Unhappy Pokémon GO players are expressing their frustrations with the five-year-old mobile game as it currently stands, particularly with some of its allegedly pay-to-win features. The Android and iOS ARG is in a very different place now when compared to its 2016 launch, having added a bevvy of features over the years and making more money now than ever before.
Pokémon GO's real-life premise fit perfectly with the brand, and players who were not necessarily Pokémon fans even decided to give the game a try when the game was a craze during its first summer. After that initial burst of success, developer Niantic slowly worked to implement some changes in order to make the title last much longer, with its Pokédex widely expanded beyond its initial Gen I focus and Pokémon trading and trainer battles being added over time. Those efforts have paid off, with its microtransactions and newer, loot box-like eggs proving profitable and player counts remaining high, but not all of those paying and free-to-play users are happy with the game.
Reddit user GabeBit08 recently took to the Pokémon GO subreddit to express some of their frustrations with the game as it currently is. The main target of GabeBit08's gripes are loot boxes, but they addressed other issues as well. When comparing it to the launch version of the game, the Redditor looks back on that time with fondness and praises the game for what it used to be. GabeBit08's post ended up prompting an in-depth discussion of like-minded players who have also taken issue with some of Niantic's more recent development choices.
The main accusation these unhappy players are making against the studio is that's apparently not putting in nearly as much of a community-minded effort as it used to, with Niantic's focus on newer projects like AR glasses and an official Pikmin game growing and Pokémon GO already firmly established as a low-maintenance revenue factory. That's a very bold claim considering the game is updated more frequently now than it ever was previously, but the routine and formula of those content drops likely fuels this dejected perception - and those feelings are still as valid as any others as far as feedback goes.
It is easy to see where GabeBit08 and like-minded individuals are coming from, especially when it comes to the inclusion of loot boxes. They have been a bane of the gaming public for years, and their implementation always comes off as a lazy and predatory way to fleece whales of more money. While it is unlikely Niantic will address GabeBit08's concerns about Pokémon GO, it is still a good thing they were shared, as there's always the small chance the studio will ultimately listen.
Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.
Source: GabeBit08/Reddit