This is a nice summary. I’d like to think they don’t actively hate us, but I can definitely see why someone would think that.
I was going to say “they just like money”, then I thought about the RRP thing.
Honestly, I think some of it might be they’re just out of touch/oblivious to the wants & needs of the player base. I think they probably thought they’d mix up the bonuses this season without realising how much players rely on the guaranteed XL for trading.
I’d be interested if you had any thoughts on evidence that Niantic actually likes us? For example, they have (eventually) removed Catch Cup only week for this season. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a TM rework!
I think decision makers at Niantic being out of touch more than downright antagonistic is probably the case, though like you said, it's not hard to see why people might think otherwise. Whether Niantic actually likes its players is a salient point, though, and one I honestly hadn't considered. I feel like, if anything, changes like an optional Catch Cup are begrudging concessions to fans of the game. In other words, they're designed to get people off their back rather than because they are genuinely sympathetic to the sacrifices needed to succeed, esp. at a competitive level.
As the man behind PvPoke touched upon, Niantic seems to be taking a page right out of the mobile game monetization playbook and trying to invent convoluted ways to encourage user engagement rather than make a better game. It's not terribly surprising, but still disappointing.
It really does feel like Candy Crush, where all they really are interested in is the whales - everyone else is an afterthought. I get capitalism and all that, haha, but it's such a bummer that there's no joy in creating a great experience just for the art's sake
As someone who plays both games, I am actually glad that Pokémon GO doesn't do nearly as many pop-up advertisements as Candy Crush Saga. The latter is lousy with them. But yeah, see my comment to Mom above. If they focused on making a good game rather than trying to nickel and dime their customers, they'd earn more goodwill and might get players to recommend Pokémon GO to others.
I don’t think they hate the player base but they definitely don’t care about us.
Now I know this is a stretch and with the amount of players this next statement is probably impossible but how about an email saying “Hey trainer, we see you haven’t logged in in 5 weeks. Everything ok?”
I don't know that I want Niantic doing the online equivalent of a wellness check, but listening to the community and applying that feedback would be great. I've gotten in-game surveys in Pokémon GO, and they're always one or two questions with no room for comments. How are you supposed to get any meaningful information from that?
This is a nice summary. I’d like to think they don’t actively hate us, but I can definitely see why someone would think that.
I was going to say “they just like money”, then I thought about the RRP thing.
Honestly, I think some of it might be they’re just out of touch/oblivious to the wants & needs of the player base. I think they probably thought they’d mix up the bonuses this season without realising how much players rely on the guaranteed XL for trading.
I’d be interested if you had any thoughts on evidence that Niantic actually likes us? For example, they have (eventually) removed Catch Cup only week for this season. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a TM rework!
I think decision makers at Niantic being out of touch more than downright antagonistic is probably the case, though like you said, it's not hard to see why people might think otherwise. Whether Niantic actually likes its players is a salient point, though, and one I honestly hadn't considered. I feel like, if anything, changes like an optional Catch Cup are begrudging concessions to fans of the game. In other words, they're designed to get people off their back rather than because they are genuinely sympathetic to the sacrifices needed to succeed, esp. at a competitive level.
Yes, you’re probably absolutely correct with your assessment at the end there!
Why can't they just make it happen! Life is short. They should celebrate their fans, not alienate them!
As the man behind PvPoke touched upon, Niantic seems to be taking a page right out of the mobile game monetization playbook and trying to invent convoluted ways to encourage user engagement rather than make a better game. It's not terribly surprising, but still disappointing.
It really does feel like Candy Crush, where all they really are interested in is the whales - everyone else is an afterthought. I get capitalism and all that, haha, but it's such a bummer that there's no joy in creating a great experience just for the art's sake
As someone who plays both games, I am actually glad that Pokémon GO doesn't do nearly as many pop-up advertisements as Candy Crush Saga. The latter is lousy with them. But yeah, see my comment to Mom above. If they focused on making a good game rather than trying to nickel and dime their customers, they'd earn more goodwill and might get players to recommend Pokémon GO to others.
I don’t think they hate the player base but they definitely don’t care about us.
Now I know this is a stretch and with the amount of players this next statement is probably impossible but how about an email saying “Hey trainer, we see you haven’t logged in in 5 weeks. Everything ok?”
I don't know that I want Niantic doing the online equivalent of a wellness check, but listening to the community and applying that feedback would be great. I've gotten in-game surveys in Pokémon GO, and they're always one or two questions with no room for comments. How are you supposed to get any meaningful information from that?