In Pokémon GO, Trainers can purchase paid content for the game in the in-game shop. However, these have now become more expensive for some players. We at MeinMMO have looked into what the price increases mean and how the trainers feel about it.
What purchases are we talking about? In Pokémon GO, trainers have the option to buy coins, the in-game currency, or event tickets in the in-game shop for real money. However, these prices are expected to increase from tomorrow for some trainers. We explain why.
Why are prices in the in-game shop being increased?
As Niantic announced on its Twitter account on the night of October 4, 2022, the prices for in-game purchases will increase for some players starting October 5, 2022. This can be read in their Twitter post:
This refers to a link to Niantic’s page, where more detailed information can be found.
What does the announcement mean in concrete terms? As can be read on the Niantic homepage, the prices for in-app purchases, i.e. purchases in your Pokémon GO in-game shop, will increase in the App Store starting October 5, 2022.
Accordingly, areas where Euros are used will be affected, as well as Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, and Vietnam. Thus, German trainers using Pokémon GO on an Apple device will also have to prepare for price increases.
What is the reason for the increase? The rise in costs for in-game shop purchases is not fundamentally related to Niantic. The reason is price adjustments by Apple, which also affect the App Store.
According to a post on Apple’s homepage, these changes have been planned since mid-September and affect not only Pokémon GO but all apps and in-app purchases in their store. It can be read there:
Upcoming price and tax changes for apps and in-app purchases
Starting October 5, 2022, prices for apps and in-app purchases (except automatically renewing subscriptions) in the App Store in Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Vietnam, and all areas using the Euro will be increased. In Vietnam, these increases also reflect the new regulations that Apple must enforce and collect applicable taxes. These include value-added tax (VAT) and corporate tax (CIT) at a rate of 5% each.
Apple via developer.apple.com
“This is the second price increase in less than a year”
In the reddit community, the price increases are met with mixed reactions from trainers. While some players are happy that they usually don’t buy anything in the in-game shop and therefore won’t suffer any losses from the changes, others find the increases unjustified.
Boxes and passes: Although most players are aware that Niantic is not at fault for this adjustment and is ultimately only the bearer of the message, they are particularly displeased with the change in connection with the current contents of the in-game shop.
The contents of the various boxes and their current prices have been criticized for weeks. For example, YouTuber Spieletrend also drew a harsh balance for Pokémon GO.
Additionally, prices for remote raid passes were already increased a few weeks ago, meaning some trainers are now facing another price hike in quick succession.
What do the items have to do with it? Even though boxes and passes are not directly related to the price increase, as these can be purchased using PokéCoins, some trainers see this as an indirect increase. In the past, they purchased many extra coin packages to get these items.
In the future, however, they will have to pay more money for the same amount of coins, which also increases the value of individual items. As can be seen in the comments from the subreddit and in the reddit community of TheSilphRoad, the following can be read:
- Puzzleheaded_Pen_346: “Don’t forget that the remote raid passes have already increased in price… this is the second price increase in less than a year. I stopped giving them money some time ago. If I don’t get enough coins from the gyms, I simply don’t do remote raids. That just leads me to double down on this perspective.”
- ShamelessMystic: “I agree with this. I wish a large part of the player base would stop giving them money, and maybe that would force them to actually listen to the players. I rarely spend money on the app now, while I used to do it frequently.”
- illuminati1556: “In addition to the terrible boxes? I’m out.”
- bralma6: “Yes, I haven’t spent a cent on the game since they removed the 1-coin remote passes, and now I’m losing the incentive to play at all.”
“This is more than just being the messenger”
However, Niantic’s statement on their page has also sparked further discussions in the community. They write (via nianticlabs.com): “This update is due to changes in the price tiers in the App Store. We will also make similar changes on other mobile platforms.”
This suggests to some players that there could soon be price increases for Android users as well. Also, adjustments on a global level are likely not out of the question in the distant future.
According to Niantic: “While we will not take immediate action in response to this change, we will monitor its effects and discuss how we can address the changed conditions on a global scale.”
While Niantic was viewed more as a “messenger” in disseminating information about the current price adjustments for Apple users, some interpret this statement as the developers’ intentions themselves. As can be seen on reddit, the following can be read:
- red401: “Yes, Apple is increasing prices in the App Store and for in-app purchases for certain countries/currencies. Niantic is merely the messenger in this case. […] Even though it sounds like they are also making these price increases in the Play and Galaxy Stors, Google/Samsung are not increasing their in-app purchase prices. So it is more than just being the messenger.”
- HerrJan18: “Why should similar changes also be made on other mobile platforms? Just because Apple is raising prices for in-app purchases does not mean Niantic has to raise prices on other mobile platforms.”
- tomtttttttttttt: “There is a good argument for price parity between platforms to prevent Android/Samsung players from having an advantage over iPhone users, I think.”
Whether further adjustments for Android users will indeed happen in the future remains to be seen. If there are any updates on this, you will find out on MeinMMO.
What are your thoughts on the price increases for Apple users? Do you think it would be justified if prices were raised for trainers using other stores? Or do you not buy anything in the in-game shop anyway? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss with other trainers.
