMO have therefore asked them for a statement and show you how Niantic is dealing with this backlash.
What issue is there with Pokémon GO? For weeks now, Pokémon GO has been under criticism from trainers. The reason for this is the numerous changes in the game, some of which were made without further announcements.
These include, among other things, the removal of the adventure box and weekly box, but also the secret changes to the contents of the other boxes in the in-game shop. A lack of communication from the developers is also repeatedly criticized. For example, the YouTuber Spieletrend gave a harsh assessment on this.
But how do the developers stand on the players’ reactions and their changes? We wanted to know more from MeinMMO and asked Niantic.
“We strive to provide all players with the best gaming experience”
What did we want to know? In our inquiry to Niantic, we primarily addressed the topics that are repeatedly criticized in the reddit community and other social networks. We particularly focused on the changes to the boxes and the associated lack of communication.
But we also addressed other issues in the game, such as missing event stickers or the delayed activation of content, and asked for a corresponding statement.
What has Niantic responded? Unfortunately, we did not receive precise answers to MeinMMO’s specific questions regarding the (secret) changes to the boxes, around the developer diary, and the broken events.
However, the developers assured us that they strive to share important information with the global community. Due to the numerous good things happening in the game, however, it is necessary to weigh carefully which content is included in the updates.
They continue to be committed to providing all players with the best possible gaming experience. In order to hold the best event launches in the future, the insights gained are an integral part of their active discussion. Specifically, we were told the following:
We will always strive to share important information with our valued community of trainers worldwide. With so many updates and good things happening in and around the game, we naturally have to decide every day what to include in these updates.
We are committed to providing all players, no matter where in the world they are, with the best gaming experience and will continue to take this responsibility very seriously. We take the lessons we’ve learned and actively discuss how best to use the insights for future event launches.
Niantic
Why does the changes cause so much criticism?
Poor Boxes: Looking at footage of the older boxes, such as the adventure box or hyperbox, one quickly realizes that they were primarily geared towards raids and hatching eggs. Players could purchase corresponding items such as incubators or raid passes for relatively few coins.
Especially the remote raid passes are very popular among players, as they allow participation in raids in other regions of the world from afar. However, players now have to pay a lot for such items. Niantic increased the costs for remote raid passes a few months ago and ultimately removed them from the weekly boxes.
Lack of communication: However, the changes to the boxes are not the only reason for the harsh criticism, as the lack of communication from the developers is also a recurring topic. Trainers have been demanding at least transparent communication for a long time.
In 2021, the community wrote an open letter to the developers regarding the removal of various corona bonuses and called for a boycott under the campaign #HearUsNiantic.
Finally, Niantic publicly responded to the reactions of the trainers. They reverted the controversial PokéStop changes and assured better communication. However, according to many players, there is hardly any sign of that anymore.
Even the regular updates as part of the so-called “developer diary,” which Niantic introduced as a result of the HearUsNiantic campaign last year and was supposed to provide monthly updates, are becoming increasingly rare.
Whether Niantic will actually take the players’ criticism to heart and make future communication more transparent, and whether the boxes will return, remains to be seen for now. However, if there are new updates on this, you can find out on MeinMMO.
What’s your opinion on Niantic’s statement? Did you wish for more concrete answers from the developers? Or do you think the community’s criticism is unjustified? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
In the coming days, it will get spooky in Pokémon GO. We will show you all the new monsters, shinies, and bonuses for the Halloween event 2022.
